Al-Emran 28

28- THE BELIEVERS SHOULD NOT TAKE THE DISBELIEVERS FOR CLOSE ALLIES AND SUPPORTERS INSTEAD OF THE BELIEVERS AND WHOEVER DOES THIS HE HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH ALLAH, UNLESS YOU ARE GUARDING YOURSELVES FROM THEM; ALLAH WARNS YOU ABOUT HIMSELF AND TO ALLAH IS THE DESTINY.

This is an instruction, command and a warning.  It is one which we seem to have forgotten.

Allah the Highest is commanding us that our alliance and support should be with the believers in preference to the disbelievers, unless we are protecting ourselves from the disbelievers.

Those who take the disbelievers as close allies and supporters instead of the believers have nothing to do with Allah the Highest.  As if Allah the Highest is denying any connection or relationship with them.

Indeed, Allah the Highest considers those who make allies with the disbelievers in preference to the believers to be hypocrites, as Allah the Highest said: “TELL THE HYPOCRITES THAT THEY WILL HAVE PAINFUL PUNISHMENT * THOSE WHO TAKE THE DISBELIEVERS FOR CLOSE ALLIES AND SUPPORTERS INSTEAD OF THE BELIEVERS, DO THEY SEEK EXALTATION WITH THEM, BUT ALL EXALTATION INDEED BELONGS TO ALLAH” (S:4 A:138-139)

It is a sign of hypocrisy for the believers to seek the alliance and support of the disbelievers to achieve power and status in this life, while this all is with Allah and will be for those who are close to Allah and obey Him.  Then Allah the Highest is warning us of His punishment.

In another Ayah Allah the Highest describes taking the disbelievers as close allies and supporters instead of the believers as strong evidence for hypocrisy.  “YOU WHO BELIEVE, DO NOT TAKE THE DISBELIEVERS FOR CLOSE ALLIES AND SUPPORTERS INSTEAD OF THE BELIEVERS, DO YOU WANT TO GIVE ALLAH A CLEAR PROOF AGAINST YOU * THE HYPOCRITES ARE IN THE LOWEST DEPTH OF THE FIRE, AND YOU WILL NOT FIND THAT THEY HAVE ANY SUPPORTERS” (S:4 A:144,145)

Then Allah the Highest specified the Jews and the Christians, forbidden us from holding close allies and friendship with them “YOU WHO BELIEVE, DO NOT TAKE THE JEWS AND CHRISTIANS FOR CLOSE ALLIES AND SUPPORTERS, THEY ARE ALLIES AND SUPPORTERS TO EACH OTHER, AND WHOEVER TAKE THEM FOR CLOSE ALLIES AND SUPPORTERS OF YOU, HE IS ONE OF THEM, ALLAH DOES NOT GUIDE THE UNJUST EVIL DOERS” (S: 5 A: 51)

There are a number of reasons for this:

1-    The Jews and Christians will never be real friends with the Muslims unless the Muslims follow their religion and their ways.  “NEITHER THE JEWS NOR THE CHRISTIANS SHALL BE PLEASED AND SATISFIED WITH YOU UNTIL YOU FOLLOW THEIR RELIGION”  (S:2 A:120)  Remember that Religion is not Faith only,  but also Way of Life.

2-    Allah the Highest forbad us from making allies and close friends with those who mock our Religion, saying: “YOU WHO BELIEVE, DO NOT TAKE FOR CLOSE ALLIES AND SUPPORTERS THOSE OF THE PEOPLE OF THE BOOK AND THE DISBELIEVERS WHO TOOK YOUR RELIGION FOR JEST AND MOCKERY, AND PROTECT YOURSELVES FROM ALLAH’S DISPLEASURE IF YOU ARE TRULY BELIEVERS * AND WHEN YOU CALL FOR SALAH, THEY TAKE IT AS MOCKERY AND JESTING, THIS IS BECAUSE THEY ARE PEOPLE OF NO UNDERSTANDING”.  (S:5 A:23)  This is a clear description of people we see around us.

3-    We are even forbidden from sitting with people mocking our Religion and our Ayahs.  Allah the Highest said: “WE HAVE SENT DOWN FOR YOU IN THE BOOK THAT IF YOU HEAR ALLAH’S AYAHS BEING REJECTED AND MOCKED, DO NOT SIT WITH THEM UNLESS THEY TALK OF SOMETHING ELSE, OTHERWISE YOU WILL BE LIKE THEM, AND ALLAH WILL GATHER THE HYPOCRITES AND THE DISBELIEVERS TOGETHER IN THE HELL-FIRE” (S:4 A:23)

4-    Allah the Highest is even forbidding us from taking our parents and brothers to be our close allies and supporters if they are disbelievers, saying “YOU WHO BELIEVE, DO NOT TAKE YOUR PARENTS AND BROTHERS FOR CLOSE ALLIES AND SUPPORTERS IF THEY PREFER DISBELIEF TO BELIEF, AND THOSE OF YOU WHO TAKE THEM ARE THE EVIL-DOERS” (S:9 A:23)

It is important to differentiate between taking them for close allies and supporters on one hand and being descent and kind to them on the other.  Allah the Highest said: “ALLAH DOES NOT FORBID YOU FROM DEALING KINDLY AND JUSTLY WITH THOSE WHO DID NOT FIGHT YOU IN YOUR RELIGION OR TURN YOU OUT OF YOUR HOMES, FOR ALLAH LOVES THE JUST * BUT ALLAH FORBIDS  YOU FROM TAKING FOR ALLIES AND CLOSE FRIENDS THOSE WHO FOUGHT YOU IN YOUR RELIGION AND TURNED YOU OUT OF YOU HOMES, THOSE WHO TAKE THEM FOR CLOSE ALLIES AND SUPPORTERS ARE THE EVIL DOERS”.  (S: 60 A: 8, 9)

The alliance of the Muslim should be with other Muslims first.  However they should be the righteous ones whom Allah the Highest described in this Ayah “THE BELIEVING MEN AND WOMEN ARE CLOSE ALLIES AND SUPPORTERS TO EACH OTHER, THEY ENJOIN WHAT IS RIGHTEOUS AND FORBID WHAT IS FORBIDDEN, OBSERVE REGULAR SALAH, GIVE ZAKAH, OBEY ALLAH AND HIS MESSENGER, THOSE ARE THE ONE’S ALLAH WILL BESTOW HIS MERCY UPON, FOR ALLAH IS EXALTED IN POWER AND MOST WISE”  (S:9 A:71)

The alliance between the Muslims and the disbelievers or the people of the book is permitted in case it is necessary for the protection of the Muslims “UNLESS YOU ARE GUARDING YOURSELVES FROM THEM”

We see the Muslims often disobeying this command of Allah the Highest.  We forget that our strength, honour and dignity are in supporting each other and in being on Allah’s side.

We even see worse, we see the Muslims making alliance with the people of the book and with the disbelievers against the believers.  None of that leads to increasing the strength of the Muslim.

Throughout our history as a Muslim nation, the times of our strength, were the time of our unity together.  On the other hand the times of our weakness, as we are now, have always been the times of our division and fighting between ourselves.  We can not claim that Allah the Highest did not show us the way.