The Ruling on Befriending a Kāfir, Fāsiq, or Mubtadi’

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The Ruling on Befriending a Kāfir, Fāsiq, or Mubtadi’
 The Ruling on Befriending a Kāfir, Fāsiq, or Mubtadi’

The Ruling on
Befriending a Kāfir,
Fāsiq, or Mubtadi’
Transcript of a Q&A recorded in 1443 AH

Answered by:
Ash-Shaykh Al-Imām Ahmad Mūsā Jibrīl
(‫)حفظه هللا‬
 The Ruling on Befriending a Kāfir, Fāsiq, or Mubtadi’

Question:

What is the ruling on a Muslim befriending a Kāfir? What about befriending a

Fāsiq (open sinner), or a Mubtadi’ (person of corrupt ‘aqīdah or bid’ah) like the
Murji’ah, Modernists, Surūris, etc.?

Answer:

‫بسم هللا واحلمد هلل والصالة والسالم على رسول هللا‬

This is such an important topic and it’s very essential. And what comes
to mind pertaining to its importance is that it’s among the discussions of the
people in Jannah. It’s a matter that could be a means for one's ultimate
success or his ultimate failure. When Allāh ‫ سبحان وتعاىل‬mentions the delight of
the people in Jannah, in Sūrat as-Sāffāt – their happiness, and what they eat
and drink, their spouses and gatherings – Allāh gives a snippet of one of their
discussions. And He says,

ِ ِ ‫ول أَإِنَّك لَ ِمن الْم‬ ِ ِ ِ َ َ‫ق‬

‫ني ۝‬
َ ‫ص ِدق‬
َ ُ َ َ ُ ‫ين ۝ يَ ُق‬ ٌ ‫ال قَائ ٌل مْن ُه ْم إِِّن َكا َن ِِل قَ ِر‬
A speaker of them will say: "Verily, I had a companion (in the world)
Who used to say: 'Are you among those who believe…'1

One of them, sitting in Jannah, is discussing with his friends in Jannah,

that he had a companion in the Dunya.

ِ ِ ‫ول أَإِنَّك لَ ِمن الْم‬ ِ ِ ِ

‫ني ۝‬ َ ُ َ َ ُ ‫أَإِ َذا مْت نَا َوُكنَّا تَُر ااًب َوعظَ ااما أَإِ ََّّن لَ َمدينُو َن ۝ يَ ُق‬
َ ‫ص ِدق‬

1 [37:51-52]

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 The Ruling on Befriending a Kāfir, Fāsiq, or Mubtadi’

Who used to say: 'Are you among those who believe (That) when we die and
become dust and bones, shall we indeed (be raised up) to receive reward or
punishment (according to our deeds)?'2

This friend that he had in the Dunya would always try to put doubts in
his mind by asking him, “Do you really believe? Do you really believe that
when we die and we become bones and dust, that we're really going to come
back to life and that we're going to be punished?”

‫ال َه ْل أَنْتُ ْم ُمطَّلِعُو َن ۝‬

َ َ‫ق‬

Go look for him. Where is he?

ْ ‫فَاطَّلَ َع فَ َرآهُ ِِف َس َو ِاء‬

‫اْلَ ِحي ِم ۝‬

They looked, they found him in Jahīm.

‫ت لَُُْتِدي ِن ۝‬ ِ ِ َ َ‫ولَوََل نِعمةُ رِّب لَ ُكْنت ِمن الْمحض ِرين ۝ ق‬

َ ‫ال ََت ََّّلل إِ ْن ك ْد‬ َ َ ُْ َ ُ َِ َْ ْ َ
He said: "By Allāh! You have nearly ruined me. Had it not been for the grace of my
Lord, I would certainly have been among those brought forth (to Hell)."3

He says, “By Allāh”. He gives an oath. “By Allāh, he nearly ruined me”.
He nearly ruined what? The delight that he was now enjoying in Jannah. Isn’t
that the means that deprived Abū Tālib from eternal happiness? When the
Messenger ‫ ﷺ‬kept telling him, just say that word, just say that sentence, and I

will witness for you before Allāh ‫وتعاىل‬ ‫سبحان‬. But he had his friends around him,
Abū Jahl and ‘Abdullāh Ibn Abī Umayyah. And they’re telling him, ( ‫طالب‬ ‫اي أًب‬

2 [37:52-53]
3 [37:56-57]

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 The Ruling on Befriending a Kāfir, Fāsiq, or Mubtadi’

‫“ ) أترغب عن ملة عبد املطلب‬Abū Tālib, are you going to denounce the religion of
‘Abdul Muttalib?” And they kept repeating it until he lost his eternal
happiness. Ibn Taymiyyah ‫هللا‬ ‫ رمحه‬sums up the ruling on this matter in a one
liner. He said, (‫هللا‬ ‫)فاملصاحبة واملأخة َل تكون إَل مع أهل طاعة هللا على مراد‬. That sums up the
ruling on this matter. Befriending and brotherhood are not permissible except
with the people of obedience to Allāh ‫وتعاىل‬ ‫ سبحان‬and only in accordance to
what Allāh ‫وتعاىل‬ ‫ سبحان‬wants.

And let me give three quick points on this matter. It’s not permissible by
‘ijmā to befriend a Fāsiq or Mubtadi’ or Kāfir, for their Fisq or Kufr or for their
Bid’ah. Allāh ‫وتعاىل‬ ‫ سبحان‬said,

‫ين ظَلَ ُموا‬ ِ َّ ِ

َ ‫َوََل تَ ْرَكنُوا إ َىل الذ‬
And incline not toward those who do wrong4

Second of all, it’s not permissible to befriend those categories that were
mentioned in the question, while they're doing any of that Bid’ah, or any of
their Kufr, or any of their sins. Allāh ‫وتعاىل‬ ‫ سبحان‬says,

‫إِنَّ ُك ْم إِ اذا ِِمثْ لُ ُه ْم‬

(But if you stayed with them) certainly in that case you would be like them5

The third point, one may befriend them with the intention of da’wah, or
doing the inkār of the munkar [denouncing of evil] on them. And that’s only if
that person is knowledgeable, and while he sees improvement, and not when
they're doing any of their Kufr or Bid’ah or Fisq. He has to be knowledgeable

4 [11:113]
5 [4:140]

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 The Ruling on Befriending a Kāfir, Fāsiq, or Mubtadi’

with strong Īmān, because the people of sins – and in particular the people of
Bid’ah – they may instill doubts and corrupt one’s Īmān. One, for example,
may go face off with a Mubtadi’, thinking he’s strong in this issue. He may be,
but he may be weak in some of the sciences of Islām. For example, he may be
weak in the Arabic language or in Usūl al-Fiqh. And they may instill a doubt in
him through those sciences. Look at ‘Imrān Ibn Hittān. He transmitted Ahadīth
from some of the Sahābah like ‘Ā’ishah, Abū Mūsa al-Ash’ari, Ibn ‘Abbās
‫رضي هللا عنهم‬, and some of the Tābi’īn. But he was among the leaders of the
Khawārij during his time, and he didn’t start off like that. He actually started
off on the righteous path. He married a Khārijiyyah, a woman from the
Khawārij, thinking he could win her over, when the opposite happened. She
won him over.

When one feels or sees that it’s most likely that his inkār of the munkar
is not helping, and that his inkār of the munkar is not beneficial, then that is a
point where one should abandon the friendship. Some of the Mālikiyyah and
Shāfi’īyyah said, sitting with the Fussāq (ināsan lahum) – meaning to keep
them company – is a sin. And I don’t believe they were meaning that it was in
the context of while they were committing sins, but in general settings.
Distancing oneself is not just to be safe from them, but it’s also a form of
reprimand [scolding]. In Al-Furū’, Ibn Muflih attributed to Imām Ahmad that he
said, one will not be sinned for abandoning a person who’s persistent on a
sin, until he leaves it. And he stated that abandoning such friendship is one of
the ways of doing inkār of the munkar. Some of the Salaf considered Shayātīn
al-Ins [Human Shayātīn], Shayātīn of the Ins, worse than the Shayātīn of the
Jinn. Because, Shaytān of the Jinn, you can seek refuge in Allāh from him, and
he will leave. Shaytān al-Ins will stay at one until he gets him to fall in the sin.
Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali in Latā’if al-Ma’ārif said (in meaning) that sins are
ominous and one may not be safe from the punishment of Allāh befalling him,
while he sits with sinners – and that’s why one should distance himself from
them. In Jāmi’ al-Masā’il, Ibn Taymiyyah ‫تعاىل‬ ‫ رمحه هللا‬said, abandoning is

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 The Ruling on Befriending a Kāfir, Fāsiq, or Mubtadi’

legislated, it’s part of our religion. And he mentions some verses on it from the
Qur’ān. Like the verse,

َِ ‫واهجرهم هجرا‬
‫َج ايال ۝‬ ‫َ ْ ُْ ُ ْ َ ْا‬
and keep away from them in a good way.6

and,

‫الر ْجَز فَ ْاه ُج ْر ۝‬

ُّ ‫َو‬
And keep away from Ar-Rujz [idols]!7

ٍ ‫وضوا ِِف ح ِد‬

‫يث َغ ِْْيِه‬ ُ‫َي‬
َ ‫َّت‬
َّ ‫ح‬ ‫م‬‫ه‬ ‫ن‬
ْ ‫ع‬ ‫ض‬ ِ
‫ر‬ ‫َع‬
ْ ‫أ‬َ‫ف‬ ‫ا‬َ‫ن‬ِ‫وإِ َذا رأَيت الَّ ِذين ََيُوضو َن ِِف آايت‬
َ ُ ٰ َ ُْ َ ْ َ ُ َ َ َْ َ
And when you see those who engage in false conversation about Our verses (of the
Qur'ān) by mocking at them, stay away from them till they turn to another topic.8

and the verse,

‫َوتَ َوَّ ٰىل َعْن ُه ْم‬

And he turned away from them9

And he said, and like that is how the Messenger ‫ ﷺ‬was ordered to
abandon three of the Sahābah who stayed back from the battle of Tabūk, and
how ‘Umar ‫هللا عنه‬ ‫ رضي‬dealt with Sabīgh Ibn Isq or Sabīgh Ibn ‘Usayl (there’s a
discrepancy in his name). Ibn Taymiyyah ‫تعاىل‬ ‫ رمحه هللا‬said that’s for two reasons.

6 [73:10]
7 [74:5]
8 [6:68]
9 [12:84]

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 The Ruling on Befriending a Kāfir, Fāsiq, or Mubtadi’

Abandoning them so he will not see their evil or hear it, and become a partner
in it. And Allāh ‫وتعاىل‬ ‫ سبحان‬said in Sūrat an-Nisā’,

‫إِنَّ ُك ْم إِ اذا ِِمثْ لُ ُه ْم‬

(But if you stayed with them) certainly in that case you would be like them.10

And also he said, as a punishment for them. Ibn Taymiyyah ‫تعاىل‬ ‫ رمحه هللا‬in
Mukhtasar al-Fatāwa al-Misriyyah said, one may not even sit with a sinner
unless it’s a darūrah [necessity], and he mentioned the story that was
presented to ‘Umar Ibn ‘Abdil-Azīz ‫تعاىل‬ ‫رمحه هللا‬, when a group of people were
taken to him for drinking alcohol and he ordered that they be lashed. They
told him that one of the people that was among the group was fasting. He
said, “Start with him!” He ruled that one who witnesses the munkar is like the
one who does it. That’s taken from the verse of Allāh,

‫إِنَّ ُك ْم إِ اذا ِِمثْ لُ ُه ْم‬

(But if you stayed with them) certainly in that case you would be like them.11

Al-Haytami, in his book on major sins, mentioned the major sin #442 as
being sitting with the Fussāq. And he said, some said there’s no difference
between sitting with them and befriending them, while they're doing their Fisq
or if they're not doing it. And he said (in summary and in meaning), one sitting
with them gradually becomes amused and entertained by them and he
begins to lean towards their actions by necessity. And he said sitting with
them over time will cause one to be inclined to them, and to like them and to
imitate them. And in Jāmi’ al-Masā’il, Ibn Taymiyyah ‫تعاىل‬ ‫ رمحه هللا‬mentioned that
sometimes one is forced into mu’āsharah – into what’s similar to befriending –

10 [4:140]
11 [4:140]

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 The Ruling on Befriending a Kāfir, Fāsiq, or Mubtadi’

and he said that may be exempted unless it’s going to affect his mind or his
Dīn. What he means is, an example like this is the parents, some may have
parents who fall into major sins or into Bid’ah – like alcohol for example
(‫ًبهلل‬ ‫)والعياذ‬, or some may fall into rituals of Shirk. So there’s a force bond there.
There’s a forced friendship there because Allāh ‫وتعاىل‬ ‫ سبحان‬says,

ِ ‫وص‬
‫احْب ُه َما ِِف الدُّنْيَا َم ْعُروفاا‬ ََ
but behave with them in the world kindly12

But what Ibn Taymiyyah is saying is that if there’s a force bond and it
may affect one’s religion, then one should abandon them. And they should
abandon them in such relationships to the extent that they preserve their Dīn.

And just as one should distance himself from Fussāq and Kuffār and
Mubtadi’ah, one should draw himself nearer to those that he sees are
righteous and remind him of the Ākhirah. Sitting with them, spending time
with them, taking their advice, giving them advice — even nations before us
knew and held on to this rule. In the famous story of the man from Banī Isrā'īl
who killed 100 people, when he asked the ‘Ālim, when he asked the
knowledgeable person — the ‘Ālim, the knowledgeable person — told him, go
to such and such land, there you will find devoted ‘ubbād (devoted people
who worship Allāh ‫وتعاىل‬ ‫)سبحان‬, join them in their worship and don't come back
to your land because it’s an evil place. He wanted him to go to an area where
he has righteous surroundings. Allāh ‫وتعاىل‬ ‫ سبحان‬said,

‫ين ظَلَ ُموا فَتَ َم َّس ُك ُم النَّ ُار‬ ِ َّ‫وََل تَرَكنوا إِ َىل ال‬
‫ذ‬
َ ُْ َ
And incline not toward those who do wrong, lest the Fire should touch you13

12 [31:15]
13 [11:113]

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 The Ruling on Befriending a Kāfir, Fāsiq, or Mubtadi’

Al-Qurtubi ‫تعاىل‬ ‫ رمحه هللا‬said such a beautiful statement, commenting on

this verse. He said, this is proof on abandoning the people of Kufr and sins,
like the people of Bid’ah and their likes (in meaning, I'm giving it to you in
meaning), because their friendship is Kufr or a sin. Their friendship only comes
from mawaddah [love]. This is such an important statement. Friendship,
prolonged friendship – unless it's for darūrah or ikrāh [forced] or inkār of the
munkar – that friendship negates or puts a deficiency in one’s Walā’ and
Barā’ [love and hate for the sake of Allāh], by having mawaddah for them. He
said ( ‫مودة‬ ‫)إذا صحبة َل تكون إَل عن‬, friendship only stems from mawaddah.

And as to befriending the Mubtadi’ah, they – generally speaking – have

a worse effect on an individual and on manipulating an individual, more than
the other two categories that we've been mentioning. That’s befriending
them, or even merely sitting with them for moments, so imagine those who
recommend them and take from them. Even if they may have at times some
Haqq, they still should be shunned. And one shouldn’t claim to be on the path
of the Muwahhiddīn while he may listen or recommend or direct others to
books or speakers of the Murji’ah, for example. And you need to go no further
than Ash-Sharī’ah lil-Ājurrī or Usūl I'tiqād Ahlis-Sunnah lil-Lalakā'ī, to read
the strong stance the Salaf had in their relationship to the Mubtadi’ah. Al-
Hasan al-Basri said, don’t sit with the people of desires, don't debate them,
and don't listen to them. Abu Qulāba ‫هللا‬ ‫ رمحه‬said, don’t sit with the people of
desires because they may dip you in their desires, they may dip you in their
falsehood, or taint you. Muhammad Ibn Sirīn wouldn’t let two of the
Mubtadi’ah sit with him to recite Ahādīth to him. They just wanted to recite
Ahādīth to him. And when he refused, they said okay let us recite a verse, a
verse from the Qur’ān to you. He wouldn’t let them even do that. Fudayl Ibn
‘Iyād said, don’t sit with the people of Bid’ah because I fear the curse of Allāh
might befall upon you. Al-Imām ’Abd al-Razzāq al-San’āni was met by a
Mu’tazili and the Imām refused to speak to him and the man (in summary)
wanted to speak to him for a moment and the Imām wouldn’t let him. He said,

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 The Ruling on Befriending a Kāfir, Fāsiq, or Mubtadi’

because my heart is weak and religion is not a game for the winner. It’s not
like a wrestling match, you go by who wins. And if these Imāms feared over
their Dīn, what do we say today? Muhammad Ibn Nadr al-Harithi and Ad-
Dhahabi said (the statements they said were very similar), whoever listens to
a person of Bid’ah knowing what he’s saying, will render them free from the
guardianship and protection of Allāh ‫وتعاىل‬ ‫ سبحان‬and they will be on their own.
The hearts are weak, and the shubhah and doubts may sweep one off their
feet at times. Ibn Rajab and Ad-Dhahabi said pertaining to Ibn ‘Aqil al-
Hanbali, he used to go to the Mu’tazilah and learn from them or sit with them,
and they warned him not to go, until he ended up falling in their trap and he
became affected by some of their deviance in some of the qualities and
attributes of Allāh ‫وتعاىل‬ ‫سبحان‬.

In the Hadīth in Sahīh al-Bukhāri and Muslim:

ِ ‫ك و ََّنفِ ِخ الْ ِك ِْي فَح ِامل الْ ِمس‬

‫ك إِ َّما‬ ِ ِ ِ ِ َّ ‫يس‬ ِ ِ‫اْلَل‬ْ ‫الصالِ ِح َو‬ ِ ِ‫اْلَل‬ْ ‫إََِّّنَا َمثَ ُل‬
ْ ُ َ َ ‫الس ْوء َك َحام ِل الْم ْس‬ َّ ‫يس‬
ِ ِ
‫ك‬ َ َ‫اع ِمْنهُ َوإِ َّما أَ ْن ََِت َد ِمْنهُ ِرُياا طَيِِبَةا َو ََّنف ُخ الْ ِك ِْي إِ َّما أَ ْن ُُْي ِر ََق ِثِيَاب‬
َ َ‫ك َوإِ َّما أَ ْن تَْب ت‬
َ َ‫أَ ْن ُُْيذي‬
‫َوإِ َّما أَ ْن ََِت َد ِرُياا َخبِيثَةا‬
The example of good company and that of bad company is that of the owner of
musk and of the one (iron-smith) blowing bellows, and the owner of musk would
either offer you free of charge or you would buy it from him or you would smell its
pleasant odor, and so far as one who blows the bellows is concerned, he would
either burn your clothes or you shall have to smell its repugnant smell.14

The Messenger ‫ ﷺ‬gave the example of a good friend and an evil one.
And he said the good friend is like one who carries a musk and the evil one is
like the one who blows in a pair of bellows. The one who carries a musk, what
do you get out of him? He either gifts you perfume or you buy some perfume

14 [Sahīh Muslim 2628]

10
 The Ruling on Befriending a Kāfir, Fāsiq, or Mubtadi’

from him. The least of it is that you get a good smell from him. The evil friend
is like the one who blows in a pair of bellows, and he either burns your
clothes, or the least of it, you get a bad smell from him. The summary of the
Hadīth is that the Messenger ‫ ﷺ‬is telling you, good friends will affect you
positively and evil friends will affect you negatively. If one who befriends
Fussāq, doesn't follow in their footsteps, then over time it will diminish the
magnitude of the sin in his eyes.

Ibn al-Jawzi in Sayyid al-Khātir said, I see nothing more harmful to a

believer than mingling with those who are not good. Their nature is
absorbing, it steals you. What he means is, it will sweep you off your feet.
They will absorb you in their evil without you perceiving it. And if one doesn’t
start acting like them, Ibn al-Jawzi said, the least of it is with having such
friendship, it will stall one from doing good. With friendship of the righteous,
you add purity to your heart. And if there are no righteous people in your area,
then your purity will come from your seclusion with Allāh ‫وتعاىل‬ ‫سبحان‬. A pure
Muwahhid or Muwahhidah shouldn’t take their precious moments with a
Kāfir, or a Fāsiq, or a Modernist, or a Murjī’, alleging that they need to
socialize.

In the prison interview with Shaykh Walīd as-Sināni ‫أسره‬ ‫فك هللا‬, he said
he loved his seclusion. Most who don’t know about prison (may Allāh ‫سبحان‬

‫ وتعاىل‬save you all from it), when you're in a cell 24 hours a day, and they tell
you – get ready, you have a few moments to get ready, you’re going to the
medical clinic, or you're going to recreation – you love to go. Even though
you're in shackles and handcuffs, you love to go. You love to go to change the
scenery, even though it’s going from gray cemented walls to another set of
gray cemented walls. Shaykh Walīd as-Sināni said he loved his seclusion.
When the interviewer asked him if he was forced, he said he didn’t want to be
in the interview. He didn’t want to leave his cell. He’d rather be in his cell. And
he, for those who don’t know, Shaykh Walīd chose solitary over the general

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 The Ruling on Befriending a Kāfir, Fāsiq, or Mubtadi’

population. He didn’t want to be in general population. And many fight and

struggle to be removed from segregation, so they can be in general
population. What was more astonishing for me in that interview is when he
told the interviewer, when they call me out for meetings – like what he meant
is – for something similar to the interview that he was going through, or when
they call him out for questioning, or what they have in prison called al-
Munāsaha. He said, when I return to my cell, I remain distraught and unwell
for days. Do you know why? He’s so pure. He’s pure in his seclusion. Simple
words or the mere sight of those Munāfiqīn he sees, disrupt that purity. The
purity he attained in his seclusion. And he needs days to recover from what
tainted him.

If you can’t find friends, stick to seclusion. Or befriend those who died,
by living and reading their Sīrah. Allāh ‫وتعاىل‬ ‫ سبحان‬said,

‫ني ۝‬ِ ِ َّ ‫اَّلل وُكونُوا مع‬ َّ ِ َّ‫اي أَيُّها ال‬

َ ‫الصادق‬ ََ َ َ َّ ‫ا‬
‫و‬ ‫ق‬
ُ ‫ات‬ ‫ا‬
‫و‬ ‫ن‬
ُ ‫آم‬
َ َ‫ين‬ ‫ذ‬ َ َ
O you who believe! Have Taqwa of Allah, and be with those who are true (in words
and deeds).15

A command from Allāh for the believers, to fear Allāh and to be with
who? With those who are truthful. When the Mushrikīn approached
Rasūlullāh ‫ ﷺ‬to befriend him – so long as he’s not around people like Bilāl,
and ‘Ammār, and Suhaib, and Khabbāb, Ibn Mas’ūd, the weak and
unfortunate – Allāh ‫وتعاىل‬ ‫ سبحان‬said,

‫ين يَ ْدعُو َن َرََّّبُم ًِبلْغَ َد ِاة َوالْ َع ِش ِِي‬ ِ َّ‫وََل تَطْرِد ال‬
‫ذ‬
َ ُ َ
And turn not away those who invoke their Lord, morning and afternoon.16

15 [9:119]
16 [6:52]

12
 The Ruling on Befriending a Kāfir, Fāsiq, or Mubtadi’

Then He ordered him to befriend those like Bilāl and ‘Ammār,

ِ َّ‫واصِِب نَ ْفسك مع ال‬

‫اك َعْن ُه ْم‬ ُ ‫ين يَ ْدعُو َن َرََّّبُم ًِبلْغَ َد ِاة َوالْ َع ِش ِِي يُِر‬
َ َ‫يدو َن َو ْج َههُ ۖ َوََل تَ ْع ُد َعْي ن‬ ‫ذ‬
َ ََ َ َ ْ ْ َ
‫احلَيَ ِاة الدُّنْيَا ۖ َوََل تُ ِط ْع َم ْن أَ ْغ َف ْلنَا قَ ْلبَهُ َعن ِذ ْك ِرََّن َواتَّبَ َع َه َواهُ َوَكا َن أ َْمُرهُ فُ ُرطاا ۝‬
ْ َ‫يد ِزينَة‬
ُ ‫تُِر‬
And keep yourself patiently with those who call on their Lord morning and
afternoon, seeking His Face; and let not your eyes overlook them, desiring the pomp
and glitter of the life of the world; and obey not him whose heart We have made
heedless of Our remembrance, and who follows his own lusts, and whose affair has
been lost.17

It’s people like Bilāl and ‘Ammār to befriend, not those like Abū Jahl.
Allāh ‫وتعاىل‬ ‫سبحان‬, in many verses, deterred from befriending those who are evil:

‫ض َع ْن َم ْن تَ َوَّ ٰىل َع ْن ِذ ْك ِرََّن‬

ْ ‫فَأ َْع ِر‬
Therefore withdraw from him who turns away from Our Reminder18

ِ ‫وإِ َذا رأَيت الَّ ِذين ََيُوضو َن ِِف‬

ْ ‫آايتنَا فَأَ ْع ِر‬
‫ض َعْن ُه ْم‬ َ ُ َ َ َْ َ
And when you see those who engage in false conversation about Our verses (of the
Qur'ān) by mocking at them, stay away from them19

َِّ ‫ت‬
‫اَّلل يُ ْك َفُر َِّبَا َويُ ْستَ ْهَزأُ َِّبَا فَ َال تَ ْقعُ ُدوا َم َع ُه ْم‬ ِ ‫اب أَ ْن إِذَا ََِسعتُم آاي‬
ِ َ‫وقَ ْد نََّزَل َعلَْي ُكم ِِف الْ ِكت‬
َ ْْ ْ َ
And it has already been revealed to you in the Book that when you hear the verses
of Allāh being denied and mocked at, then sit not with them20

17 [18:28]
18 [53:29]
19 [6:68]
20 [4:140]

13
 The Ruling on Befriending a Kāfir, Fāsiq, or Mubtadi’

The Messenger ‫ ﷺ‬was ordered to befriend those who are righteous.

And sometimes they asked for it. Mūsa ‫السالم‬ ‫ عليه‬says,

‫اج َعل ِِِل َوِز ايرا ِِم ْن أ َْهلِي‬

ْ ‫َو‬
And appoint for me a helper from my family21

He asked Allāh ‫وتعاىل‬ ‫ سبحان‬to make his brother as his companion. And Allāh
‫ سبحان وتعاىل‬said,

َ ‫ض َد َك ِِب َِخ‬
‫يك‬ ُ ‫َسنَ ُش ُّد َع‬
We will strengthen your arm through your brother22

We mentioned that in the Fiqh class. And then what did Mūsa ‫السالم‬ ‫ عليه‬say?

ِِ ِ ِ ِ ِ
‫ني ۝‬ َ َْ‫ك إََِّل نَ ْفسي َوأَخي فَافْ ُر َْق بَْي نَ نَا َوب‬
َ ‫ني الْ َق ْوم الْ َفاسق‬ ِِ ‫ال َر‬
ُ ‫ب إِِِّن ََل أ َْمل‬ َ َ‫ق‬
He said: "O my Lord! I have power only over myself and my brother, so separate us
from the rebellious people!"23

Separate us, part us, from the people who are Fasiqīn.

Ibrāhīm ‫السالم‬ ‫ عليه‬said, I will leave you, I will withdraw from you, I will
distance myself from you.

َِّ ‫ون‬
‫اَّلل‬ ِ ‫وأ َْعتَ ِزلُ ُكم وما تَ ْدعو َن ِمن د‬
ُ ُ ََ ْ َ
21 [20:29]
22 [28:35]
23 [5:25]

14
 The Ruling on Befriending a Kāfir, Fāsiq, or Mubtadi’

And I shall turn away from you and from those whom you invoke besides Allāh.24

And then what did he say?

‫ب إِ َ ٰىل َرِِّب َسيَ ْه ِدي ِن ۝‬ ِ ِ َ َ‫وق‬

ٌ ‫ال إِِّن ذَاه‬ َ
And he said: "Verily, I am going to my Lord. He will guide me!25

“I'm going to my Lord”. When he sought seclusion from the bad

companionship, Allāh granted him with a blessing. The blessing of Ishāq and
Ya’qūb, and both of them were Prophets.

‫وب ۖ َوُكال َج َع ْلنَا نَبِيا ۝‬ َِّ ‫ون‬

َ ‫اَّلل َوَهْب نَا لَهُ إِ ْس َح‬ ِ ‫فَلَ َّما ْاعتَ زََلم وما ي عب ُدو َن ِمن د‬
َ ‫اَق َويَ ْع ُق‬ ُ ُ ْ َ َ َ ُْ َ
So when he had turned away from them and from those whom they worshipped
besides Allāh, We gave him Ishāq and Ya'qūb, and each one of them We made a
Prophet.26

Your sacrifice to Allāh will not go unrewarded in Dunya and Ākhirah. He

secluded himself from bad companionship, Allāh blessed him with Ishāq and
Ya’qūb, and both were Prophets.

Allāh ‫وتعاىل‬ ‫سبحان‬, in the Qur’ān, honored the dog for befriending
Muwahhiddīn.

‫اعْي ِه‬ ِ ٌ ‫الشما ِل ۖ وَك ْلب هم ًب ِس‬

ِ ِ ‫ات الْيَ ِم‬ ِ
َ ‫ط ذ َر‬ َ ُ ُ َ َ ِ ‫ات‬ َ ‫ني َو َذ‬ َ ‫ود ۚ َونُ َقلِبُ ُه ْم َذ‬
ٌ ُ‫َوََْت َسبُ ُه ْم أَيْ َقاظاا َوُه ْم ُرق‬
ِ ‫ًِبلْو ِص‬
‫يد‬ َ

24 [19:48]
25 [37:99]
26 [19:49]

15
 The Ruling on Befriending a Kāfir, Fāsiq, or Mubtadi’

And you would have thought them awake, whereas they were asleep. And We
turned them on their right and on their left sides, and their dog stretching forth his
two forelegs at the entrance.27

Ibn Kathīr and al-Qurtubi (in different statements) mentioned how Allāh
‫ سبحان وتعاىل‬honored a dog by mentioning him in the Qur’ān, because of his
companionship to the Muwahhiddīn. Al-Qurtubi said, if that’s for a dog, then
imagine a Muslim who strives to befriend the Awliyā’ of Allāh.

You can never say the continued, prolonged, constant befriending of a

Fāsiq or Mubtadi’ or Kāfir will not affect you – when Messengers ‫السالم‬ ‫عليهم‬
distanced themselves from such people. Just like water and air get tainted
from a carcass or corpse, a righteous person gets tainted by the
companionship of Fussāq and Mubtadi’ah and Kuffār. Their traits, their
beliefs, their ways, their manners, are contagious.

‫وهللا أعلم وصلى هللا على سيدَّن حممد وعلى آله وصحبه وسلم‬

27 [18:18]

16
The Ruling on Befriending a Kāfir, Fāsiq, or Mubtadi’

17