Muslim Friendship

Muslim Friendship

They say that Islam is a religion of peace. Well, if that be so, then surely friendships would be most necessary. What the Quran teaches Muslims about friendships with those who are not Muslims contradicts the statement of peace. Proof texts are quoted below. The entire surah 60 is quoted because it says a lot about the Quran's attitude towards non-Muslims. Notice too that Muslims themselves are threatened. Read carefully as there is much being said here. 

Surah 5

(56) O true believers, take not the Jews or Christians for your friends; they are friends the one to the other; but whoso among you taketh them for his friends, he is surely one of them: verily God directeth not unjust people.

(83) Thou shalt see many of them take for their friends those who believe not. Woe unto them for what their souls have sent before them, for that God is incensed against them, and they shall remain in torment for ever. (84) But if they had believe in God and the prophet, and that which hath been revealed unto him, they had not taken them for their friends; but many of them are evil-doers. (85) Thou shalt surely find the most violent of all men in enmity against the true believers to be the Jews and the idolaters; and thou shalt surely find those among them to be the most inclinable to entertain friendship for the true believers who say, We are Christians. This cometh to pass because there are priests and monks among them, and because they are not elated with pride.

Note-the Quran provokes hatred against the Jews and the idolaters. V85 (christans as friends) contradicts V56 (christians not to be taken as friends).

Surah 58

(15) Hast thou not observed those who have taken for their friends a people against whom God is incensed? They are neither of you nor of them: and they swear to a lie knowingly. (16) God hath prepared for them a grievous punishment; for it is evil which they do. (17) They have taken their oaths for a cloak, and they have turned men aside from the way of God: wherefore a shameful punishment awaiteth them; (18) neither their wealth nor their children shall avail them at all against God. These shall be the inhabitants of hell-fire; they shall abide therein for ever. (19) On a certain day God shall raise them all; then will they swear unto him as they swear now unto you, imagining that it will be of service to them. Are they not liars?

(20) Satan hath prevailed against them, and hath caused them to forget the remembrance of God. These are the party of the devil; and shall not the party of the devil be doomed to perdition? (21) Verily they who oppose God and his apostles shall be placed among the most vile. God hath written, Verily I will prevail, and my apostles: for God is strong and mighty. (22) Thou shalt not find people who believe in God and the last day to love him who opposeth God and his Apostle; although they be their fathers, or their sons, or their brethren, or their nearest relations. In the hearts of these hath God written faith: and he hath strengthened them with his spirit: and he will lead them into gardens, beneath which rivers flow, to remain therein for ever. God is well pleased in them; and they are well pleased in him. These are the party of God: and shall not the party of God prosper?

Surah 60

IN THE NAME OF THE MOST MERCIFUL GOD.

(1) O true believers, take not my enemy and your enemy for your friends, showing kindness towards them; since they believe not in the truth which hath come unto you, having expelled the Apostle and yourselves from your native city, because ye believe in God your Lord. If ye go forth to fight in defence of my religion, and out of a desire to please me, and privately show friendship unto them, verily I well know that which ye conceal and that which ye discover: and whoever of you doth this hath already erred from the straight path. (2) If they get the better of you, they will be enemies unto you, and they will stretch forth their hands and their tongues against you with evil; and they earnestly desire that ye should become unbelievers. 

(3) Neither your kindred nor your children will avail you at all on the day of resurrection, which will separate you from one another: and God seeth that which ye do. (4) Ye have an excellent pattern in Abraham and those who were with him, when they said unto their people, Verily we are clear of you, and of the idols which ye worship besides God: we have renounced you; and enmity and hatred is begun between us and you for ever, until ye believe in God alone: except Abraham’s saying unto his father, Verily I will beg pardon for thee; but I cannot obtain aught of God in thy behalf. O Lord, in thee do we trust, and unto thee are we turned; and before thee shall we be assembled hereafter. (5) O Lord, suffer us not to be put to trial by the unbelievers; and forgive us, O Lord; for thou art mighty and wise. (6) Verily ye have in them an excellent example, unto him who hopeth in God and the last day: and whoso turneth back; verily God is self-sufficient and praiseworthy.

(7) Peradventure God will establish friendship between yourselves and such of them as ye now hold for enemies: for God is powerful; and God is inclined to forgive, and merciful. (8) As to those who have not borne arms against you on account of religion, nor turned you out of your dwellings, God forbiddeth you not to deal kindly with them, and to behave justly towards them; for God loveth those who act justly. (9) But as to those who have borne arms against you on account of religion, and have dispossessed you of your habitations, and have assisted in dispossessing you, God forbiddeth you to enter into friendship with them: and whosoever of you entereth into friendship with them, those are unjust doers. 

Dowries-a business deal.

(10) O true believers, when believing women come unto you as refugees, try them: God well knoweth their faith. And if ye know them to be true believers, send them not back to the infidels: they are not lawful for the unbelievers to have in marriage; neither are the unbelievers lawful for them. But give their unbelieving husbands what they shall have expended for their dowers. Nor shall it be any crime in you if ye marry them, provided ye give them their dowries. And retain not the patronage of the unbelieving women; but demand back that which ye have expended for the dowry of such of your wives as go over to the unbelievers; and let them demand back that which they have expended for the dowry of those who come over to you. This is the judgment of God, which he establisheth among you, and God is knowing and wise. (11) If any of your wives escape from you to the unbelievers, and ye have your turn by the coming over of any of the unbelievers’ wives to you; give unto those believers whose wives shall have gone away, out of the dowries of the latter, so much as they shall have expended for the dowers of the former: and fear God, in whom ye believe. 

(12) O Prophet, when believing women come unto thee, and plight their faith unto thee that they will not associate anything with God, nor steal, nor commit fornication, nor kill their children, nor come with a calumny which they have forged between their hands and their feet, nor be disobedient to thee in that which shall be reasonable: then do thou plight thy faith unto them, and ask pardon for them of God; for God is inclined to forgive, and merciful. (13) O true believers, enter not into friendship with a people against whom God is incensed; they despair of the life to come, as the infidels despair of the resurrection of those who dwell in their graves. 

Observation 

All in the name of the most merciful God-if this is mercy, what is mercilessness?

What did Jesus say?

Matthew 5

38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’Exodus 21:24; Leviticus 24:20; Deuteronomy 19:21 39 But I tell you, don’t resist him who is evil; but whoever strikes you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40 If anyone sues you to take away your coat, let him have your cloak also. 41 Whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. 42 Give to him who asks you, and don’t turn away him who desires to borrow from you.

43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor Leviticus 19:18 and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who mistreat you and persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Don’t even the tax collectors do the same? 47 If you only greet your friends, what more do you do than others? Don’t even the tax collectors do the same? 48 Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.

https://a.co/d/eQeXywO