According To Quran 5:51, Can Muslims Not Accept Non-Muslims As Friends?
Muslims
Can Make Peaceful Non-Muslims Their Friends According To Islam
Highlights
1. Muslims were
in a perilous position in Medina at the time this verse 5:51 was revealed.
2. The word
Awliya needs to be understood as guardians or patrons in the strict military
sense.
3. It is a
popular misconception that Islam prevents Muslims from establishing friends and
forming social interactions with others.
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By
Kaniz Fatma, New Age Islam
11 April
2022
Allah
Azzawajal says, “O you who have believed, do not take the Jews and the
Christians as Awliya. They are [in fact] Awliya of one another. And whoever is
an ally to them among you - then indeed, he is [one] of them. Indeed, Allah
guides not the wrongdoing people.” (5:51)
Many
Islamophobes and radical Muslims constantly claim that Islam forbids Muslims
from making friends with non-Muslims. To establish this point, they use the
above-mentioned verse. So it's essential to examine the meaning of Awliya in
this verse, as well as whether or not Muslims can accept non-Muslims as
friends.
The
following is a summary of Haris Aziz's treatise:
The word
Awliya has various meanings such as friends, protectors and guardians, and if
the meaning is taken to be friends then it seems to contradict the Islamic
message of peace and cooperation. The context and the historical background of
this verse have been well explained by David Dakake. In this verse, awliya
needs to be understood as guardians or patrons in the strict military sense.
The word
Awliya means ‘Friends, protectors, and guardians, and if this means ‘friends’
in verse 5:51, it will appear to contradict the Islamic message of peace and
cooperation. David Dakake has provided a thorough explanation of the context
and historical history of this verse. In this verse, Awliya must be taken as
guardians or patrons in the strict military sense. This is because Muslims were
in a perilous position in Medina at the time this verse was revealed, with the
Makkans plotting an attack on them and some Christian and Jewish tribes
scheming against them. As a result, Muslims were told to strengthen themselves
and not rely on others unnecessarily. Al-Tabari, one of the oldest commentators
on the Quran, explains the entire context. Furthermore, if we read the verses
immediately after 5:51, verse 5:57 confirms the meaning even further:
“O you
who have believed, take not those who have taken your religion in ridicule and
amusement among the ones who were given the Scripture before you nor the
disbelievers as awliya. And fear Allah, if you should [truly] be believers.” (5:57)
This
demonstrates that, while Muslims should cooperate with non-Muslims in general
and form friendships with well-intentioned non-Muslims, they should be wary of
appointing as a guardian someone who despises Islam or does not want Muslims
well. It's distressing to note that, despite the fact that a simple technique
leads to the correct interpretation, this verse is not only misused by
anti-Islamic organisations, but also by some hate-mongering Muslim groups.
Similarly, a warning (Quran 5:82) regarding the animosity of the Jews of Medina
toward Muslims must be viewed in its historical context and should not be taken
to mean that Muslims should be hostile to them.
(Islamic
Political Radicalism – A European Perspective, Edited by Tahir Abbas,
Anti-Semitism Amongst Muslims – Haris Aziz, Edinburgh University Press, p79-80,
cited in
https://osmanisnin.wordpress.com/2022/01/02/what-does-awliya-mean-in-quran-551-can-muslims-take-non-muslims-as-friends/)
When we
examine the exegesis (Tafsir) of this verse critically, we can determine that
this verse is specifically referring to prohibiting an alliance with
non-Muslims who wished to damage the Muslim community. Furthermore, these words
were revealed in the midst of political strife, not during a period of peace.
It is a
popular misconception that Islam prevents Muslims from establishing friends and
forming social interactions with others. It contradicts both current reality
and Islamic history. It's also a hazardous viewpoint, as some have claimed that
befriending non-believers can lead to Kufr. This line of thinking is extremely
flawed.
Prophet
Muhammad (peace be upon him) has a long history of peaceful coexistence with
people of many religious communities. In both Makkah and Madinah, he lived with
Christians and Jews. Even when there were apparent disagreements with certain
of the Jewish tribes in Madinah, the Prophet (peace be upon him) did not cut
off links with the entire Jewish community. In Madinah, the Prophet
acknowledged the Jews as one community with the Muslims.
Throughout
Islamic history, the Prophet (peace be upon him) cooperated with different
non-Muslims. For example, when he and his companion Abu Bakar left Makkah for
Madinah during the Hijrah, he relied on Abdullah bin Urayqat, a non-Muslim, to
guide and direct them. According to a hadith preserved in Sahih Bukhari, the
Prophet paid a visit to a Jewish lad who used to serve him till he became
unwell. The Prophet's kind demeanour illustrates the beauty of his teachings,
inspiring the youngster to accept the message of the Prophet. These are just a
few examples of the Holy Prophet’s remarkable interpersonal relationships with
members of various faiths. (peace be upon him)
In addition
to his social contacts with people of different faiths, the Holy Prophet
emphasised the need of maintaining kinship ties despite religious differences.
He advised his companion, Saad bin Abi Waqas, to maintain a good connection
with his mother, despite the fact that she did not share the same faith. The
Holy Prophet emphasised that one's faith and belief should not interfere with one's
family ties. He was Abu Talib's confidant and had an excellent relationship
with him. Abu Talib was crucial to the
Prophetic message's success. He shielded the Prophet from those who tried to
stop him from carrying out his mission. The Prophet (peace be upon him) also
lavished love and respect on his uncle.
As a
result, it is perfectly acceptable for us to befriend individuals who do not
share our beliefs. We can always extend friendships to whomever we want to be
friends with and embrace friends regardless of their religious beliefs. A
friend in need is a true friend. Indeed, some of our friends share our ideals,
but we all share our humanity and, more importantly, our strong links to real
friendship.
A serious
assessment of the overall message of the Quran, as well as the Holy Prophet's
diverse deeds, would be ample grounds to reject any restricted or exclusivist
readings of these verses. Several verses in the Quran exhort us to do good to
people of other faiths and to create positive relationships with them. Allah
Azzawajal says in the Quran,
“And He
does not forbid you to deal kindly and justly with anyone who has not fought
you for your faith or driven you out of your homes; God loves the Just.” (60:8)
As Muslims,
we have a religious obligation to challenge interpretations that seek to sow
division and hatred. It is our responsibility to portray a favourable image of
our faith and to explicitly reject exclusivist interpretations of the Bible. As
taught by the Holy Prophet, we spread Rahma (mercy) to all. We must have trust
that our faith does not need us to be isolated from other communities and that
it does not create hostility in our interpersonal relationships. It is critical
that we make attempts to learn about and interact with others in order to develop
social cohesion. So, absolutely, we can make friends with our non-Muslim
acquaintances. And, certainly, we must, because the beauty of human connections
comes in their uniqueness. (Excerpts summarized from Can Muslims Befriend
Non-Muslims?)
In conclusion,
Muslims have no problem maintaining casual friendships and cordial
acquaintances with people of other faiths as long as those people do not oppose
or dislike Islam or Muslims, do not engage in or incorrectly influence Muslims
toward immoral behaviour, and are not unjust and oppressive to anyone. The
words of Allah Most High Himself demonstrate this when He says:
“Allah
does not forbid you from showing kindness and dealing justly with those who
have not fought you due to your faith or driven you out of your homes. Allah loves those who deal justly. Allah only forbids you from those people that
fought you because of your faith, drove you out of your homes and helped in
your expulsion, that you take them as intimate associates. And whosoever takes them as intimate
associates, then it is they who are the wrongdoers.” (60:8-9)
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Kaniz
Fatma is a classic Islamic scholar and a regular columnist for New Age Islam.
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islam-pluralism/quran-muslims-non-muslims-friends/d/126771
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