Take Not The Kuffaar As Friends!

Allah, the Exalted and Most High says: "Let not the believers take the disbelievers as Auliya (supporters, helpers, etc.) instead of the believers, and whoever does that will never be helped by Allah in any way, except if you indeed fear a danger from them. And Allah warns you against Himself (His Punishment), and to Allah is the final return." (3:28) "O you who believe! Take not as (your) Bitanah (advisors, consultants, protectors, helpers, friends, etc.) those outside your religion (Mushrikeen, Kuffaar, Jews, Christians, and hypocrites) since they will not fail to do their best to corrupt you. They desire to harm you severely. Hatred has already appeared from their mouths, but what their breasts conceal is far worse. Indeed We have made plain to you the Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses) if you understand." (3:118) "O you who believe! Take not for Auliya' (protectors or helpers or friends) disbelievers instead of believers. Do you wish to offer Allah a manifest proof against yourselves?" (4:144) "O you who believe! Take not the Jews and the Christians as Auliya' (friends, protectors, helpers, etc.), they are but Auliya' to one another. And if any amongst you takes them as Auliya', then surely he is one of them. Verily, Allah guides not those people who are the Zalimun (polytheists and wrong-doers and unjust)." (5:51) "O you who believe! Take not for Auliya' (protectors and helpers) those who take your religion for a mockery and fun from among those who received the Scripture (Jews and Christians) before you, nor from among the disbelievers; and fear Allah if you indeed are true believers." (5:57) "O you who believe! Take not My enemies and your enemies (i.e. disbelievers and polytheists, etc.) as friends, showing affection towards them, while they have disbelieved in what has come to you of the truth (i.e. Islamic Monotheism, this Quran, and Muhammad SAW), and have driven out the Messenger (Muhammad SAW) and yourselves (from your homeland) because you believe in Allah your Lord! If you have come forth to strive in My Cause and to seek My Good Pleasure, (then take not these disbelievers and polytheists, etc., as your friends). You show friendship to them in secret, while I am All-Aware of what you conceal and what you reveal. And whosoever of you (Muslims) does that, then indeed he has gone (far) astray, (away) from the Straight Path." (60:1) "O you who believe! Take not as friends the people who incurred the Wrath of Allah (i.e. the Jews). Surely, they have been in despair to receive any good in the Hereafter, just as the disbelievers have been in despair about those (buried) in graves (that they will not be resurrected on the Day of Resurrection)." (60:13) Muslims have been instructed not to take disbelievers as their friends. Those who act against this instruction have been sternly warned: Those who take them as friends will find that their bond of love and friendship with Allah has been cut off. Any emotionally involved friendship that comes from the heart is absolutely forbidden (Haraam). However, a formal friendship at the level of mutual dealings is, no doubt, permissible; but, that too is not favoured if unnecessary. (Ma'ariful Qur'an) Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, "Keep only a believer for a companion and let only a pious eat your food.” [At-Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud] This Hadith forbids Muslims from befriending infidels (kaafirs) and stresses that they should establish a bond of friendship and fraternity with the pious persons only. The above Hadith signifies that taking believers for company has good consequences on the Muslim. While feeding only pious people compels the Muslim host to provide only Halal or lawful foodstuff for his household as well as his guests. Abu Hurairah (radiallahu 'anh) reported: I heard the Prophet (sallallahu 'alaihi wasallam) saying, "Man follows his friend's religion, you should be careful who you take for friends." [At-Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud] Abu Musa Al-Ash`ari (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) saying, "The similitude of good company and that of bad company is that of the owner of musk and of the one blowing the bellows. The owner of musk would either offer you some free of charge, or you would buy it from him, or you smell its pleasant fragrance; and as for the one who blows the bellows (i.e., the blacksmith), he either burns your clothes or you smell a repugnant smell." [Al-Bukhari and Muslim] This Hadith enjoins that one should sit in the company of the pious persons and avoid the impious ones because the former has the quality of a perfume seller and the latter of a blacksmith. In the association of pious men, one stands to gain all the time and ultimately becomes like them. In bad company (kuffaar, sinners, etc) one is out-and-out a loser and can never hope to gain any benefit from them. Muslims should also avoid imitating the kuffaar in any way, as the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) has said in another hadeeth, reported by Ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both): “Whoever imitates a people, is one of them.” (Abu Dawood) In another hadeeth, Hadrat 'Abdullah Ibn 'Umar (radiallahu 'anhuma) relates that: "He who imitates the kuffar (non-believers) and dies in that state, he will be raised up with them on the Day of Qiyâmat (Judgement)."