by Hameed Ahmed Mohammed
Two verses of the Quran lie at the center of one of the most misread questions in Islamic ethics: Sura 60:8–9, which commands justice and goodness toward non-Muslims who do not fight you, and Sura 5:51, which forbids taking Jews and Christians as allies. How can Islam simultaneously command kindness and forbid friendship? The apparent contradiction has been exploited in both directions — by critics who read Islam as inherently hostile, and by zealots who weaponize the prohibition.
This post, written in June 1991 by Hameed Ahmed Mohammed of the Center for Advanced Computer Studies at the University of Southwestern Louisiana, offers a careful contextual resolution. The enmity verses, he argues, were revealed in specific historical circumstances — the wars of early Islam — and apply to those who make active war on Muslims, not to peaceful neighbors, colleagues, or fellow citizens. The commanding principle is 60:8: Allah does not forbid you to be kind and just to those who have not fought you on account of your religion.
The post closes with the Prophet standing up for a Jewish funeral procession and the remark that prompted it — "Was he not a soul?" — which the author cites as the heart of the Islamic teaching: every human being, regardless of religion, has dignity and a place.
When we contemplate summarizing the Islamic teachings concerning dealings with non-Muslims, we find that the following two verses of the Quran are sufficient.
Says Allah:
Allah does not forbid you, with regard to those who do not fight you on account of your religion nor drive you out of your homes, to treat them with goodness and to be just to them; truly, Allah loves those who are just. Indeed, Allah forbids you only with regard to those who fight you on account of religion and drive you out of your homes, and assist others in driving you out, that you turn to them in friendship; and whoever turns to them in friendship, they are wrongdoers. (60:8–9)
The first of these two verses not only calls for justice and fairness in dealing with non-Muslims who neither fight Muslims on religious grounds nor drive them out of their homes — that is, those who are neither at war with, nor hostile to, Muslims — but also urges Muslims to be kind to them. The word birr, or goodness, which is used in this verse is a very comprehensive term signifying that kindness and generosity which is over and above justice; it is the same word which is used to describe the Muslim's duty to his parents.
On the Prohibition of Friendship
A question which troubles some people is: how can we show kindness and good treatment to non-Muslims since Allah Himself prohibits Muslims to take non-believers as friends and allies in such verses as the following?
O you who believe, do not take the Jews and Christians as friends; they are the friends only of each other. And whoever among you turns to them for friendship is certainly one of them... (5:51)
The answer is that these verses are not unconditional, to be applied to every Jew and Christian. Interpreting them in this manner contradicts the injunctions of the Quran which enjoin affection and kindness to the good and peace-loving peoples of every religion, as well as the verses which permit marriage to the women of the People of the Book — with all that Allah says concerning marriage, "and He has put love and mercy between you" (30:21) — and the verse concerning the Christians:
And thou wilt find those who say, "Surely we are Christians," to be nearest to them in affection... (5:82)
The prohibitory verses were revealed in connection with those people who were hostile to Islam and made war upon the Muslims. Accordingly, it is not permissible for Muslims to support them or to entrust them with secrets at the expense of his own religion and community. This is explained in other verses:
They will spare nothing to ruin you; they yearn for what makes you suffer. Hatred has been expressed by their mouths, but what their hearts conceal is still greater. (3:118)
Opposition to Allah in these verses is not simply belief but includes hostility toward Islam and Muslims. The prohibition refers to the pagans of Makkah who declared war on Allah and His Messenger, driving the Muslims out of their homes simply because they said, "Our Lord is Allah." With this type of people, alliance and support cannot be permitted. Yet even so, the Quran did not dismiss the hope of reconciliation:
It may be that Allah will bring about affection between you and those who are your enemies from among them. And Allah is All-Powerful, and Allah is Forgiving, Merciful. (60:7)
On Practical Cooperation
There is no harm if Muslims seek help from non-Muslims in technical matters which have no connection with religion. We see from the life of the Prophet that he employed Abdullah bin Uraiqit, a polytheist, as his guide in his hijrah from Makkah to Madinah. Scholars have concluded from this that a person's unbelief does not mean he is basically untrustworthy — for what could be more risky than depending on a guide to show the route, particularly in fleeing from Makkah to Madinah?
A Soul Is a Soul
Indeed, Islam respects a human being only because he is human. Once a funeral procession passed by the Prophet and he stood up. Someone remarked, "O Messenger of Allah, it is the funeral of a Jew." The Prophet replied: "Was he not a soul?" (al-Bukhari)
As the hadith says: "Hate your enemy mildly; he may become your friend one day." (al-Tirmidhi)
Thus, truly, in Islam every human being has a dignity and a place.
Colophon
Written by Hameed Ahmed Mohammed, Center for Advanced Computer Studies, University of Southwestern Louisiana. Posted to soc.religion.islam on 4 June 1991 in response to discussions of how Muslims should relate to non-Muslims. The author draws on classical Quranic exegesis, particularly Yusuf al-Qaradawi's approach to contextualizing the "friendship" prohibition verses. Original Message-ID: [email protected].
Preserved from the UTZOO Usenet mirror (shiftleft.com) for the Good Work Library by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026.
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