Relationships with non-Muslims in Islamic Law: Difference between revisions
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The [[Quran]] and other Islamic sources prohibit certain degrees of relationship with | The [[Quran]] and other Islamic sources prohibit certain degrees of relationship with disbelievers, including with the "[[People of the Book|People of the Book]]". Its stance appears to have evolved over time at various stages of Muhammad's prophetic career, occurring in a context when the believers had been driven out from Mecca and there was a degree of enmity between them, as recorded in such verses as {{Quran|60|1}}. Some contemporary views emphasize contextual issues and use particular verses and examples from Muhammad's life to argue that friendship with disbelievers is permitted in some circumstances. | ||
==Quran== | ==Quran== | ||
A word common in many of these verses is awliyaa (plural of وَلِيٌّ waliyyun, from which we also have 'wali' - the male guardian of a female or orphan<ref name="wali">wali ولي - [http://www.studyquran.org/LaneLexicon/Volume8/00000314.pdf Lane's Lexicon] Suppliment pp.3060-3061 </ref>). It is often translated as guardians, friends and protectors, or allies. The phrase walīyu 'llāh (ولي الله), means 'friend of God'.<ref name="wali"></ref><ref>Ed, , “Wālī”, in: [https://referenceworks.brillonline.com/entries/encyclopaedia-of-islam-2/wali-SIM_7842 Encyclopaedia of Islam], Second Edition, Edited by: P. Bearman, Th. Bianquis, C.E. Bosworth, E. van Donzel, W.P. Heinrichs. Consulted online on 16 November 2020</ref> | A word common in many of these verses is awliyaa (plural of وَلِيٌّ waliyyun, from which we also have 'wali' - the male guardian of a female or orphan<ref name="wali">wali ولي - [http://www.studyquran.org/LaneLexicon/Volume8/00000314.pdf Lane's Lexicon] Suppliment pp.3060-3061 </ref>). It is often translated as guardians, friends and protectors, or allies. The phrase walīyu 'llāh (ولي الله), means 'friend of God'.<ref name="wali"></ref><ref>Ed, , “Wālī”, in: [https://referenceworks.brillonline.com/entries/encyclopaedia-of-islam-2/wali-SIM_7842 Encyclopaedia of Islam], Second Edition, Edited by: P. Bearman, Th. Bianquis, C.E. Bosworth, E. van Donzel, W.P. Heinrichs. Consulted online on 16 November 2020</ref> | ||
===Prohibition on taking | ===Prohibition on taking disbelievers as intimate friends or guardians / allies=== | ||
{{Quote|{{Quran|3|28}}|Let not believers take disbelievers as allies [awliyaa] rather than believers. And whoever [of you] does that has nothing with Allah, except when taking precaution against them in prudence. And Allah warns you of Himself, and to Allah is the [final] destination.}} | {{Quote|{{Quran|3|28}}|Let not believers take disbelievers as allies [awliyaa] rather than believers. And whoever [of you] does that has nothing with Allah, except when taking precaution against them in prudence. And Allah warns you of Himself, and to Allah is the [final] destination.}} | ||
{{Quote|{{Quran|3|118}}|O ye who believe! Take not for intimates [bitanatan]<ref>bitanatan بِطَانَةً - [http://www.studyquran.org/LaneLexicon/Volume1/00000258.pdf Lane's Lexicon] p.221</ref> others than your own folk, who would spare no pains to ruin you; they love to hamper you. Hatred is revealed by (the utterance of) their mouths, but that which their breasts hide is greater. We have made plain for you the revelations if ye will understand.}} | {{Quote|{{Quran|3|118}}|O ye who believe! Take not for intimates [bitanatan]<ref>bitanatan بِطَانَةً - [http://www.studyquran.org/LaneLexicon/Volume1/00000258.pdf Lane's Lexicon] p.221</ref> others than your own folk, who would spare no pains to ruin you; they love to hamper you. Hatred is revealed by (the utterance of) their mouths, but that which their breasts hide is greater. We have made plain for you the revelations if ye will understand.}} | ||
The prohibiton in the above verse does not apply to all people of the book, some of whom are contrasted with "those who disbelieve" in the preceding verses {{Quran-range|3|113|114}}. This may be considered alongside verses 5:51, 5:57 and 5:82 quoted below. | |||
{{Quote|{{Quran|4|139}}|Those who chose disbelievers for their friends [awliyaa] instead of believers! Do they look for power at their hands? Lo! all power appertaineth to Allah.}} | {{Quote|{{Quran|4|139}}|Those who chose disbelievers for their friends [awliyaa] instead of believers! Do they look for power at their hands? Lo! all power appertaineth to Allah.}} | ||
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{{Quote|{{Quran|5|82}}|Thou wilt find the most vehement of mankind in hostility to those who believe (to be) the Jews and the idolaters. And thou wilt find the nearest of them in affection [mawaddatan]<ref name="mawadattan">mawaddatan مَّوَدَّةً - [http://www.studyquran.org/LaneLexicon/Volume8/00000185.pdf Lane's Lexicon] p.2931</ref>to those who believe (to be) those who say: Lo! We are Christians. That is because there are among them priests and monks, and because they are not proud}} | {{Quote|{{Quran|5|82}}|Thou wilt find the most vehement of mankind in hostility to those who believe (to be) the Jews and the idolaters. And thou wilt find the nearest of them in affection [mawaddatan]<ref name="mawadattan">mawaddatan مَّوَدَّةً - [http://www.studyquran.org/LaneLexicon/Volume8/00000185.pdf Lane's Lexicon] p.2931</ref>to those who believe (to be) those who say: Lo! We are Christians. That is because there are among them priests and monks, and because they are not proud}} | ||
The next two verses give more specific proscriptions concerning relations with | The next two verses give more specific proscriptions concerning relations with disbelievers who mock the religion or Muslims who do not take their religion seriously. | ||
{{Quote|{{Quran|5|57}}|O Ye who believe! Choose not for guardians [awliyaa] such of those who received the Scripture before you, and of the disbelievers, as make a jest and sport of your religion. But keep your duty to Allah if ye are true believers.}} | {{Quote|{{Quran|5|57}}|O Ye who believe! Choose not for guardians [awliyaa] such of those who received the Scripture before you, and of the disbelievers, as make a jest and sport of your religion. But keep your duty to Allah if ye are true believers.}} | ||
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{{Quote|{{Quran-range|60|7|9}}|It may be that Allah will ordain love [mawaddatan]<ref name="mawadattan"></ref> between you and those of them with whom ye are at enmity. Allah is Mighty, and Allah is Forgiving, Merciful. Allah forbiddeth you not those who warred not against you on account of religion and drove you not out from your homes, that ye should show them kindness and deal justly with them. Lo! Allah loveth the just dealers. Allah forbiddeth you only those who warred against you on account of religion and have driven you out from your homes and helped to drive you out, that ye make friends of them [tawallawhum]. Whosoever maketh friends of them - (All) such are wrong-doers.}} | {{Quote|{{Quran-range|60|7|9}}|It may be that Allah will ordain love [mawaddatan]<ref name="mawadattan"></ref> between you and those of them with whom ye are at enmity. Allah is Mighty, and Allah is Forgiving, Merciful. Allah forbiddeth you not those who warred not against you on account of religion and drove you not out from your homes, that ye should show them kindness and deal justly with them. Lo! Allah loveth the just dealers. Allah forbiddeth you only those who warred against you on account of religion and have driven you out from your homes and helped to drive you out, that ye make friends of them [tawallawhum]. Whosoever maketh friends of them - (All) such are wrong-doers.}} | ||
===Prohibition on taking | ===Prohibition on taking disbelieving family members as guardians / allies; believers disassociate from them and do not love them if they are enemies of Allah=== | ||
Surah 9 (at-Tawbah) came later chronologically than surah 60 in the section above, after the conquest of Mecca. | Surah 9 (at-Tawbah) traditionally came later chronologically than surah 60 in the section above, after the conquest of Mecca (though it is important to note that this is disputed by some modern academic scholars, who date the surah from internal and other evidence before that event). On the traditional chronology, it would seem that by this time Muhammad had hardened his stance again. Now even family could not be a Muslim's awliya if they love disbelief more than faith, and a Muslim was not allowed even to have love for them if they opposed Allah and Muhammad. Presumably love was allowed if they don't oppose Allah and Muhammad, though it seems that a Muslim still was forbidden to take them as awliya either way if they were disbelievers. | ||
{{Quote|{{Quran|9|23}}|O ye who believe! take not for protectors [yatawallahum] your fathers and your brothers if they love infidelity [kufra] above Faith: if any of you do so, they do wrong.}} | {{Quote|{{Quran|9|23}}|O ye who believe! take not for protectors [yatawallahum] your fathers and your brothers if they love infidelity [kufra] above Faith: if any of you do so, they do wrong.}} | ||