“O you who believe, do not take the Jews and the Nazarenes as close to you. They are close to one another and whoever is close to them from you, he is  from them. God does not give guidance to the unjust people.” [Al-Ma’idah 5:51]

يا ايها الذين آمنوا لا تتخذوا اليهود والنصارى أولياء بعضهم أولياء بعض ومن يتولهم منكم فإنه منهم إن الله لا يهدي القوم الظالمين

Abu Amr Az-Zubairi reported that Imam As-Sadiq (a.) said: “Whoever was close to the family of Muhammad and favoured them above all the people by what the Messenger of God (s.) favoured them in kinship, he is from the family of Muhammad because of his position with the family of Muhammad. Not because he is from the people themselves, but he is from them only because he is close to them and follows them and in the same way God has judged in His Book: ﴾Whoever is close to them from you, he is from them.﴿ (5:51) And the word of Abraham: ﴾Whoever followed me then, he is from me and whoever disobeyed me, You are the Forgiving, the Merciful.﴿” (14:36) [Al-Bihar of Al-Majlisi, Volume 65, Page 35, Hadith 73]

محمد بن مسعود عن أبي عمرو الزبيري عن جعفر بن محمد الصادق عليهما السلام قال: من تولى آل محمد وقدمهم على جميع الناس بما قدمهم من قرابة رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله فهو من آل محمد لمنزلته عند آل محمد، لا أنه من القوم بأعيانهم وإنما هو منهم بتوليه إليهم و اتباعه إياهم وكذلك حكم الله في كتابه ومن يتولهم منكم فإنه منهم وقول إبراهيم فمن تبعني فإنه مني ومن عصاني فإنك غفور رحيم

Nu’man Ibn Muhammad reported that Imam As-Sadiq (a.) was asked: “Tell me about the family of Muhammad, who are they?” He said: “They are specifically the people of his household.” One said: “The generality (Ammah) claims that all Muslims are the family of Muhammad.” At this Abu Abdillah (As-Sadiq) smiled. Then he said: “They have lied as well as told the truth.” The questioner said: “O son of the Messenger of God, what is meant by your statement: ﴾They have lied as well as told the truth?﴿” He said: “They have lied in the sense as well as told the truth. They lied, by saying that the Muslims are the family of Muhammad, who confess the Unity of God and affirm the Prophet, because of that which is in them of flaw and deficiency in their religion and they have told the truth in the sense that the believers among them are of the family of Muhammad, even though they were not descended from him and that is because of their fulfilment of the conditions of the Qur’an, but not because they are the family of Muhammad from whom God removed the flaw and kept them perfectly pure. (33:33) So whoever fulfilled the conditions of the Qur’an and followed the family of Muhammad, he is of them because he is close to them, even if his lineage is far from the lineage of Muhammad (s.).” The questioner said: “Tell me what are the conditions, God sacrifice my life to you, by which the one is of the family of Muhammad in this sense, who ahdered and fulfilled them.” He said: “The fulfilment of the conditions of the Qur’an and the following of the family of Muhammad. So whoever was close to the family of Muhammad and favoured them above all creatures as God favoured them in kinship to the Messenger of God (s.), he is of the family of Muhammad in this sens, and in the same way God judged in His Scripture, whereupon He said: ﴾Whoever is close to them from among you, he is from them.”﴿ (5:51) [Al-Burhan of Al-Bahrani, Vol. 2, Page 472, Hadith 1]

نعمان بن محمد عن جعفر بن محمد الصادق عليهما السلام أنه سئل: يا بن رسول الله، أخبرني عن آل محمد من هم؟ قال: هم أهل بيته خاصة، قال: فإن العامة يزعمون أن المسلمين كلهم آل محمد، فتبسم أبو عبد الله، ثم قال: كذبوا وصدقوا، قال السائل: يا بن رسول الله ما معنى قولك كذبوا وصدقوا، قال: كذبوا بمعنى وصدقوا بمعنى كذبوا في قولهم المسلمون هم آل محمد الذين يوحدون الله ويقرون بالنبي على ما هم فيه من النقص في دينهم والتفريط فيه، وصدقوا في أن المؤمنين منهم من آل محمد، وإن لم يناسبوه، وذلك لقيامهم بشرائط القرآن، لا على أنهم آل محمد الذين أذهب الله عنهم الرجس وطهرهم تطهيرا فمن قام بشرائط القرآن وكان متبعا لآل محمد فهو من آل محمد على التولي لهم وإن بعدت نسبته من نسبة محمد قال السائل: أخبرني ما تلك الشرائط، جعلني الله فداك، التي من حفظها وقام بها كان بذلك المعنى من آل محمد، فقال: القيام بشرائط القرآن، والاتباع لآل محمد فمن تولاهم وقدمهم على جميع الخلق كما قدمهم الله من قرابة رسول الله فهو من آل محمد على هذا المعنى، وكذلك حكم الله في كتابه فقال جل ثناؤه ومن يتولهم منكم فإنه منهم

Ali ibn Abi Talib (a.) reported that Prophet Muhammad (s.) said: “O Ali, there are three things that this nation does not bear: elevating his brother by his possessions, justice to people from himself and remembering God in any situation and it is not ﴾Praise be to God﴿ and ﴾All thanks be to God﴿ and ﴾there is no God but God﴿ and ﴾God is greater﴿ but that when you got involved in something that is forbidden to you, you feared God from doing it and refrained from it.” [Al-Bihar of Al-Majlisi, Volume 90, Page 151, Hadith 4]

محمد بن علي بن الحسين عن علي بن أبي طالب عليهما السلام عن النبي صلى الله عليه وآله قال: يا علي ثلاث لا تطيقها هذه الأمة، المواساة للأخ في ماله، وإنصاف الناس من نفسه، وذكر الله على كل حال، وليس هو سبحان الله، والحمد لله، ولا إله إلا الله، والله أكبر، ولكن إذا ورد على ما يحرم عليه خاف الله عز وجل عنده وتركه

Ali Ibn Muhammad reported that Imam Ali (a.) said: “Remembering God is the custom of those, who are mindful.” [Al-Uyun of Al-Wasiti, page 255]

علي بن محمد الواسطي عن علي بن أبي طالب عليهما السلام قال: ذكر الله شيمة المتقين

Nu’man Ibn Muhammad reported, that Imam As-Sadiq (a.) said: “Whoever of you was mindful and did good, he is from us people of the House.” It was said to him: “From you, O son of the Messenger of God?” He said: “Yes, from us. Did you not hear the word of God: ﴾Whoever is close to them from you, he is from them.﴿ (5:51) And the word of Abraham: ﴾Whoever followed me, he is from me?﴿” (14:36) [Al-Burhan of Al-Bahrani, Volume 2, page 473, Hadith 2]

نعمان بن محمد عن جعفر بن محمد الصادق عليهما السلام قال: من اتقى منكم وأصلح فهو منا أهل البيت قيل له: منكم يا بن رسول الله؟ قال: نعم منا أما سمعت قول الله عز وجل: ومن يتولهم منكم فإنه منهم وقول إبراهيم: فمن تبعني فإنه مني؟

Jabir ibn Yazid reported that Imam Al-Baqir (a.) said: “O Jabir, is it enough for one who believes in being a follower to profess love for us, the people of the House? By God, none is our follower except the one who was mindful of God and obeyed Him and they are not known, O Jabir, except for humility, devotion, trust and for frequent remembrance of God, fasting, prayer, kindness to parents, and caring for one’s neighbour among the poor, the needy, the indebted and the orphan, for the trustworthy saying (Hadith), the reading of the Qur’an and the saving of the people by the tongue, except for good and they have been entrusted with things in their kinship.”Jabir said: “O son of the Messenger of God, we know no one today of that description.” Whereupon he said: “O Jabir, you shall not go along with the paths you have taken. Is it enough for someone to say: ﴾I love Ali and am close to him.﴿ Whereupon he still does not do much? If he were to say: ﴾I love the Messenger of God.﴿ For the Messenger of God (s.) is better than Ali (a.), but he does not follow his way of life and does not act according to his custom, then his love for him is of no use. So be mindful of God and do works for what is with God. There is no kinship between anyone and God. God is the most beloved and dearest to the servants who are the most mindful among them and who act most obediently to Him.O Jabir, one does not approach God except through obedience and we have no exemption from the Fire and no one has any proof against God. Whoever was obedient to God is our close one and whoever was disobedient to God is our enemy and none comes near (Wilayah) to us except by action and abstention.” [Al-Bihar of Al-Majlisi, Volume 67, Page 98, Hadith 4]

محمد بن يعقوب عن أبي علي الأشعري، عن محمد بن سالم، وأحمد بن أبي عبد الله عن أبيه جميعا، عن أحمد بن النضر، عن عمرو بن شمر، عن جابر بن يزيد عن محمد بن علي الباقر عليهما السلام قال: يا جابر أيكتفي من ينتحل التشيع أن يقول بحبنا أهل البيت فوالله ما شيعتنا إلا من اتقى الله وأطاعه، وما كانوا يعرفون يا جابر إلا بالتواضع والتخشع والأمانة، وكثرة ذكر الله، والصوم، والصلاة، والبر بالوالدين، والتعهد للجيران من الفقراء وأهل المسكنة، والغارمين، والأيتام وصدق الحديث، وتلاوة القرآن، وكف الألسن عن الناس، إلا من خير، وكانوا امناء عشائرهم في الأشياء. قال جابر: فقلت: يا ابن رسول الله ما نعرف اليوم أحدا بهذه الصفة، فقال عليه السلام: يا جابر لا تذهبن بك المذاهب حسب الرجل أن يقول: أحب عليا وأتولاه ثم لا يكون مع ذلك فعالا فلو قال: إني أحب رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله فرسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله خير من علي عليه السلام ثم لا يتبع سيرته، ولا يعمل بسنته ما نفعه حبه إياه شيئا، فاتقوا الله واعملوا لما عند الله، ليس بين الله وبين أحد قرابة أحب العباد إلى الله عز وجل وأكرمهم عليه أتقاهم وأعملهم بطاعته. يا جابر فوالله ما يتقرب إلى الله تبارك وتعالى إلا بالطاعة، وما معنا براءة من النار، ولا على الله لاحد من حجة، من كان لله مطيعا فهو لنا ولي، ومن كان لله عاصيا فهو لنا عدو، ولا تنال ولايتنا إلا بالعمل والورع

Ali Ibn Abi Talib (a.) reported that Prophet Muhammad (s. ) said: “Act according to the obligations God has imposed on you, then you will be the most mindful of the people, be satisfied with what God has assigned to you, then you will be the most prosperous of the people, refrain from those things, which God has declared forbidden, then you are of the people who are the most abstinent, be good to those who are your neighbours, then you are a believer (Mu’min) and be good to those whom you keep company, then you are a submitter (Muslim). “ [Al-Bihar of Al-Majlisi, Volume 68, Page 206, Hadith 12]

محمد بن الحسن عن محمد بن محمد عن المظفر بن محمد البلخي، عن محمد بن همام، عن حميد ابن زياد، عن إبراهيم بن عبيد بن حنان، عن الربيع بن سلمان، عن السكوني عن جعفر بن محمد عن محمد بن علي عن علي بن الحسين عن الجسين بن علي عن علي بن أبي طالب عليهم السلام عن النبي صلى الله عليه وآله قال: اعمل بفرائض الله تكن من أتقى الناس، وارض بقسم الله تكن من أغنى الناس، وكف عن محارم الله تكن أورع الناس، وأحسن مجاورة من يجاورك تكن مؤمنا، وأحسن مصاحبة من صاحبك تكن مسلما

Comment:

So according to the narrations the closeness in this verse does not mean of friendship or taking as your protectors like the Bakris have translated, but in the sense of following them in your religion and God knows best.