Debunking Islamophobic and Jihadi Myths about 26 Wartime Verses: Part 4
What Is
The Background Of Three Quranic Verses Prohibiting Friendship With Non-Muslims
(9:23, 5:51, And 5:57)?
Main
Points:
1. It is a
popular misconception that Islam prevents Muslims from establishing friends and
forming social interactions with others.
2. Thinking
that befriending non-believers can lead to Kufr is an extremely flawed line of
thinking.
3. In these
verses, awliya needs to be understood as guardians or patrons in the historical
and strict military sense.
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By
Kaniz Fatma, New Age Islam
29 April
2022
This part
will attempt to debunk Islamophobic myths about three verses of the Quran because
the subject of all three verses is the same. Allah says (interpretation of the
meaning):
“O People who Believe! Do not consider your
fathers and your brothers as your friends if they prefer disbelief over faith,
and whoever among you befriends them – then it is he who is unjust.” (9:23)
“O
People who Believe! Do not take the Jews and the Christians your friends; they
are friends of one another, and whoever among you befriends them, is one of
them; indeed Allah does not guide the unjust.” (5:51)
“O People
who Believe! Those who have made your religion a mockery and a sport, and those
who received the Book before you, and the disbelievers – do not befriend any of
them; and keep fearing Allah, if you have faith.” (5:57)
Allah
Almighty has prohibited believers from establishing Muwalaat (friendship in
matters of religion) with Jews, Christians, disbelievers, polytheists, and
apostates in the aforementioned three verses of the Quran, and has conveyed His
disapproval and indignation at those who do so. Based on this principle, many
Islamophobes and radical Muslims say that Islam prevents Muslims from forming
friends with non-Muslims. They cite the verses mentioned above to prove their
point. So it is essential to examine the meaning of Muwalaat/Awliya in these verses,
as well as whether 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/)
According
to Mufti Badruddoja, a classical Indian scholar,
These
verses prohibit demonstrating Muwalaat (religious friendliness) to Jews,
Christians, Infidels, polytheists, and apostates, but they do not prohibit Muamalat
with them, that is, buying, selling, conducting transactions, establishing
peaceful cohabitation, and sitting together. These verses do not prohibit
people from engaging in worldly affairs as long as they do not damage one
another. Those who accuse the Quran of encouraging hatred and violence need to
comprehend the difference between Muwalaat and Mua’amalat. They are not related
to one other. It's possible that you do Mua’amalat (worldly affairs) with
someone all your life, such as transactions, buying and selling, but you don't
even have a nominal acquaintance with them. It's also possible that you've
developed a friendship, emotion, or propensity for someone but have never
transacted or coexisted with them. This distinction has revealed that “neither
friendship is indispensable for Mua’amlaat nor Muwalat or friendship for
Mua’amlaat”. The distinction between Mua'amalat and Mua’amlaat is
significant. In the aforementioned verses, Allah Almighty prohibits Muwalat
with Jews, Christians, unbelievers, polytheists, and apostates; however He
Almighty does not prohibit believers from establishing Mua'amalat, or
trade or peaceful coexistence with them. (Summarized The Verses of Jihad in The
Quran - Meaning, Denotation, Reason of Revelation and Background - Part 6)
When we
examine the exegesis (Tafsir) of these verses critically, we can determine that
they are specifically referring to prohibiting an alliance with non-Muslims who
wished to damage the Muslim community. Furthermore, these verses 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)
Those who
argue that Christians and Jews cannot be friends because of the apparent
command of verse 5:51 must now recognise that the Quran expressly relates to
preventing an alliance with non-Muslims who aim to harm the Muslim community.
Such verses were revealed during times of political turmoil, not during times
of peace. To grasp this concept, consider this: if friendship with people of
the Book had been prohibited in general, Allah Almighty would not have
permitted Muslim males to marry women from Ahl-e-Kitab (the People of the
Book). What relationship could be more warm and friendly than a marriage?
Allah the
Most High says, “(Lawful to you in marriage) are chaste [muhsan] women from the
believers and chaste women from those who were given the Scripture (Jews and
Christians) before your time” [al-Maa’idah 5:5]
The
argument is that Allah has allowed Muslim males to marry chaste women from the
People of the Book, and the Prophet's (peace and blessings of Allah be upon
him) companions did so. Hazrat 'Uthmaan, like Talhah ibn 'Ubaydullah, married a
Christian woman, while Hazrat Hudhayfah married a Jewish woman.
'Abdullah
ibn Ahmad was quoted as saying, "I questioned my father about a Muslim man
who married a Christian or Jewish woman." He said: I don't want him to do
that, but if he does, some of the Prophet's (Peace and blessings of Allah be
upon him) companions did it as well. (Ahkaam Ahl al-Dhimmah, 2/794, 795)
That Islam
permits Muslim males to marry a woman from the People of the Book provides
substantial evidence that verse 5:51 is context-sensitive and only prohibits
friendship with people who seek to undermine the Muslim community.
Other
Parts of the Article:
Debunking Islamophobic Myths about 26 Wartime Verses: Part 1 on Verse
9:5
Debunking
Islamophobic Myths about 26 Wartime Verses: Part 3 on Verse 9:123
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Kaniz
Fatma is a classic Islamic scholar and a regular columnist for New Age Islam.
URL: https://newageislam.com/radical-islamism-jihad/islamophobic-myth-wartime-verses-part-4/d/126967
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Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism