Qur'anic Reflections

#7. Can we be friends with Non-Muslims?

When I reached this verse as a part of my Tafsir course, I was naturally intrigued. This verse is often used to malign Islam and to make false claims that Islam is not a religion of peace, which makes it all the more important for us to be aware of it.

This problem of Islam-bashing stems from two things:

-improper translation of the Quranic verses
-improper context

This verse is a victim of the former problem.

To understand what Allah's trying to say, we need to know what the word "awliyaa" actually means. The word "Awliyaa" literally means—custodian, sponsor, protector—or in a more crude form, someone you turn to, in time of need.

And it makes sense!

Imagine you are going through a difficult situation in life and you need real advice from someone. 

Now any practicing Muslim would want to receive sound advice in the light of Qur'an and Sunnah because "Indeed, in the remembrance of Allah do the hearts find rest."

Or maybe you have to make a major decision in life. Of course you'd want to turn to a fellow Muslim sister or brother so they might explain to you what the ruling is, according to Shariah and this is why Allah says one must prefer a believer to be his guardian or ally.

The thing about Islam is that it is a religion of knowledge. The more you study it, the more you understand it and the more you fall in love with how intricately it deals with everyday situations and human interactions.

Islam came to protect us from things that may downplay for us in the long term. One beautiful parallel drawn by Dr. Farhat Hashmi (check her taleem ul quran lessons out! SHE'S AWESOME.) is that Allah Subhanahu wata'ala has given all these rules to protect us. She lists out the five things that make us whole and happy, and how Allah sets rules so we safeguard them.

The five higher goals of Shariah:

1. Protection of life : By making murder haram. And by extrapolation of the concept of Iman giving us life—Allah seeks to give us life by filling us with iman.

2. Protection of Progeny : By making illicit sexual intercourse and adultery haram.

3. Protection of Wealth: By making Riba (usury, interest), bribery, earning money through unlawful sources haram and by making zakat(charity) compulsory.

4. Protection of Mind: Allah Subhanahu Wata'ala has repeatedly stressed on the importance of thinking and reflecting and acquiring knowledge. This is my personal experience that the more I reflected and studied our religion, the more I am convinced that it is the truth. Allah forbids anything that takes away from us this unique power of thinking by making alcohol, magic and sorcery haram.

5. Protection of Iman : Every single rule of the Shariah is invariably linked to protecting our Iman. The topic for this reflection comes under this category. Allah forbids us from taking advises or being influenced by our non muslim friends in any way that might endanger our Iman.

(The moment I discovered these 5 points, I was so overwhelmed. Radhitu billahi Rabba, wabil Islami deena, Wabi Muhammad Sallalahu Alaihi wasallim nabiyya :')

So basically, the bottom line is : You can be friends with non muslims as long as you do not have to compromise on your faith.

And it complies with the general rule of life. You should never have to compromise on your principles for someone else. You should never have to change yourself just to fit in.

In friendship, you will either influence your friend or will be influenced by them. This brings us to an important point, that whenever we are friends with anyone outside of our faith, we must always strive to be a good influence on them and be their guide to the truth.

Every human being is entitled to your kindness, compassion, help, hospitality, honesty and generosity, regardless of their religion.

And who might be a better example than the Prophet of Allah (Peace Be Upon Him)?

Instances from the life of the Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) that prove the fact that he really was sent as mercy to all of humanity:

1. He commanded that the prisoners of the battle of badr be treated kindly so much so that the muslims would give the prisoners bread to eat while they survived on a few dates and water. If men who were thirsty for the blood of Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) were given such kind treatment, what about our non muslim friends who are good-natured and neither fight us or oppress us?

2. He was the kindest neighbour anyone could ever have, even to the ones that tried to make his life miserable. A non muslim (It is said that she was Jewish. Allah knows best) woman next door to the prophet would throw garbage on him whenever he walked past her house and he would just walk away silently. One day, she failed to do so, and the Prophet (Peace be upon him) visited her house to inquire about her as she was sick.

3. When the delegation of Najran, who were Christians, came to Muhammad (Peace be upon him) in Medina, they entered his mosque in the afternoon, and it was the time for their prayer. So, they started to pray in his mosque and the Muslims wanted to stop them but the Muhammad (Peace be upon him) said: 'Let them pray'. So, they faced the east and prayed.

4. The mother of the believers 'Aisha (May Allah be pleased with her) said: "The Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) passed away and his shield was pledged to a Jewish man in exchange for thirty measures of barley, and this was for the expenses of his (i.e. the Prophet (Peace be upon him) children". This goes to show that you can engage in selling and buying from non-muslims as long as it complies with the rules of shariah.

5. Muhammad (Peace be upon him) ordered the Muslims to take care of Ahl adh-Dhimma (the Jews and the Christians) who live among them. So, if any non-Muslim needs money, they should provide him, as the state is responsible for the poor; including Muslims and Ahl adh-Dhimma. The state is responsible to provide suitable living conditions for them and for all those they are responsible for, because they are citizens in an Islamic state. Muhammad (Peace be upon him) said, 'You are all guardians, and each of you is responsible for those in his trust'.

In addition, when the second caliph 'Umar was in Al-Sham and he passed by a group of Christian people who were suffering from leprosy, he ordered that they be given alms and food. When he built a social security system, everyone was entitled to benefit from it, regardless of their faith.

The Noble Quran says: "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 loves those who are just." (Al-Mumtahanah: 60: 8)

I truly, truly believe that we need to wake up and debunk these myths about our religion. If we break off from our non-muslim friends and do not interact with them, they will end up believing the version of Islam the media shows them.

It's time we take our stand. It's time we build our character in a way that inspires good in others, muslims and non-muslims alike.

Make use of this opportunity during Ramadan! Invite them to iftar, engage in discussions, clarify their doubts about Ramadan and build a strong bond with them.

May Allah make us of those who portray the best of Islam through their actions. Ameen! :)