Ask Shaykh YQ #87 – Does the Quran forbid becoming friends with non-Muslims

Our next question brother said job from Dhaka, Bangladesh, he emails us and he says that he has a close non Muslim friend or colleague. And another friend of his Muslim friend said that the Quran forbids friendship between Muslims and non Muslims based on the verse in the Koran that do not take Jews and Christians as only a

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This question I have answered in a lot more detail than other lectures. But again, this needs to be said very explicitly. This is a complete misunderstanding of the verse. Allah says in the Quran that do not take the hood and the solder as only the two of them are Olia to each other. And unfortunately, some translators translate this as do not take the hood and the nosara as friends. And therefore some people misunderstand that a Muslim cannot be a friend to a non Muslim. And this of course contradicts the explicit Koran. The authentic sooner it contradicts common sense and human reason and, and emotions. And it contradicts the lived reality of Islam for the last 14 centuries.

Anybody who says this truly has cut off from the Quran and the Sunnah, and the Syrah of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, and the lies of the Sahaba and the entire lived human history. And they bring forth an interpretation that has absolutely no basis whatsoever. Of course, you can be friends with anybody, who will of course, be a positive influence on you, obviously, anybody who has a negative influence on you, whether they're Muslim or non Muslim, you should be wary of forming strong bonds. And of course, acquaintances are beyond your control colleagues are beyond your control, but a proper you know, you go to their house, they come to your house of friendship, there

is no question that birds of a feather flock together should we should try our best to form the best bonds with the people that will influence us positively, whoever they may be, and no question. The righteous, you know, the people who are the righteous worshipers and they are avoiding the major sins, and they're having good lifestyles, no doubt that is the best for us. But to be a friend to a person of another faith, of course, this is permissible. Allah subhanho wa Taala explicitly mentioned in the Quran, Lyon how como La Nina did an embryo cultural fit any one of your colleagues you come in the area come and turbo Moto, turbo Robo moto cassuto, la him that allows not stopping

you from having beers. And bid is the highest level of friendship of loyalty, the highest level of servitude is bid, the parents are shown bid. And Allah says, I'm not telling you that you cannot show beard to non Muslims, much less being just with them. And again, as I mentioned, in the many lectures, the word kissed and the word bid are the lowest to the highest in terms of a friendship or a relationship. This is the very lowest level, you tit for tat if they're good to you're good to them. So that's just and then bid is the highest level, which is what you show to your mother, that's a bit and Allah says this entire spectrum, I'm not telling you that it is how long to to do

that to a non Muslim, unless that person is persecuting you, that person is wanting to kill you, that person is hating you for your religion. Obviously, if that is the case, then how can you be friends with somebody, you know, Friends Meeting, not just acquaintances or calling but friends with somebody who is, you know, making fun of your religion making fun of you, that doesn't make any sense. It's really a sign of a huge inferiority complex. So what does the verse mean? Again, the verse as a whole, it means that people who are religious people of one faith tradition will not be able to find protection, military protection, especially political protection, community to

community, we're not talking about individual to individual, we're talking about a faith based community, at times of crises at times of strife, they need to be very careful in assuming that other communities will have their best interest and their best, you know, a long term goals at heart because in the end of the day, every community is concerned about itself, and especially a community that is proselytizing, that wants people to embrace his faith. I mean, we're the same. We want people to embrace our faith. And therefore, if other faith communities are brought in at times of conflict, they're going to have some conditions they're going to put whatever and so at this point

in time, one needs to be very, very careful in this regard. And of course, by the way, even then, what we are talking about is the oma as a whole or groups of the oma or segments of the oma thinking

In that their best interest lies in turning away from the help from the oma and getting political and military aid from those outside without understanding the repercussions. Sometimes they understand the repercussions and they think that it is, you know, not you know, you're the it's lesser of two evils. And this is something that the editor allows in Sahih Muslim, our Prophet sallallahu Sallam said, towards the end of the of the end of times, that you and the Romans meaning Western civilization, are going to form an alliance against a third enemy against a third party, and you will fight them and you will defeat them. The fact that the Prophet says and mentioned this is

an indication it is Hello, so not even so not even every single seeking of protection and aid and treaties is not allowed. So again, this verse has been overly simplified to the point of it becoming nonsensical by this, this ridiculous interpretation that a Muslim cannot be friends with somebody of another faith. What it means is that you need to be extra careful as a community to assume that any other community is going to come You know, without any strings attached is without any type of know every community, every nation state, every faith based community when it comes in with military help, political help, is going to have certain you know, conditions or whatnot and you need to be

wary of that. And so don't think ever, that you should cut off ties with Avila with Allen His messenger or with the Muslim Ummah completely as I said at times, and throughout Islamic history, this has happened that you have to get help you know, for another for against another third enemy, and even on an individual level, this is not forbidden. So, for example, I mean, you cannot work for a non Muslim company Of course, you can or you cannot hire a non Muslim I mean the Prophet system hired in

order to to be the guide all the way to Medina. And as well I mean the the issue of friendship and your prophecies and loved his uncle level volume, or multiple hotdog had a mushrik, a pagan brother who would visit him he would visit him and the Sahaba had a number of friends, this is authentically found that they would interact with people who are outside the faith and lived history of Islam. I mean, never has there been a Muslim society, except that there were non Muslims within it. And they're forming friendships and business partnerships and and doing whatever with the Muslim community. And therefore we have to be careful of not misinterpreting the Koran. It is, frankly, it

is ludicrous to assert that the Oran is saying that you cannot have friends, just casual friends outside of the faith tradition. I hope that inshallah that question has been answered.