I have been taught that the Quran advises all Muslims to be tolerant of all other humans.
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:
I have
been taught that the Quran advises all Muslims to be tolerant of all other
humans, and to cause no harm to anyone intentionally. i have many freinds of
other religions. i have never had any issues maintaining my freindship with
them as religion never comes inbetween. i am a muslim, but am tolerant of other
religions. i do not believe in other religions etc but am tolerant of all other
non believers as it is not an issue for me.
I just
want to know if i have the right attitude by being tolerant towards all other
non muslims? no non muslim has ever caused me any harm by insulting me or my
religion. isnt it advised by Allah to be tolerant and forgiving of all non
muslims?
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confidentiality.)
Answer:
Tolerant to non muslims
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.
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