Chapter 6

In this verse, Allah speaks of Moses (peace be upon him), who had made an absolute vow to himself never to stand with the criminals as a supporter or helper. This serves as a declaration of complete disavowal from crime and its perpetrators. Consequently, it is not permissible for a Muslim concerned with the integrity of their Islam to assist an oppressor, even by writing something that involves injustice or by accompanying them in that state. Indeed, Allah has cursed the consumer of usury, the one who pays it, the one who writes it, and its witnesses; supporting an oppressor in his oppression or supporting a disbeliever in his disbelief is no less grave than what has been mentioned. ¶

It is reported in the traditions: 'Whoever walks with an oppressed person to assist him in his grievance, Allah will make his feet firm on the Path (Sirat) on the day when feet will slip; and whoever walks with an oppressor to assist him in his oppression, Allah will cause his feet to slip on the Path on the day when feet will stumble.' ¶

It is also narrated: 'Whoever walks with an oppressor has committed a crime.' ¶

These narrations have weak chains of transmission (isnad), although the meaning they convey is generally correct. ¶

Thus, walking with an oppressor is not a crime unless one walks with him to assist him in his oppression. In that case, one has committed what Allah has forbidden in His saying: 'And do not cooperate in sin and aggression. And fear Allah; indeed, Allah is severe in penalty.' ¶

Thirtieth Proof: The saying of Allah, addressing His Messenger Muhammad (ﷺ): 'And you were not expecting that the Book would be inspired to you, but it is a mercy from your Lord, so do not be a supporter (zahir) of the disbelievers.' The meaning of 'zahir' in this verse and the one preceding it is 'helper'. ¶

And 'nasir', which is synonymous with the meaning of 'muwalat' (allegiance), indicating love and support (1). The meaning of this verse is: Do not, O Muhammad, be a helper to those who disbelieve in your Lord regarding their disbelief (2). Although the address is directed to the Messenger (ﷺ), it is intended for his Ummah after him. Therefore, there must be no mutual support or cooperation between the believers and the disbelievers who wage war against Allah, His Messenger, and the believers, because faith and disbelief are two different paths and two methodologies that do not meet. Those are the party of Allah, and these are the party of Satan; so upon what basis would they cooperate? And in what would they cooperate? (3). ¶

The Thirty-First Proof: The saying of Allah the Almighty: ﴿You will not find a people who believe in Allah and the Last Day having affection for those who oppose Allah and His Messenger, even if they were their fathers or their sons or their brothers or their kindred﴾ (4). ¶

Thus, Allah the Almighty informed that you will not find anyone who believes in Allah and the Last Day with a true faith and then manifests affection for those who oppose Allah and His Messenger, even if they were the closest of kin. The gathering of faith with this is contradictory, as faith in Allah and the Last Day cannot coexist with affection and love for those who oppose Allah and His Messenger, just as two opposites cannot coexist (5). Consequently, whoever shows affection to a disbeliever is not a believer (6). ¶

As for the objection that might be raised against this proof regarding the permissibility of marrying women of the People of the Book—a matter which entails the man's affection for his disbelieving wife, as in the saying of Allah the Almighty: ﴿And He placed between you affection and mercy﴾ (7)—how can one reconcile these two proofs whose outward appearance suggests a contradiction? ¶

The answer to this, in brief, is that there are two opinions on this matter: ¶

First: The opinion of those who forbid marriage with non-Muslim women(1). According to this view, there is no ambiguity or objection. The evidence for the proponents of this view is the word of Allah Almighty: "And do not marry polytheistic women until they believe" (Surah Al-Baqarah: 221) and the word of Allah Almighty: "And do not hold onto marriage bonds with disbelieving women" (Surah Al-Mumtahanah: 10). ¶

Second: The opinion of those who see it as permissible, citing as evidence the word of Allah Almighty: "And [lawful to you are] chaste women from those who were given the Scripture before you" (Surah Al-Ma'idah: 5). The proponents of this view have established various conditions regarding the issue of a Muslim man marrying a woman of the People of the Scripture, which we will address in detail in a future discussion, God willing. However, there is no harm in pointing to the summary of those conditions: that the one marrying the woman of the People of the Scripture must be strong in his faith, firm in his masculinity, serious in his dealings, and strictly protective of his religion. If these qualities are found in a Muslim person, it is permissible for him to marry a woman of the People of the Scripture; if the matter is contrary to that, it is better to forbid it(5). ¶

Some exegetes (mufassirun) have said that women are among the weak and those who do not engage in combat, so it is permissible to treat them with kindness (ma'ruf), and treating them with kindness is an act of piety toward their Lord. Allah Almighty says: "Allah does not forbid you from those who do not fight you because of religion and do not expel you from your homes - from being righteous toward them and acting justly toward them. Indeed, Allah loves those who act justly" (Surah Al-Mumtahanah: 8). ¶

The thirty-second evidence: The saying of Allah the Almighty: 'Indeed, those who reverted to their backs [to disbelief] after guidance had become clear to them, Satan enticed them and prolonged hope for them. That is because they said to those who disliked what Allah sent down, "We will obey you in part of the matter." And Allah knows what they conceal. Then how [will it be] when the angels take them in death, striking their faces and their backs? That is because they followed what angered Allah and disliked His pleasure, so He rendered worthless their deeds.' (Surah Muhammad: 25-28). ¶

Allah the Almighty mentioned that there is a group of people who claim Islam outwardly, but in reality, they are apostates due to their promise to the disbelievers, which includes obeying them in certain matters. He stated that they became apostates through this, and their knowledge of the truth did not benefit them alongside their apostasy. Satan deceived them by making their apostasy appear attractive, deluding them into thinking that fear was a valid excuse for apostasy, and that their recognition of the truth, their love for it, and their bearing witness to it would prevent their actions from harming them. Thus, they said to the disbelievers, 'We will obey you in some matters,' such as showing allegiance, love, and support, while remaining—according to their false assumption—under the banner of Islam. They did this out of love for the worldly life and fear of losing their lives, wealth, and positions. If apostasy is established for those who promised the polytheists obedience in some matters, then what is the state of those who agreed with the polytheists and obeyed them in all matters, both in word and deed? Are these not more deserving of being labeled apostates than those who only promised obedience in some matters and not others? Based on this, following the polytheists, entering into their obedience, bearing witness that they are upon the truth, assisting them in falsehood, abandoning monotheism (Tawhid) and its people, and deserting its supporters—all these are matters that necessitate apostasy and disbelief. ¶

The thirty-third evidence: The saying of Allah the Almighty: 'Have you not considered those who practice hypocrisy, saying to their brothers who have disbelieved among the People of the Scripture, "If you are expelled, we will surely leave with you..."' (Surah Al-Hashr: 11). ¶

"And we will never obey anyone in regard to you, and if you are fought, we will surely aid you." But Allah bears witness that they are indeed liars. (Surah Al-Hashr: 11). In this verse, Allah Almighty warns His Messenger (ﷺ) and his Ummah after him of the intense bond between the hypocrites and the disbelievers among the People of the Book—a bond that reaches the level of brotherhood. The People of the Book disbelieved openly, while the hypocrites are their brothers in disbelief, even if they outwardly don the mantle of Islam; in reality and in truth, they are disbelievers. The verse considered the promise made to the polytheists in secret—to join them, aid them, and depart with them—as hypocrisy and disbelief, even if such a promise was based on lies and deception. So what, then, of the person who promises the disbelievers to join them and aid them truthfully and openly? He enters into their obedience, calls others to it, aids them in it, submits to them, becomes one of them, and assists them in their disbelief with wealth, opinion, and equipment. Is this not in a more severe state and with a worse outcome than the hypocrites mentioned in this verse? ¶

The Thirty-Fourth Evidence: The saying of Allah Almighty: "O you who have believed, do not take My enemies and your enemies as allies, extending to them affection while they have disbelieved in what came to you of the truth..." until His saying, "And whoever does that among you has certainly strayed from the soundness of the way." (Surah Al-Mumtahanah: 1). ¶

Thus, Allah Almighty informs us that whoever takes the enemies of Allah as allies, even if they are relatives, has strayed from the soundness of the way; meaning, he has missed the upright path and the straight methodology. For whoever claims to love Allah, His Messenger, and the believers, and then takes the enemies of Allah as friends, allies, and helpers, extending to them affection, is a liar in his claim of loving Allah, His Messenger, and the believers. This action of his is a practical denial of Allah, and whoever lies about Allah, he is... ¶

In such a case, he is a kafir (disbeliever), because he intentionally defied Allah regarding what He has forbidden. The scholars have reached a consensus (ijma') that whoever intentionally seeks to declare lawful what Allah has forbidden is a kafir. (1) ¶

The thirty-fifth evidence: The saying of Allah the Almighty: "If they gain dominance over you, they will be your enemies and extend against you their hands and their tongues with evil, and they wish you would disbelieve." (2) That is, if they were to gain power over the Muslims and seize them, they would subject them to the worst of torments. (3) There is historical evidence for this claim. When the Crusaders overcame the Muslims in Andalusia, they annihilated the Muslims completely after the Muslims had been settled there for eight centuries. During the days of their glory and strength, the Muslims had the power to annihilate all non-Islamic sects and crush them completely, but the Islamic religion is merciful and gentle even toward its enemies. Today, when the Jews gained power over the Muslims, they did to the Muslims what the Crusaders did before them. We find that they displaced millions of inhabitants, killed hundreds of thousands, and continue to hunt down the remaining Palestinians outside of Palestine. The enmity of the Jews towards us is not ethnic, nor is it based on greed for land or economy, as the naive and foolish people portray it; rather, it is an enmity of creed and religion. This is evidenced by their words and actions. When the Jewish forces entered Jerusalem in 1387 AH - 1967 AD, the Jewish soldiers gathered around the Wailing Wall, as they claim, and began to chant with Moshe Dayan: "This day is a day for a day of Khaybar... Revenge for Khaybar." Then they began to sing: "The religion of Muhammad is finished and gone. Muhammad died and left daughters!!!" (4) ¶

(1) See: Majmu'at al-Tawhid, p. 249. (2) Surah al-Mumtahanah, verse 2. (3) See: Mukhtasar Tafsir Ibn Kathir by Muhammad Ali al-Sabuni, Vol. 3, p. 482, and see: Majmu'at al-Tawhid, p. 265. (4) See the book: "Qadat al-Gharb Yaqulun: Dammiru al-Islam Abidu Ahlahu" (Western Leaders Say: Destroy Islam and Annihilate Its People) by Jalal al-Alam, pp. 9, 15, 29. ¶

The thirty-sixth evidence: The saying of Allah the Almighty: 'And Abraham’s asking forgiveness for his father was only because of a promise he had made to him, but when it became clear to him that he was an enemy of Allah, he disassociated himself from him; indeed Abraham was compassionate and forbearing' (Surah At-Tawbah: 114). And the saying of Allah: 'And when Abraham said to his father and his people: Indeed, I am disassociated from that which you worship, except for He who created me, for indeed He will guide me' (Surah Az-Zukhruf: 26-27). And the saying of Allah: 'There has already been for you an excellent pattern in Abraham and those with him, when they said to their people: Indeed, we are disassociated from you and from whatever you worship other than Allah. We have denied you, and there has appeared between us and you animosity and hatred forever until you believe in Allah alone' (Surah Al-Mumtahanah: 4). ¶

Faith in the Islamic religion is the bond in which all human connections and social relationships converge. If the bond of Islam is severed, all other bonds are severed; there is no meeting point thereafter in lineage, marriage, clan, or land. Either there is faith in Allah, and the greatest bond is connected, with all other ties stemming from and converging with it, or there is no faith, and thus no link can exist between one human and another of a different status. ¶

In these verses, there is an indication and a warning that you, O believers, have an excellent model in disassociating from the disbelievers and opposing them—until they believe—if you are followers of the creed of Abraham and those believers with him. Therefore, take the same stance toward the disbelievers as he and those with him took, and manifest enmity toward the disbelievers as they manifested it toward them; they are a model for you, and in them is an excellent example for you. ¶

The thirty-seventh evidence: The saying of Allah the Almighty: 'Allah only forbids you from those...' ¶

Those who fought you over the religion, expelled you from your homes, and assisted in your expulsion; do not take them as allies. And whoever takes them as allies, then it is they who are the wrongdoers (1). And the saying of Allah Almighty: 'O you who have believed, do not make allies of a people with whom Allah has become angry. They have despaired of the Hereafter just as the disbelievers have despaired of the inhabitants of the graves' (2). ¶

In these two verses, Allah (Mighty and Majestic) forbids taking the disbelievers as allies, showing them affection, or supporting them, for that is an act of oppression and contradiction—that a person would combine the love of Allah with the love of those with whom Allah is angry. Indeed, the enmity of one who is an enemy to your Lord, O human, is a motive and a call for you to be hostile towards him. Let us provide an example for this—and to Allah belongs the highest example—if there were a ruler who had a servant, and this ruler showered his servant with many blessings and protected him from much evil, and this ruler had enemies, would it be fitting, according to reason and custom, for this servant to befriend, support, and love the enemy of his master and benefactor? What then if his master forbade him from that in the strongest terms, and ordained that for befriending his enemy, he would inflict upon him the severest types of punishment? And what if this enemy were an enemy to both him and his master simultaneously? Would not one who does that be considered among the wrongdoers? Oppression is a form of shirk (polytheism), for Allah Almighty said: 'Indeed, shirk is a great injustice' (3). Thus, the state of one who takes disbelievers as allies and supports them, while abandoning the alliance and support of Allah, His Messenger, and the believers, is like the state of this servant with his master, and Allah is far higher in rank, more exalted in remembrance, and greater in status than that (4). ¶

The Thirty-eighth Evidence: The saying of Allah Almighty: 'And the disbeliever is ever, against his Lord, an assistant [to Satan]' (5). This verse indicates that the believer is always with Allah against his own self, his desires, his devil, and the enemy of his Lord; this is the meaning of him being part of the party of Allah, His soldiers, and His allies. ¶

Therefore, he is with Allah against the enemies of Allah; he fights them, shows enmity toward them, and hates them for the sake of Allah, just as the king’s close companions are with him in warring against his enemies, whereas those distant from him are neither concerned with him nor do they care about any of that. (1) ¶

Ibn Abi Hatim narrated from 'Ata' ibn Dinar, from Sa'id ibn Jubayr, who said: "The disbeliever is a helper to Satan against his Lord through enmity and polytheism (shirk)." And al-Layth narrated from Mujahid who said: "The disbeliever backs Satan in disobeying Allah and assists him in it." (2) Zayd ibn Aslam said regarding the term 'zahiran' (a helper/backer): meaning a loyal ally to the enemies of Allah, regardless of their type. The meaning is that he allies himself with the enemy of Allah in disobedience to Allah and associating partners with Him; thus, he becomes a helper to the enemy of Allah in matters that incur the displeasure of Allah. (3) ¶

Consequently, the special companionship (ma'iyyah) that the believer has with his Lord becomes, in the case of the disbeliever and the wicked person, a companionship with Satan, the self (nafs), and vain desires. For this reason, Allah began the verse with: "And they worship besides Allah that which neither benefits them nor harms them." (4) This worship is the allegiance (muwalat) that entails love and contentment. However, when it was directed toward that which neither benefits nor harms, this allegiance became an act of backing the enemies of Allah. This quality is among the ten nullifiers of Islam that Shaykh Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab (may Allah have mercy on him) enumerated as causing one to exit the fold of Islam. (5) ¶

From all these evidences, it is established beyond any doubt that the Islam of a Muslim is not valid until he allies himself with Allah, His Messenger, and the believers in speech, action, and belief, and declares his enmity toward the disbelievers in speech, action, and belief as long as they remain in disbelief, and continues upon this belief and action until he meets Allah. ¶

Section Two: Allegiance (Muwala) and Enmity (Mu'ada) in the Prophetic Sunnah ¶

We have already mentioned a portion of the authentic hadiths regarding allegiance and enmity in general, and regarding allegiance to the disbelievers in particular. For fear of prolongation and repetition, we shall limit ourselves in this section to mentioning the hadiths that have not been previously mentioned in this treatise. These hadiths are as follows: ¶

First: Islam has blocked the means leading to allegiance with the Jews and the Christians, as narrated from Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: 'Do not initiate the greeting of peace (Salam) to the Jews and the Christians. And if you meet one of them on a path, force him to the narrowest part of it.' (1) ¶

Al-Nawawi (2) said: The correct view is that it is forbidden to initiate the greeting of peace to them, and the Qadi narrated... ¶

(1) Narrated by Muslim. See: Sahih Muslim (Book of Greetings), Vol. 4, p. 1707. (2) He is Yahya bin Sharaf bin Mari bin Hassan al-Nawawi, al-Shafi'i (Muhyi al-Din, Abu Zakariya). He was a jurist (faqih), hadith scholar (muhaddith), memorizer (hafiz), linguist, and a contributor to various sciences. He was born in Nawa, in the region of Hauran. ¶

A group of scholars holds that it is permissible to initiate the greeting of salam to them (non-Muslims) out of necessity and need, based on the saying of the Prophet (ﷺ): 'O Aisha, indeed Allah loves gentleness in all matters.' (1) ¶

As for what is mentioned in the Hadith regarding forcing them to the narrowest part of the road, the purpose of this is to make them feel humiliation and insignificance due to the disbelief they hold, so that they may either embrace Islam and enter into the honor of the faith, or submit and refrain from causing harm to Islam and the Muslims, or avoid manifesting their hostility such that they join the warring disbelievers in battle. ¶

This constraint and narrowing of the path for them is not absolute; rather, it is conditioned upon not forcing them to fall into a ditch or collide with a wall or the like, because the objective is moral degradation, not physical harm. (2) ¶

Since initiating the greeting of salam to them, or giving them precedence in gatherings and on the road, constitutes an honoring of them and the disbelief they represent, it is contrary to what the Quranic verses indicate in His saying: '...severe against the disbelievers, merciful among themselves' (3), and the saying of Allah: '...and let them find in you harshness' (4). The practitioner of innovation (bid'ah) may be analogized upon this rule. ¶

(Note: The bottom section provides a brief biographical sketch of Imam al-Nawawi, mentioning his studies in Fiqh, Hadith, and Usul, and listing his famous works such as 'Al-Arba'in al-Nawawiyyah', 'Sharh Sahih Muslim', and 'Riyadh al-Salihin'). ¶

Al-Tibi(1) said: The preferred view among the opinions is that one should not initiate the greeting (salam) to a person of innovation (mubtadi'). ¶

Others have said that the prohibition of initiating the salam is to be understood as representing makruh (disliked) rather than haram (forbidden), as the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to reconcile the hearts of the disbelievers with vast amounts of wealth; how then would it be with kind speech(3)? ¶

Therefore, whoever intends by the salam to reconcile their hearts for the sake of calling them to Allah, this is permissible for him. Whoever intends by the salam to be gentle with them in commercial transactions and the like, initiating the salam to them is disliked (makruh). As for the one who initiates the salam to them out of veneration, honoring their status, seeking their pleasure, and loving them, this is haram (forbidden) and contradicts the Quranic verses and the aforementioned hadith(4). It explicitly conflicts with the words of Allah the Almighty: {O you who have believed, do not take My enemies and your enemies as allies, extending to them affection while they have disbelieved in what came to you of the truth}(5). The salam is the motto of affection and its most prominent sign. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: (You will not enter Paradise until you believe, and you will not believe until you love one another. Shall I not direct you to something that, if you do it, you will love one another? Spread the salam among yourselves)(6). ¶

Based on this, greeting the kuffar (disbelievers) with honor, reverence, and as a formal salutation, or seeking their approval, is impermissible, due to the aforementioned verse and the hadith around which the discussion revolves. And since it is established that offering salutations in this manner is forbidden—due to the fear that it leads to mawaddah (affection) and muwalat (allegiance) with the kuffar—what then is the state of those who welcome the killers of Muslims—be they Jews, Christians, or apostates—with embraces and expressions of joy, while their hands are still dripping with the blood of oppressed Muslims? ¶

Indeed, those who meet the kuffar and their likes with cheerfulness and honor, offer them precious gifts and vast sums of wealth, and send them congratulations and messages that exaggerate in praising them and their state of disbelief and misguidance—even on trivial and foolish occasions—must take account of themselves if they wish to follow Islam in a true sense, before the time comes when one says: 'Oh, my regret over what I neglected in regard to Allah, and that I was among the mockers' (Surah Az-Zumar: 56). ¶

Abu Dawud and Ahmad narrated from Buraydah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: 'Do not call the hypocrite a sayyid (master/leader), for if he were a master, you would have angered your Lord, the Almighty and Majestic.' ¶

Second: What was narrated by An-Nasa'i, Al-Bayhaqi, and Ahmad, that Jarir said: 'I came to the Prophet (ﷺ) while he was taking the bay'ah (oath of allegiance). I said: O Messenger of Allah, extend your hand so that I may pledge allegiance to you, and stipulate conditions for me, for you know best. He (ﷺ) said: 'I pledge you to worship Allah, establish prayer, pay zakat, offer sincere advice to the Muslims, and separate from the polytheists.'' ¶

Thirdly: It is narrated from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) that he said: 'Every Muslim is forbidden to another Muslim; they are two brothers and supporters. Allah the Almighty does not accept any deed from a polytheist after he has embraced Islam, until he separates from the polytheists and joins the Muslims.' (1) ¶

Fourthly: It is narrated from Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'A person is upon the religion of his close friend, so let each of you look at whom he takes as a friend.' (2) ¶

Fifthly: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: 'My closest allies (awliya) on the Day of Resurrection will be the pious (muttaqun), even if the lineage of others is closer. Do not let the people come to me with their deeds while you come to me carrying the worldly life upon your necks, saying: "O Muhammad!" I will say: "Like this and like that," and he turned his face away from both sides.' (3) ¶

Sixthly: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: 'The closest of people to me are the pious, whoever they are and wherever they may be.' (4) ¶

This is a summary of the authentic hadiths that have been reported regarding the subject of loyalty (muwalat) and disavowal (mu'adat), in addition to what has been mentioned previously. Below are some hadiths from which support is drawn, and there may be some discussion regarding the chain of narration (isnad) of some of them; they are as follows: ¶

Firstly: Abu Nu'aym narrated in 'Al-Hilyah' from Makhul, from Wathilah ibn al-Asqa' (may Allah be pleased with him) in a marfu' (elevated) report: He said: (A servant will be brought who was righteous in himself and did not think he had any sins. Allah will say to him: 'Did you show loyalty to My allies?' He will say: 'I was at peace with the people!' Allah will say: 'Did you show enmity to My enemies?' He will say: 'O Lord, there was nothing between me and anyone.' Then Allah the Almighty will say: 'My mercy shall not reach the one who did not show loyalty to My allies and enmity to My enemies')(1). This hadith is a warning to those who think they are safe while remaining mere spectators in the struggle between Islam and its people against the forces of kufr (disbelief) and misguidance. It is also a warning to those who do even more than the spectators—those who appease the disbelievers and ally themselves with them, seeing no harm or shame in doing so. As reported from Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her), she said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: (Whoever honors an innovator has helped in the demolition of Islam)(2). ¶

Secondly: It was narrated from Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Umar ibn Hazm, from his father, from his grandfather Amr, that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) wrote for Amir ibn al-Aswad: (In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. This is a document from Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), to Amir ibn al-Aswad al-Muslim. He and his tribe, Tayy, shall retain their lands and water sources upon which they embraced Islam, as long as they establish prayer, pay zakat, and dissociate from the polytheists). It was written by Al-Mughirah and recorded by Abu Musa(3). ¶

Thirdly: What was narrated by Abu Yasir ibn Abi Habba with his chain of authority from Abdullah ibn Ahmad: My father narrated to me, Ismail narrated to us, Sa'id al-Hariri narrated to us from Abu al-'Ala ibn al-Shikhkhir... ¶

(1) See: Tuhfat al-Ikhwan bima ja'a fi al-Muwalah wa al-Mu'adah wa al-Hubb wa al-Bughd wa al-Hijran, by Hammud ibn Abdullah al-Tuwayjiri, p. 38. (2) Narrated by Al-Tabarani, Abu Nu'aym, and others with chains of narration that are disputed, from Abdullah ibn Busr (may Allah be pleased with him) as a marfu' report—however, its meaning is consistent with the general evidence. See: Tuhfat al-Ikhwan, Mahmud al-Tuwayjiri, p. 75. (3) See: Usd al-Ghabah fi Ma'rifat al-Sahabah, by Ibn al-Athir, Vol. 3, p. 77. ¶

He said: We were with Mutarrif at the camel market in al-Rabadha when a Bedouin arrived carrying a piece of parchment and a pouch. He asked, 'Is there anyone among you who can read?' I replied, 'Yes!' I took it and found written on it: '(In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. Separate yourselves from the polytheists, pay the fifth (khums) of your spoils, and acknowledge the share of the Prophet (ﷺ) and his chosen portion (safiy). Thus, you are under the protection of Allah and His Messenger).' (1) ¶

Fourth: It is narrated from Usama bin Zayd (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: 'I entered with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) to visit Abdullah bin Ubayy during his illness. The Prophet (ﷺ) said to him: "I had forbidden you from loving the Jews." Abdullah replied: "Sa'd bin Zurara hated them, and he died."' (2) ¶

Fifth: It is narrated from Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: 'Judge people by their companions.' (3) ¶

Sixth: In the document written by the Prophet (ﷺ) between the Muhajirun and the Ansar, in which he established a peace treaty and covenant with the Jews, there is evidence that the believers must support one another and remain as a united front against those who oppose them. It states: 'Indeed, the righteous believers shall be against whoever among them transgresses or seeks to commit a grave injustice, sin, hostility, or corruption among the believers, and their hands shall all be against him, even if he were the son of one of them. No believer shall kill another believer for the sake of a disbeliever, nor shall he aid a disbeliever against a believer. The protection (dhimmah) of Allah is one; the protection granted by the lowest among them is binding upon all. The believers are allies to one another to the exclusion of other people.' (4, 5) ¶

Seventh: As narrated from Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (ﷺ) said: "Do not associate with anyone but a believer, and let none eat your food but the pious." ¶

Eighth: Imam Ahmad narrated in his Musnad that Asma bint Yazid al-Ansariyyah said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "Shall I not inform you of the best among you?" They replied: "Yes." He said: "The best among you are those who, when seen, remind you of Allah, the Exalted. Shall I not inform you of the worst among you?" They replied: "Yes." He said: "The worst among you are those who spread corruption between friends, those who go about with slander, and those who seek to cause hardship for the innocent." ¶

Based on the aforementioned hadiths, it is confirmed to me that the Muslim is commanded to dissociate from the polytheists, to maintain enmity towards them, and not to show them any appreciation or honor. Respecting them is not permissible except in one case: when a Muslim intends to win their hearts for the sake of calling them to Islam. In such a case, it is permissible to treat them kindly and to appear to have good relations with them, but their love must not enter the heart until they embrace Islam and enter into the ranks of the Muslims. ¶

As for the love for believers and Muslims, and the obligation to support them by word, deed, and belief, the Sunnah has confirmed what the Holy Qur'an has demonstrated: that loyalty (wala') for the sake of Allah and enmity (bara') for the sake of Allah are among the fundamental principles of Islam; one's Islam is not valid without them. Therefore, whoever opposes this has opposed what Allah and His Messenger have established in the Book and the Sunnah regarding the obligation of having loyalty towards the believers and enmity towards the disbelievers. ¶

Section Three: The Sayings of the Pious Predecessors (Salaf al-Salih) regarding Allegiance (Muwala) for the Sake of Allah and Enmity (Mu'ada) for His Sake ¶

First: It is narrated from Ibn Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: 'Seek nearness to Allah by hating the people of disobedience, meet them with sullen faces, seek the pleasure of Allah in their displeasure, and draw closer to Allah by distancing yourselves from them.' ¶

Abu Nu'aym narrated in *Al-Hilya* from Ibn Mas'ud that he said: 'Let none of you blindly imitate...' ¶

(1) He is Abdullah ibn Mas'ud ibn Ghafil, an ally of the Banu Zuhrah. He embraced Islam early on, converting alongside Sa'id ibn Zayd and his wife Fatimah bint al-Khattab before the conversion of Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him). It is reported that he said: 'I saw myself as the sixth of six people; there was no one on earth who was Muslim besides us.' He was the first to recite the Quran aloud in Makkah, performed both migrations (to Abyssinia and Madinah), prayed towards both Qiblas, and witnessed the battles of Badr, Uhud, Khandaq, and the Pledge of Ridwan. He witnessed all the expeditions with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), and it was he who finished off Abu Jahl. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) testified to his entry into Paradise. He died in Madinah in the year 32 AH and was buried in Al-Baqi'. See: *Usd al-Ghabah* by Ibn al-Athir, Vol. 3, pp. 256-260. (2) See: *Tuhfat al-Ikhwan* by Hamud al-Tuwayjiri, p. 56. ¶

In matters of his religion, [if one must follow a man], then follow one who is dead, for the living are not immune from fitnah (trial/temptation).' ¶

Second: It is narrated from Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: 'Every brotherhood is severed except that which is based on something other than greed.' ¶

Third: Abu Nu'aym narrated from Hassan ibn Atiyyah that Abu al-Darda' (may Allah be pleased with him) used to say: 'You will remain in goodness as long as you love your righteous ones, and as long as when the truth is spoken about you, you recognize it; for the one who recognizes the truth is like the one who acts upon it.' ¶

Fourth: Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said: 'If a man stood to worship Allah between the Rukn and the Maqam (at the Kaaba) for seventy years, Allah would still resurrect him on the Day of Resurrection with those whom he loved.' This report aligns with the meaning of the authentic hadith: 'A person will be with whom he loves.' And al-Hasan (may Allah have mercy on him) said: 'Severing ties with the wicked is a means of drawing closer to Allah.' ¶

Fifth: What is depicted for us by the position of Khalid ibn al-Walid (may Allah be pleased with him) with Mujaa'ah... ¶

Ibn Marar al-Hanafi al-Yamami: Inclining toward the people of falsehood and maintaining conciliation with them is equivalent to taking them as allies. Mujaa'ah bin Marar al-Hanafi was from the people of Yamama. He and his father had come to the Prophet (ﷺ) and he was among the leaders of Banu Hanifa, and the Prophet (ﷺ) granted them the lands of al-'Awda, 'Awana, and al-Jabal as an iqta'. Later, when the apostasy (ridda) occurred, Mujaa'ah inclined toward supporting his people who were followers of Musaylima. When Khalid (bin al-Walid) marched toward Yamama after they had apostatized, he sent ahead two hundred horsemen and said, 'Take whomever you find among the people.' They captured Mujaa'ah along with twenty-three men of his people. When they reached Khalid, Mujaa'ah said, 'O Khalid, you know that I came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) during his lifetime and pledged allegiance to him upon Islam, and I am today upon what I was yesterday. If a liar has emerged among us, Allah says: "No bearer of burdens shall bear the burden of another" (Quran 6:164).' Khalid replied, 'O Mujaa'ah, you have abandoned today what you were upon yesterday. You are the most honorable of the people of Yamama; the news of my approach reached you, yet your contentment with the affair of this liar and your silence regarding him was an acknowledgment of him and satisfaction with what he brought. Why did you not offer an excuse and speak out as others did? Thumama ibn Uthal spoke out, refuted, and denounced; the Yashkuri also spoke. If you say you feared your people, why did you not come to me yourself or send a messenger to me?' He replied, 'O Ibn al-Mughira, if you see fit to forgive all of this...' Khalid said, 'I have pardoned your imprisonment (ramak), but I feel a heaviness in my heart for letting you go.' ¶

Sixth: In the year 138 AH, a great conflict arose between two brothers, the Sultan of Syria, al-Malik al-Salih Ismail, and the Sultan of Egypt, al-Malik al-Salih Najm al-Din Ayyub, which resulted in al-Malik al-Salih seeking external assistance. ¶