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

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

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 ‫وتعاىل‬ ‫ سبحانه‬mentions 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.

‫ني ۝ أَإِ َذا ِمْت نَا َوُكنَّا تَُر ااًب َو ِعظَ ااما أَإِ ََّّن لَ َم ِدينُو َن۝‬ِ ِ ‫ول أَإِنَّك لَ ِمن الْم‬
َ ‫ص ِدق‬
َ ُ َ َ ُ ‫يَ ُق‬
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

1
[37:51-52]
2
[37:52-53]

2
 The Ruling on Befriending a Kāfir, Fāsiq, or Mubtadi’

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 ا ْْلَ ِحي ِم ۝‬

They looked, they found him in Jahīm.

‫ت لَُُْتِدي ِن ۝‬ ِ ِ َ َ‫ولَوََل نِعمةُ رِب 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
‫سبحانه وتعاىل‬. But he had his friends around him, Abū Jahl and ‘Abdullāh Ibn Abī
Umayyah. And they’re telling him, (‫املطلب‬ ‫“ ) اي أًب طالب أترغب عن ملة عبد‬Abū 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 ‫ سبحانه‬and only in accordance to what Allāh ‫سبحانه‬
‫ وتعاىل‬wants.

3
[37:56-57]

3
 The Ruling on Befriending a Kāfir, Fāsiq, or Mubtadi’

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
‫ سبحانه وتعاىل‬said,

‫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 ‫ سبحانه‬says,

‫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 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.

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

4
 The Ruling on Befriending a Kāfir, Fāsiq, or Mubtadi’

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 ‫هللا تعاىل‬ ‫ رمحه‬said, abandoning is 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

ٍ ‫َع ِرض عْن هم ح ََّّت ََيُوضوا ِِف ح ِد‬

ِ‫يث َغ ِْيه‬ ِ ‫وإِ َذا رأَيت الَّ ِذين ََيُوضو َن ِِف‬
ْ َ ُ ٰ َ ْ ُ َ ْ ْ ‫آايتنَا فَأ‬ َ ُ َ َ َْ َ
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

6
[73:10]
7
[74:5]
8
[6:68]

5
 The Ruling on Befriending a Kāfir, Fāsiq, or Mubtadi’

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 ‫رضي‬
dealt 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. Abandoning them so he will not see
their evil or hear it, and become a partner in it. And Allāh ‫وتعاىل‬ ‫ سبحانه‬said 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 ‫ رمحه هللا تعاىل‬in
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

9
[12:84]
10
[4:140]
11
[4:140]

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

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 – 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
(‫)والعياذ ًبهلل‬, or some may fall into rituals of Shirk. So there’s a force bond there. There’s a

forced friendship there because Allāh ‫ سبحانه وتعاىل‬says,

ِ ‫وص‬
‫احْب ُه َما ِِف الدُّنْيَا َم ْع ُروفاا‬ ََ
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 ‫)سبحانه‬, join them in their worship and don't come back to your land because

12
[31:15]

7
 The Ruling on Befriending a Kāfir, Fāsiq, or Mubtadi’

it’s an evil place. He wanted him to go to an area where he has righteous surroundings.
Allāh ‫وتعاىل‬ ‫ سبحانه‬said,

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

13
[11:113]

8
 The Ruling on Befriending a Kāfir, Fāsiq, or Mubtadi’

to him and the man (in summary) wanted to speak to him for a moment and the Imām
wouldn’t let him. He said, 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 ‫ سبحانه‬and 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 ‫سبحانه‬.

In the Hadīth in Sahīh al-Bukhāri and Muslim:

ِ ‫ك و ََّنفِ ِخ الْكِ ِْي فَح ِامل الْ ِمس‬

‫ك إِ َّما‬ ِ ‫السوِء َكح ِام ِل الْ ِمس‬ ِ‫اْلل‬ ِ‫الصال‬ ِ‫اْلل‬ ِ
ْ ُ َ َ ْ َ ْ َّ ‫يس‬ِ ْ
َ َ‫و‬ ‫ح‬
ِ َّ ِ
‫يس‬ َْ ‫إََّّنَا َمثَ ُل‬
ِ ِ
‫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 تَ ْب 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 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

14
[Sahīh Muslim 2628]

9
 The Ruling on Befriending a Kāfir, Fāsiq, or Mubtadi’

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 ‫سبحانه‬. 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 ‫هللا أسره‬ ‫فك‬, he said he loved
his seclusion. Most who don’t know about prison (may Allāh ‫ سبحانه 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 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.

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

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

‫ني ۝‬ِ ِ َّ ‫اَّلل وُكونُوا مع‬ َّ ِ َّ‫اي أَيُّها ال‬

َ ‫الصادق‬ ََ َ َ َّ ‫ا‬
‫و‬ ‫ق‬
ُ ‫ات‬ ‫ا‬
‫و‬ ‫ن‬
ُ ‫آم‬
َ َ‫ين‬‫ذ‬ َ َ
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 ‫ سبحانه‬said,

‫ين يَ ْدعُو َن َرََّّبُم ًِبلْغَ َداةِ َوالْ َع ِش ِِي‬ ِ َّ ِ

َ ‫َوََل تَطُْرد الذ‬
And turn not away those who invoke their Lord, morning and afternoon.16

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

‫اك َعْن ُه ْم‬ ُ ‫ين يَ ْدعُو َن َرََّّبُم ًِبلْغَ َداةِ َوالْ َع ِش ِِي يُِر‬
َ َ‫يدو َن َو ْج َههُ ۖ َوََل تَ ْع ُد َعْي ن‬ ِ َّ‫واصِِب نَ ْفسك مع ال‬
‫ذ‬
َ ََ َ َ ْ ْ َ
‫احلَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا ۖ َوََل تُ ِط ْع َم ْن أَ ْغ َف ْلنَا قَ ْلبَهُ َعن ِذ ْك ِرََّن َواتَّبَ َع َه َواهُ َوَكا َن أ َْم ُرهُ 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
‫سبحانه وتعاىل‬, in many verses, deterred from befriending those who are evil:

15
[9:119]
16
[6:52]
17
[18:28]

11
 The Ruling on Befriending a Kāfir, Fāsiq, or Mubtadi’

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

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

ِ َّ ‫وإِذَا رأَي‬
‫ض َعْن ُه ْم‬ ْ ‫آايتِنَا فَأ‬
ْ ‫َع ِر‬ َ ‫وضو َن ِِف‬
ُ ُ‫ين ََي‬
َ ‫ت الذ‬َ َْ َ
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

‫اَّللِ يُ ْك َف ُر َِّبَا َويُ ْستَ ْهَزأُ َِّبَا فَ َال تَ ْقعُ ُدوا َم َع ُه ْم‬
َّ ‫ت‬ ِ ‫اب أَ ْن إِ َذا ََِ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

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 ‫ سبحانه وتعاىل‬to make his brother as his companion. And Allāh ‫سبحانه وتعاىل‬
said,

َ ‫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?

18
[53:29]
19
[6:68]
20
[4:140]
21
[20:29]
22
[28:35]

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

ِِ ِ ِ ِ ِ
‫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.

ِ‫اَّلل‬
َّ ‫ون‬ِ ‫وأ َْعتَ ِزلُ ُكم وما تَ ْدعو َن ِمن د‬
ُ ُ ََ ْ َ
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 َرِِب َسيَ ْه ِدي ِن ۝‬

ٌ
ِ َ‫ال إِِّن ذ‬
‫اه‬ ِ َ َ‫َوق‬
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 ۝‬ َ ‫اَّللِ َوَهْب نَا لَهُ إِ ْس َح‬

َ ‫اَق َويَ ْع ُق‬ َّ ‫ون‬ِ ‫فَلَ َّما ْاعتَ زََلم وما ي عب ُدو َن ِمن د‬
ُ ُ ْ َ َ َ ُْ َ
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

23
[5:25]
24
[19:48]
25
[37:99]
26
[19:49]

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

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 ‫سبحانه‬, in the Qur’ān, honored the dog for befriending Muwahhiddīn.

‫اعْي ِه‬ ِ ٌ ‫الشم ِال ۖ وَك ْلب هم ًب ِس‬

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

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

15