BELIEVERS DO NOT BEFRIEND THE DISBELIEVERS Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) said, ﴿لاَّ تَجِدُ قَوْماً يُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الاٌّخِرِ يُوَآدُّونَ مَنْ حَآدَّ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ وَلَوْ كَانُواْ ءَابَآءَهُمْ أَوْ أَبْنَآءَهُمْ أَوْ إِخْوَنَهُمْ أَوْ عَشِيرَتَهُمْ﴾ (You will not find any people who believe in Allah and the Last Day, making friendship with those who oppose Allah and His Messenger, even though they were their fathers or their sons or their brothers or their kindred) (Surah Muhajila 58:22) Meaning, do not befriend the deniers, even if they are among the closest relatives. Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) said, ﴿لاَّ يَتَّخِذِ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ الْكَـفِرِينَ أَوْلِيَآءَ مِن دُونِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَمَن يَفْعَلْ ذَلِكَ فَلَيْسَ مِنَ اللَّهِ فِي شَىْءٍ إِلاَ أَن تَتَّقُواْ مِنْهُمْ تُقَـةً وَيُحَذِّرْكُمُ اللَّهُ نَفْسَهُ﴾ (Let not the believers take the disbelievers as friends 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) (Surah Al Imran 3:28) and, Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) said, ﴿قُلْ إِن كَانَ ءَابَاؤُكُمْ وَأَبْنَآؤُكُمْ وَإِخْوَنُكُمْ وَأَزْوَجُكُمْ وَعَشِيرَتُكُمْ وَأَمْوَلٌ اقْتَرَفْتُمُوهَا وَتِجَـرَةٌ تَخْشَوْنَ كَسَادَهَا وَمَسَـكِنُ تَرْضَوْنَهَآ أَحَبَّ إِلَيْكُمْ مِّنَ اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ وَجِهَادٍ فِي سَبِيلِهِ فَتَرَبَّصُواْ حَتَّى يَأْتِىَ اللَّهُ بِأَمْرِهِ وَاللَّهُ لاَ يَهْدِى الْقَوْمَ الْفَـسِقِينَ ﴾ (Say: If your fathers, your sons, your brothers, your wives, your kindred, the wealth that you have gained, the commerce in which you fear a decline, and the dwellings in which you delight are dearer to you than Allah and His Messenger, and striving hard and fighting in His cause, then wait until Allah brings about His decision (torment). And Allah guides not the people who are the rebellious) (Surah At Tawbah 9:24) Sa`id Bin Abdul Aziz and others said that this Ayah, ﴿لاَّ تَجِدُ قَوْماً يُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الاٌّخِرِ﴾ (You will not find any people who believe in Allah and the Last Day...) was revealed in the case of Abu `Ubaydah `Amir bin `Abdullah bin Al-Jarrah when he killed his disbelieving father, during the battle of Badr. This is why when `Umar bin Al-Khattab placed the matter of Khilafah in the consultation of six men after him, he said; "If Abu `Ubaydah were alive, I would have appointed him the Khalifah.'' It was also said that the Ayah, ﴿وَلَوْ كَانُواْ ءَابَآءَهُمْ﴾ (even though they were their fathers), was revealed in the case of Abu `Ubaydah, when he killed his father during the battle of Badr, while the Ayah, ﴿أَوْ أَبْنَآءَهُمْ﴾ (or their sons) was revealed in the case of Abu Bakr As-Siddiq when he intended to kill his (disbelieving) son, `Abdur-Rahman, (during Badr), while the Ayah, ﴿أَوْ إِخْوَنَهُمْ﴾ (or their brothers) was revealed about the case of Mus`ab bin `Umayr, who killed his brother, `Ubayd bin `Umayr, during Badr, and that the Ayah, ﴿أَوْ عَشِيرَتَهُمْ﴾ (or their kindred) was revealed about the case of `Umar, who killed one of his relatives during Badr, and also that this Ayah was revealed in the case of Hamzah, `Ali and Ubaydah bin Al-Harith. They killed their close relatives `Utbah, Shaybah and Al-Walid bin `Utbah that day. Allah knows best. A similar matter is when Allah's Messenger consulted with his Companions about what should be done with the captives of Badr. Abu Bakr As-Siddiq thought that they should accept ransom for them so the Muslims could use the money to strengthen themselves. He mentioned the fact that the captured were the cousins and the kindred, and that they might embrace Islam later on, by Allah's help. `Umar said, "But I have a different opinion, O Allah's Messenger! Let me kill so-and-so, my relative, and let `Ali kill `Aqil (`Ali's brother), and so-and-so kill so-and-so. Let us make it known to Allah that we have no mercy in our hearts for the idolators.'' Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) said, ﴿أُوْلَـئِكَ كَتَبَ فِى قُلُوبِهِمُ الإِيمَـنَ وَأَيَّدَهُمْ بِرُوحٍ مِّنْهُ﴾ (For such He has written faith in their hearts, and strengthened them with Ruh from Himself) means, those who have the quality of not befriending those who oppose Allah and His Messenger, even if they are their fathers or brothers, are those whom Allah has decreed faith, meaning, happiness, in their hearts and made faith dear to their hearts and happiness reside therein. As-Suddi said that the Ayah, ﴿كَتَبَ فِى قُلُوبِهِمُ الإِيمَـنَ﴾ (He has written faith in their hearts) means, "He has placed faith in their hearts.'' Ibn `Abbas said that, ﴿وَأَيَّدَهُمْ بِرُوحٍ مِّنْهُ﴾ (and strengthened them with Ruh from Himself) means, "He gave them strengths.''

RIBAT FOR THE CAUSE OF ALLAH THE COMMAND OF ALLAH TO PERFORM RIBĀT: Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) said, {O YOU WHO HAVE BELIEVED, PERSEVERE AND OUTLAST (YOUR ENEMY) IN PATIENCE AND PERFORM RIBĀT AND FEAR ALLAH THAT YOU MAY BE SUCCESSFUL} [Surah Āl ‘Imran 3:200] Ibn ‘Abbas (رضي الله عنه) said, “{O YOU WHO HAVE BELIEVED, PERSEVERE} UPON OBEDIENCE TO ALLAH {OUTLAST IN PATIENCE} THE ENEMIES OF ALLAH {AND PERFORM RIBĀT} FOR THE CAUSE OF ALLAH” [Tafsīr Ibn al-Mundhir] Abū ‘Ubaydah Ibn al-Jarrāh wrote to ‘Umar Ibn al-Khattāb (رضي الله عنه), mentioning to him a gathering from the Romans and what was feared from them. So ‘Umar wrote back to him saying, “As to what follows, indeed whatever befalls a believing slave of hardship, Allah brings relief for him after it. Indeed, a hardship will not overwhelm two eases. Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) says in His book, {O YOU WHO HAVE BELIEVED, PERSEVERE AND OUTLAST (YOUR ENEMY) IN PATIENCE AND PERFORM RIBĀT AND FEAR ALLAH THAT YOU MAY BE SUCCESSFUL}” [Surah Āl ‘Imrān 3:200] [Muwatta’ Mālik] Al-Hasan al-Basrī (رحيم الله) said in explanation of the āyah, “HE ORDERED THEM TO BE PATIENT UPON THEIR RELIGION, AND NOT TO ABANDON IT BECAUSE OF HARDSHIP, LUXURY, LEISURE, OR ADVERSITY. HE ORDERED THEM TO OUTLAST THE KUFFĀR IN PATIENCE AND TO PERFORM RIBĀT AGAINST THE MUSHRIKĪN” [Tafsīr at-Tabarī] Zayd Ibn Aslam (رحيم الله) said, “BE PATIENT UPON JIHĀD, OUTLAST YOUR ENEMY IN PATIENCE, AND PERFORM RIBĀT AGAINST YOUR ENEMY” [Tafsīr at- Tabarī] Muhammad Ibn Ka’b al-Quradhī (رحيم الله) said, “{AND PERFORM RIBĀT} AGAINST MY ENEMY AND YOUR ENEMY UNTIL HE ABANDONS HIS RELIGION FOR YOUR RELIGION” [Tafsīr Ibn al-Mundhir] The āyah is a command to perform the well-known ribāt for Allah’s cause at the frontier posts, as it was interpreted by ‘Umar and Ibn ‘Abbās from the Sahābah (رضي الله عنه) and by al-Hasan al- Basrī, Qatādah, Zayd Ibn Aslam, and Muhammad Ibn Ka’b from the Tābi’īn (رحيم الله). As for the hadith reported by Muslim from Abū Hurayrah (رضي الله عنه) in which Rasūlullāh (صلى الله عليه و سلم) said, “SHALL I NOT TELL YOU THAT BY WHICH ALLAH ERASES YOUR MISDEEDS AND RAISES YOUR RANKS? COMPLETING WUDŪ’ DESPITE HARDSHIPS (COLD WEATHER AND MINOR WOUNDS), TAKING MANY STEPS TOWARDS THE MASĀJID (FOR PRAYER), AND WAITING FOR THE NEXT PRAYER AFTER THE PRAYER ENDS. INDEED, THIS (WAITING) IS RIBĀT,” Then the hadith is similar to those ahādīth describing jihād to be exerting oneself in obedience to Allah, hijrah to be abandoning what Allah dislikes, and Islam to be good words and feeding the poor. It doesn’t limit the meaning of ribāt to waiting for prayer nor does its wording indicate that it’s a commentary on the āyah. For this reason, at-Tabarī (رحيم الله) said after quoting the hadith from Abū Hurayrah in his tafsīr, “His statement {and perform ribāt} means ‘perform ribāt for Allah’s cause against your enemies and your religion’s enemies from amongst the people of shirk.’ I consider the linguistic root of ribāt to be binding (irtibāt) the horses in preparation for the enemy just as their enemy binds their horses in preparation for them. The word was then used for every person stationed at the frontier posts defending those behind him throughout the area between him and them – those whom the enemy desires to harm with evil, whether the enemy has horses he has bounded or is on foot without a riding animal for himself. The reason we said that the meaning of {and perform ribāt} is ‘perform ribāt against your enemies and your religion’s enemies’ is because this is the well-known meaning of the meanings of ribāt. Speech should be understood according to the people’s prevalent and well-known usages from amongst its meanings before resorting to the lesser known meanings until a proof comes with something contrary requiring interpretation of the speech according to a lesser known meaning. This proof obligating submission would be a verse from the Qur’ān, a narration from the Messenger (صلى الله عليه و سلم), or ijmā’ (consensus) from the people of tafsīr.” Ibn Qutaybah (رحيم الله) also said, “{AND PERFORM RIBĀT} FOR ALLAH’S CAUSE. AND THE LINGUISTIC BASIS OF MURĀBATAH (RIBĀT) IS A BOND: THAT THESE PEOPLE BIND THEIR HORSES AND THAT THOSE ONES BIND THEIR HORSES AT THE FRONTIER POST. EACH PREPARES FOR HIS COUNTERPART. SO, THE PRESENCE AT THE FRONTIER POSTS WAS NAMED RIBĀT” [Gharīb al-Qur’ān] Many people also don’t realize the difference between ribāt (defending the frontier posts) and hirāsah (guard duty). One might be on ribāt but not on hirāsah, like the murābit at the frontier post sleeping, eating, exercising, talking, reading, or praying before or after his shift for hirāsah. He might be a murābit at the frontier post cooking and cleaning for the other murābitīn, waiting and prepared to defend the front against any attempt by the kuffār to advance, but never having a hirāsah shift due to being needed in another service while on ribāt, as determined by his leaders.

So called Islamic preachers and writers often portray Islam as a religion of peace that teaches Muslims to live with kuffar in peace. Deluded by the open-ended concept of “tolerance,” they cite numerous āyah and ahādīth that – rightfully so – serve to demonstrate that racial hatred has no place in Islam, but they do so for the purpose of advancing an agenda that attempts to “Islamize” more “liberal” concepts that the kuffār apply across the board for achieving evil, such as political pluralism, freedom of religion, and acceptance of sodomites. Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) says: Let not the believers take the disbelievers as Auliya (supporters, helpers) 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. (Surah Al Imran 3:28) In doing so, these “du’āt” seek to encourage the kāfir societies they live in to be more accepting of them, rather than meeting the enmity of the mushrikīn with hatred and disavowal. Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) says: O you who believe! Take not as your advisors, consultants, protectors, helpers, friends those outside your religion 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 verses if you understand (Surah Al Imran 3:118) These “du’āt” ignore misuse the concept of walā’ and barā’ (loyalty and disavowal for the cause of Allah), not bothering to educate their readers of the Muslim’s obligation to reject kufr, separate himself from the kuffār, abandon their lands, harbor enmity and hatred towards them, and wage war against them until they submit to the truth. Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) says: There has already been for you an excellent pattern in Ibrahim 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 60:4) The example of Ibrahim (عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَام) and those with him – meaning the prophets of Allah, as mentioned by the scholars of tafsīr – which was praised by Allah as being an excellent example for us to follow, is for one to be prepared to reject his own people when they fall into kufr and shirk, and not to remain attached to them on account of tribal or blood ties. If this is the case with one’s own people with whom a common lineage is shared, how much more so in the case of those with whom one shares nothing more than a superficial characteristic such as skin color! Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) says: O you who believe! Take not as Auliya' (supporters and helpers) your fathers and your brothers if they prefer disbelief to Belief. And whoever of you does so, then he is one of the Zalimun (wrong-doers) (Surah At Tawbah 9:23) Islamic perspective is to show the importance and significance of walā’ and barā’, and to state in clear and certain way that those who wage war against Islam and the Muslims will not be spared on account of their skin color or ethnicity. Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) says: Those who take disbelievers as allies instead of the believers. Do they seek with them honor [through power]? But indeed, honor belongs to Allah entirely (Surah An Nisa 4:139) The fate of a kāfir waging war against the Muslims is one and the same across the entire racial spectrum – slaughter. The reason for this is simple: A Muslim’s loyalty is determined, not by his skin color, his tribal affiliation, or his last name, but by his faith. He loves those whom Allah loves and hates those whom Allah hates. He forges alliances for the cause of Allah and breaks relations for the cause of Allah. Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) says: O you who believe! Take not My enemies and your enemies as friends, showing affection towards them, while they have disbelieved in what has come to you of the truth, and have driven out the Messenger 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 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 from the Straight Path (Surah Al Mumtahana 60:1) The mufassir of the Ummah, ‘Abdullāh Ibn ‘Abbās (رضي الله عنه) said, “Love for the sake of Allah, hate for the sake of Allah, make allegiance for the sake of Allah, and make enemies for the sake of Allah, for the wilāyah (loving guardianship) of Allah is not attained except by this. One will not find the taste of īmān, even if his prayer and fasting is great, until he is like this”