الحمد لله والصلاة والسلام على نبينا محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم وآله وصحبه ومن اهتدى هداه وبعد:
After the love of Allah Almighty and His Messenger (peace be upon him), it is necessary to establish love with the friends of Allah Almighty and enmity and hatred with His enemies. Thus, one of the great principles on which the Islamic belief is based is that every Muslim who accepts this pure belief should maintain friendship with the believers of this faith and enmity with those who do not believe. It is a religious duty to love every monotheist and establish a relationship of friendship with them, and similarly to harbor hatred for every polytheist and remain on the path of enmity with them.
The exemplary conduct of Prophet Ibrahim Khalilullah (peace be upon him) and his followers has been specially mentioned for us in the Holy Quran, and we have been commanded to follow the Abrahamic nation.
Thus, Allah Almighty has said:
﴿قَدْ كَانَتْ لَكُمْ أُسْوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ فِي إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَالَّذِينَ مَعَهُ إِذْ قَالُوا لِقَوْمِهِمْ إِنَّا بُرَآءُ مِنكُمْ وَمِمَّا تَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ كَفَرْنَا بِكُمْ وَبَدَا بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَكُمُ الْعَدَاوَةُ وَالْبَغْضَاءُ أَبَدًا حَتَّىٰ تُؤْمِنُوا بِاللَّهِ وَحْدَهُ﴾
Translation: Indeed, Ibrahim (Abraham) was a model, devoutly obedient to Allah, upright, and he was not of those who associate others with Allah. When he said to his father and his people, “Indeed, I am disassociated from that which you worship, except for He who created me; and indeed, He will guide me.” And he made it a word remaining among his descendants that they might return.
Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), also taught the same. The Holy Quran states:
﴿يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَتَّخِذُوا الْيَهُودَ وَالنَّصَارَىٰ أَوْلِيَاءَ ۘ بَعْضُهُمْ أَوْلِيَاءُ بَعْضٍ ۚ وَمَن يَتَوَلَّهُم مِّنكُمْ فَإِنَّهُ مِنْهُمْ ۗ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الظَّالِمِينَ﴾
Translation: O you who have believed, do not take the Jews and the Christians as allies. They are [in fact] allies 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.
This blessed verse is specifically evidence for the prohibition of friendship and association with the People of the Book. In another verse, Allah Almighty has declared the general prohibition of establishing friendship with all kinds of disbelievers. He said:
﴿يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَتَّخِذُوا عَدُوِّي وَعَدُوَّكُمْ أَوْلِيَاءَ﴾
Translation: O you who have believed, do not take My enemies and your enemies as allies.
Moreover, Allah Almighty has forbidden even the friendship of such disbelievers who are very close by blood relations and lineage. He said:
﴿يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَتَّخِذُوا آبَاءَكُمْ وَإِخْوَانَكُمْ أَوْلِيَاءَ إِنِ اسْتَحَبُّوا الْكُفْرَ عَلَى الْإِيمَانِ ۚ وَمَن يَتَوَلَّهُم مِّنكُمْ فَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الظَّالِمُونَ﴾
Translation: O you who have believed, when you meet those who disbelieve in battle, never turn your backs to them. And whoever turns his back to them on such a day – unless swerving [as a strategy] for war or joining [another] company – has certainly returned with anger [upon him] from Allah, and his refuge is Hell – and wretched is the destination.
At another place, Allah Almighty said:
﴿لَّا تَجِدُ قَوْمًا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ يُوَادُّونَ مَنْ حَادَّ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ وَلَوْ كَانُوا آبَاءَهُمْ أَوْ أَبْنَاءَهُمْ أَوْ إِخْوَانَهُمْ أَوْ عَشِيرَتَهُمْ﴾
Translation: You will not find a people who believe in Allah and the Last Day having affection for those who oppose Allah and His Messenger, even if they were their fathers or their sons or their brothers or their kindred.
Today, many people are heedless and unfamiliar with this great religious principle. I even heard a person on an Arab radio, who considers himself a scholar and preacher, saying that the Christians are our brothers. Alas! How dangerous this statement is.
Brothers in Islam!
Just as Allah Almighty has declared friendship with disbelievers and enemies of the Islamic faith forbidden, similarly, establishing friendship and love with Muslims (believers) is obligatory. Allah Almighty said:
﴿إِنَّمَا وَلِيُّكُمُ اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا الَّذِينَ يُقِيمُونَ الصَّلَاةَ وَيُؤْتُونَ الزَّكَاةَ وَهُمْ رَاكِعُونَ . وَمَن يَتَوَلَّ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا فَإِنَّ حِزْبَ اللَّهِ هُمُ الْغَالِبُونَ.﴾
Translation: Your ally is none but Allah and [therefore] His Messenger and those who have believed – those who establish prayer and give zakah, and they bow [in worship]. And whoever is an ally of Allah and His Messenger and those who have believed – indeed, the party of Allah – they will be the predominant.
At another place, He said:
﴿مُّحَمَّدٌ رَّسُولُ اللَّهِ ۚ وَالَّذِينَ مَعَهُ أَشِدَّاءُ عَلَى الْكُفَّارِ رُحَمَاءُ بَيْنَهُمْ﴾
Translation: Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah; and those with him are forceful against the disbelievers, merciful among themselves.
Also, He said:
﴿إِنَّمَا الْمُؤْمِنُونَ إِخْوَةٌ﴾
Translation: Indeed, the believers are but brothers.
It is established that the relationship of religion and belief is so strong and firm that it has connected all the believers with the purest bond of brotherhood and fraternity, regardless of their lineage, nation, homeland, caste, clan, or the distance and difference in time and place.
Allah Almighty said:
﴿وَالَّذِينَ جَاءُوا مِن بَعْدِهِمْ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَا اغْفِرْ لَنَا وَلِإِخْوَانِنَا الَّذِينَ سَبَقُونَا بِالْإِيمَانِ وَلَا تَجْعَلْ فِي قُلُوبِنَا غِلًّا لِّلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا رَبَّنَا إِنَّكَ رَءُوفٌ رَّحِيمٌ﴾
Translation: And [also for] those who came after them, saying, “Our Lord, forgive us and our brothers who preceded us in faith and put not in our hearts [any] resentment toward those who have believed. Our Lord, indeed You are Kind and Merciful.”
وحده لا شريك له
Therefore, all believers, from the first to the last, regardless of the distances of time and place, are connected to each other by the bond of brotherhood, love one another, follow each other in good deeds, pray for one another, and continuously seek forgiveness.
