I have lots of non-muslim friends as you know India i very secular country.My question is that i love my friends a lot and so do they love me and we are quit dedicated to each other.
Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,
As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.
(May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)
One of our brothers/sisters has asked
this question:
Asalmualaikum,
I have
lots of non-muslim friends as you know India i very secular country.My question
is that i love my friends a lot and so do they love me and we are quit
dedicated to each other.As we know every human being is god crafted so is it
right to pray for some of my non-muslim my friends in case i need to from
allah.What i feel is that there is no harm in it because it is not anybody`s
fault if i`m born in a muslim family and my friend has been born in a hindu or
some non-muslim family.Is it necessary to keep this discrimination with other
human being which has been made by allah only?And also in todays world its not
possible for anyone to shift from his/her original religion to islam.We respect
each others religion to its maximum.
thank
you
khudahafiz
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Answer:
Non Muslim friends
In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask
for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever
He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that
there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that
Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.
Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 60 Surah
Mumtahina verses 1-3:
1 O ye who believe! Take
not My enemies and yours as friends (or protectors) offering them
(your) love, even though they have
rejected the Truth that has come to you and have (on the contrary) driven out
the Prophet and yourselves (from your homes) (simply) because ye believe in
Allah your Lord! If ye have come out to
strive in My Way and to seek My Good Pleasure (take them not as friends), holding secret converse of love (and
friendship) with them: for I know full
well all that ye conceal and all that ye reveal. And any of you that does this has strayed
from the Straight Path.
2 If they were to get the better of you they would behave to
you as enemies, and stretch forth their
hands and their tongues against you for evil;
and they desire that ye should reject the Truth.
3 Of no profit to you will be your relatives and your children
on the Day of Judgment: He will judge between you: for Allah sees well all that ye do.
Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 60 Surah
Mumtahina verses 8-9:
8 Allah forbids you not with regard to those, who fight you not for (your) Faith, nor drive you out of your homes, from dealing kindly and justly with
them: for Allah loveth those who are
just.
9 Allah only forbids you with regard to those, who fight you for (your) Faith, and drive you out of your homes and support
(others) in driving you out, from
turning to them (for friendship and protection). It is such as turn to them (in these
circumstances) that do wrong.
In light of the above guidance of the Holy Quran, Allah Subhanah guides the believers to judge
the non-muslims or disbelievers, including the People of the Book, under two
categories:
Category-1: Those
disbelievers who do not fight the believers regarding their faith, nor drive the believers out of their lands
and homes; Allah guides the believers
to deal with them kindly and justly….for indeed, Allah Subhanah loves those who are just.
Thus, if a
non-believer or a non-believing nation is not at war with the believers, there is no harm in dealing with such people
in a good, kind, and just manner; for indeed they are our brothers in
humanity.
Category-2: But Allah
has forbidden the believers to befriend those unbelievers who have declared war
on the believers because of their faith in Islam, and who drive the believers
out of their homes and lands; or those
unbelievers who help and support these enemies to oppress the believers. These are the unbelievers whom Allah has
guided the believers not to befriend.
Allow us to relate a timely example to understand the
command better. We see in the world
today that the
Allah Subhanah has warned the believers that those
believers who do take such enemies of Allah and Islam as their friends; on the Day of Judgement, they will be counted as one of them!
Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 5 Surah
Maidah verse 57:
57
O ye who believe!
Take not for friends and protectors those who take your religion for a
mockery or sport whether among those who received the Scripture before
you, or among those who reject
faith; but fear ye Allah if ye have
Faith (indeed).
Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 5 Surah
Maidah verse 51:
51 O ye who believe! Take
not the Jews and the Christians for your friends and protectors: they are but
friends and protectors to each other. And
he amongst you that turns to them (for friendship), is of them. Verily Allah guideth not a people unjust.
But if some people are non-muslims, but do not hold any hatred with the believers
or with Islam; Allah guides the
believers to be kind and just with such people.
And Allah guides the believers and declares that the real
friends of the believers should always be Allah, His Messenger, and the true believers; for it is the true believers that will
certainly be successful in the end.
Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 5 Surah
Maidah verses 55-56:
55 Your (real) friends are (no less than) Allah, His Apostle,
and the (fellowship of) believers;
those who establish regular prayers and regular charity, and they bow down humbly (in worship).
56 As to those who turn (for friendship) to Allah, His Apostle,
and the (fellowship of) believers,
it is the fellowship of Allah that must certainly triumph.
Some people have taken the above verses of friendship with
the disbelievers out of context, and
have started a huge propaganda that Islam does not allow the believers to take
the non-muslims as friends! But that
is an inaccurate understanding!
Those non-muslims who have no enmity with the
believers, there is no harm in keeping
good relations with them, being kind to
them, helping them in humanity, and dealing with them in justice.
In light of the context of the guidance of the Quran and
the Sunnah, only those non-muslims who have a hatred against the believers because
of their faith in Islam; Allah has commanded the believers not to befriend
them.
Your Question: As we
know every human being is god crafted so is it right to pray for some of my
non-muslim my friends in case i need to from allah.What i feel is that there is
no harm in it because it is not anybody`s fault if i`m born in a muslim family
and my friend has been born in a hindu or some non-muslim family.Is it
necessary to keep this discrimination with other human being which has been
made by allah only?
Dear and beloved brother in Islam, it is an absolute
misconception and an incorrect belief to assume that it is the Lord Creator Who
has Determined and Decreed and thus responsible for the belief or disbelief of
a person!!!!
Every child that is born is born on ‘al-Fitrah’ or the
pure, perfect and pristine nature which is Islam….and it is initially the
parents of the new born who guide their off-spring to a certain belief, and
when the child attains the age of maturity and understanding, he himself
chooses of his own free will to follow a certain belief!
Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 6.298 Narrated by Abu Huraira
Allah's Messenger (saws) said, "No
child is born except on ‘Al-Fitra’ (pure, perfect and pristine nature
of Islam) and then his parents make him Jewish, Christian or Magian, etc. Then he (saws) recited: "The religion of
pure Islamic Faith (Hanifa, i.e. to worship none but Allah), The pure Allah's
Islamic nature with which He (Allah) has created mankind. Let There be no
change in Allah's religion (i.e. to join none in Allah's worship). That is the
straight religion; but most of men know not..." (Holy Quran 30.30)
The All-Knowing, All-Wise Lord bestowed two things upon
His best creation (ie. mankind) which He did not bestow upon any in His Supreme
Creation, and thus put mankind to a test:
- Intelligence
or the Power of Reasoning
- A
‘free will’ for a limited period of one life-time to choose whatever path
one wishes to live his life.
Whoever amongst man studies and ponders over the
innumerable wonders and Signs in the various creations of the Majestic Lord,
and uses his bestowed intelligence and power of reasoning to understand his
mission of creation, recognize His Supreme Lord and Creator, and of his own
‘free will’ chooses to submit his will to the Will of his Creator, and chooses
to live his life in accordance with the guidance of his Creator, passes the
test of life and is promised the Eternal Mercy, Grace, and Rewards of Allah
Subhanah.
And whoever amongst man uses his bestowed intelligence and
power of reasoning to do everything else but does not recognize or denies his
Supreme Creator, refuses to submit his will to the Will of His Creator, and of
his own ‘free will’ chooses to live his life in accordance with any guidance
other than that of His Supreme Creator, miserably fails the test of life and
will have a severe accounting in the Presence of His All-Mighty and Majestic
Lord on an Inevitable Day.
Thus brother, it is not the All-Just, All-Wise, Lord
Creator Who is responsible for one’s choice of belief….but rather it is man
himself, who has been given the choice to choose between belief and disbelief
as a test from their Lord.
Your Question:…….so
is it right to pray for some of my non-muslim my friends in case i need to from
allah
If one claims to be a genuine well-wisher and friend of
another, and that friend happens to be a disbeliever who neither believes in Allah
nor the Last Day….how is it possible for one to be a ‘muslim’ and call another
a genuine friend, or be concerned about their ‘friend’s’ needs in this short
and transient worldly ….but is absolutely unconcerned about the fate of their
‘friend’ in the eternal and everlasting life of the Hereafter!!!!
A genuine and true friend is one who is concerned not only
for their friend’s temporary needs of this short and transitory world….but is
genuinely concerned and constantly worried sick about their friend’s fate in
the eternal and everlasting life of the Hereafter.
If one is concerned only for their disbelieving friend’s
worldly needs and remains unconcerned about their Hereafter….that would indeed
be an extremely shallow and hollow friendship in the Sight of Allah Subhanah.
But if the foremost concern in one’s mind is the eternal
success of their beloved friend in the Hereafter, and one does everything in
one’s ability to guide their friend to the Truth….that indeed would be true and
genuine friendship!
Your Question:…….so
is it right to pray for some of my non-muslim my friends in case i need to from
allah
Islam does not forbid a believer to make supplications for
their non-muslim friends for anything lawful that they may desire…..and the
absolute best supplication one can and should always make for their
disbelieving friend is that their friend is guided to the Truth of Al-Islam….so
that he may receive the Eternal Mercies and Rewards of the Lord Who Created.
As long as one’s friend who has chosen not to believe in
the Truth of Islam is alive, a believer is allowed and permitted in Islam to
make as many lawful supplications unto their Lord for their disbelieving
friend….the foremost amongst their supplications being that Allah Subhanah
guide their friend to Al-Islam.
Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 9 Surah
Taubah verse 113:
113 It is not fitting for the Prophet and those who believe that they
should pray for forgiveness for pagans (disbelievers) even though they be of
kin, after it is clear to them that they are companions of the Fire.
But Allah Subhanah has absolutely forbidden the believers
to make supplications of forgiveness to Him for a deceased disbeliever,
regardless of whether that person who died in the state of disbelief is a near
blood relative.
But as long as the friend or relative who has chosen to
disbelieve is alive, there is always a chance that that person may recognize
their Creator and submit their will unto His Will in Islam…..thus it is
absolutely permissible for a believer to make as many lawful supplications for
their disbelieving friend. But if that
friend were to die in the state of disbelief, Allah Subhanah has absolutely forbidden
the believers to make any supplications for them….for Allah Subhanah loathes to
reject any supplications of His believing and repentant slaves.
Salman reported
that the Prophet (saws), said, "Your Lord, the Blessed and the Exalted
One, is Modest and Generous, and He loathes to turn away His servant
empty-handed when he raises his hands to Him in supplication."
Narrated by Ahmad and Ibn Hibban.
Your Question: And
also in todays world its not possible for anyone to shift from his/her original
religion to islam.We respect each others religion to its maximum.
Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah
Baqarah verse 256:
256 Let there be no compulsion in religion.
Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 18 Surah
Kahf verse 29:
Proclaim, “This (Quran/Islam) is the Truth from
your Lord: now whoever wills may accept
it, and whosoever wills may reject it”.
Islam absolutely accepts and respects the God-given right
of each individual to live and give his ordained test of life the way he wills
and chooses, as much as the choice of disbelief made by the disbelievers is
absolutely despised by Allah Subhanah and the believers. Every individual has a right to choose and
follow whatever belief he/she wills and pleases for himself; and not only does
Islam Command and Demand that the believers respect the decision made by that
individual, but Islam demands that the believers strive their utmost to defend
that each individual be given the right to choose and follow their chosen
belief!
It is not at all accurate to declare that today (or at any
time) that it is ‘not possible’ for anyone to shift his/her original belief or
religion to the Truth of Al-Islam…..for Allah is our witness brother, there are
thousands, if not tens or hundreds of thousands amongst mankind alive today who
might have been born to disbelieving parents but have consciously chosen to
submit their wills unto their Creator in Islam.
If one trusts, obeys, and follows the guidance and
commands of Allah and His Messenger (saws),
one can be assured of never ever being misled; but if one believes, obeys and follows any
other guidance, other than that of Allah and His Messenger (saws), one can be
assured of being led astray.
Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to
Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source
of Strength.
Your brother and
well wisher in Islam,
Burhan
Wister