Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

 

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Assalaamualaikum Brother,

Surah 5 Maidah (The Food) Ayah 51

"O you who believe! do not take the Jews and the Christians for friends; they are friends of each other; and whoever amongst you takes them for a friend, then surely he is one of them; surely Allah does not guide the unjust people."

Does this mean that making friends with Jews and Christians, inviting them over for dinner, going out with them for lunches during lunch breaks is all haram?

I`m just confused as I live in the US and you can`t really get by without befriending a christian in a lot of places in the US and Europe.

 

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

 

Answer:

 

Non Muslim Friendship

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

 

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 60 Surah Mumtahina verses 1-3: 

1        O ye who believe!  Take not My enemies and yours as friends (or protectors) offering them (your) love,  even though they have rejected the Truth that has come to you and have (on the contrary) driven out the Prophet and yourselves (from your homes) (simply) because ye believe in Allah your Lord!   If ye have come out to strive in My Way and to seek My Good Pleasure (take them not as friends),  holding secret converse of love (and friendship) with them:   for I know full well all that ye conceal and all that ye reveal.  And any of you that does this has strayed from the Straight Path.

2        If they were to get the better of you they would behave to you as enemies,  and stretch forth their hands and their tongues against you for evil;  and they desire that ye should reject the Truth.

3        Of no profit to you will be your relatives and your children on the Day of Judgment: He will judge between you:  for Allah sees well all that ye do.

 

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 60 Surah Mumtahina verses 8-9:

8        Allah forbids you not with regard to those,  who fight you not for (your) Faith,  nor drive you out of your homes,  from dealing kindly and justly with them:  for Allah loveth those who are just.

9        Allah only forbids you with regard to those,  who fight you for (your) Faith,  and drive you out of your homes and support (others) in driving you out,  from turning to them (for friendship and protection).  It is such as turn to them (in these circumstances) that do wrong.

 

In light of the above guidance of the Holy Quran,  Allah Subhanah guides the believers to judge the non-muslims or disbelievers, including the People of the Book, under two categories:

 

Category-1:  Those disbelievers who do not fight the believers regarding their faith,  nor drive the believers out of their lands and homes;   Allah guides the believers to deal with them kindly and justly….for indeed,  Allah Subhanah loves those who are just.   

 

Thus,  if a non-believer or a non-believing nation is not at war with the believers,   there is no harm in dealing with such people in a good,  kind,  and just manner;  for indeed they are our brothers in humanity.   

 

Category-2:   But Allah has forbidden the believers to befriend those unbelievers who have declared war on the believers because of their faith in Islam, and who drive the believers out of their homes and lands;  or those unbelievers who help and support these enemies to oppress the believers.  These are the unbelievers whom Allah has guided the believers not to befriend.   

 

Allow us to relate a timely example to understand the command better.    We see in the world today that the United States government would not allow or permit any of its citizens to be close friends with any member of the ‘Al-Qaeda’ organization, or any other person or state who are declared by them as ‘terrorist’ organizations, or those with whom the USA has declared war or has enmity with.    Similarly,   Allah guides the believers that those people who have declared their enmity with the believers because of their faith in Islam,  or those people who strive to hurt the interest of the believers and Islam; it would not behove a believer to befriend such enemies of Allah.  

 

Allah Subhanah has warned the believers that those believers who do take such enemies of Allah and Islam as their friends;  on the Day of Judgement,  they will be counted as one of them!   

 

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 5 Surah Maidah verse 57:

57                 O ye who believe!  Take not for friends and protectors those who take your religion for a mockery or sport whether among those who received the Scripture before you,  or among those who reject faith;  but fear ye Allah if ye have Faith (indeed).

 

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 5 Surah Maidah verse 51:

51      O ye who believe!  Take not the Jews and the Christians for your friends and protectors: they are but friends and protectors to each other.   And he amongst you that turns to them (for friendship),  is of them.   Verily Allah guideth not a people unjust.

 

But if some people are non-muslims,  but do not hold any hatred with the believers or with Islam;   Allah guides the believers to be kind and just with such people.

 

And Allah guides the believers and declares that the real friends of the believers should always be Allah,  His Messenger,  and the true believers;  for it is the true believers that will certainly be successful in the end.

 

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 5 Surah Maidah verses 55-56:

55      Your (real) friends are (no less than) Allah,  His Apostle,  and the (fellowship of) believers;   those who establish regular prayers and regular charity,  and they bow down humbly (in worship).

56      As to those who turn (for friendship) to Allah,  His Apostle,  and the (fellowship of) believers,  it is the fellowship of Allah that must certainly triumph.

 

Some people have taken the above verses of friendship with the disbelievers out of context,  and have started a huge propaganda that Islam does not allow the believers to take the non-muslims as friends!     But that is an inaccurate understanding!

 

Those non-muslims who have no enmity with the believers,  there is no harm in keeping good relations with them,  being kind to them,  helping them in humanity,  and dealing with them in justice.   

 

In light of the context of the guidance of the Quran and the Sunnah, only those non-muslims who have a hatred against the believers because of their faith in Islam; Allah has Commanded the believers not to befriend them.   

 

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone.  Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

 

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

 

 

Burhan