C H A P T E R V I I
“ M A K E N O F R I E N D S W I T H N O N - M U S L I M S ”
This is the softest of the groups of orders/advises on how Muslims are to think and feel and behave about non-Muslims. But except for chapter III - hate, rape, robbing, enslavement, murder and war - may be the most sad and heartbreaking.
Leaders of ideological groups not infrequently find it wise to keep a distance between their members and the rest of the population - if not the ideology may be influenced - or corrected - by other meanings or by reality. This especially goes for groups on the fringe of what may be the truth or extreme groups - too much contact with “the rest of the world” may disclose that may be the teachings of the groups are questionable or may be the world and people outside the groupe are not as bad as their leaders pretends.
Just look for the (former) communist countries - contact with non-communists were made difficult or even prohibited. And the more rabiat the regime, the more dangerous was/is contact with non-communists. The believing, pure communist of pure Faith, could learn that may be other ideas were not bad - perhaps even more correct than their Faith. And that even everyday life outside in the hell of non-communism frequently was better than the future Communist Paradise.
In some countries “outside” people even were permitted to think for themselves!!
Islam is one of those groups strongly discouraging their members to have contact with people from “the outside”. This includes discouraging - strongly discouraging - ordinary daily contact and friendship with non-Muslims. In the real world it is not possible to omit such things. But keep it at a minimum and only as acquaintances and distant friends.
And do not discuss things too much - you can learn facts that make you question “facts” - especially wrong or questionable “facts” - in Islam. Or points of the ideology - f. ex. the blody or suppressing or spoils-of-war sides of the ideology. Or the hate or rape ideology may be questionable.
The Quran 5/101: “Ask no questions about things which, if made plain to you, may cause you trouble”. Do not talk about things where the truth may conflict with Islam or the not always correct tales of your religious authorities. Muslim imams f. ex. made three of the Muhammad cartoons worse as Muslims in the beginning did not react strongly enough (source: Al Jazeera or El Arabiya - Muslim TV sender!! I saw the program myself - a program about Western media and if Muslim media could learn anything from them, in spite of the Muhammad cartoons (the conclusion from the Muslim journalists was an unanimous YES.)) .
BUT: Make no friends with non-Muslims - at least no close friends - or Allah will punish you.
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Year 614-615 AD (033):
001 25/28: “Ah! Woe is me (Muslim*)! Would that I had never taken such a one (non-Muslim*) for a friend!” It took 4-5 years from Muhammad stated his teachings, till the first time appeared that I can find in the Quran, where Muhammad wants to segregate his group in this way.
002 25/43: “Seest thou (Muslim*) such a one (non-Muslim*) as taketh for his god his own passion (or impulse)? Couldst thou be a disposer of affairs for him?” Of course not.
Year 621 (063):
003 6/68: “- - -sit not thou (Muslim*) in the company of those who do wrong (non-Muslims*)” A very clear order. And a warning of possible social reactions from fellow Muslims.
Year 621 AD (064):
004 28/86: “- - - lend not thou support in any way to those who reject (Allah’s Message).” As clear an order as 6/68 just above.
Year 621 AD (067):
005 11/113: “- - - and incline not to those who do wrong (non-Muslims*), or the Fire (Hell) will size you - - -”. To incline towards non-Muslims is so bad a sin that it gives worse than death penalty.
Year 625-626 AD (094):
006 63/4: “They (hypocrites/non-Muslims, fake Muslims*) are the enemies - - -”. Definitely you should not be friends with people who have said “no, thank you” to Islam.
Year 626 AD (096):
007 4/89: “- - - take no friends from their (hypocrites’/non-Muslims‘*) ranks”. Direct order.
008 4/139: “Yea, to those who take for friends Unbelievers rather than Believers (you will not get honour from Allah*)”
You are permitted to have non-Muslims as friends - in the real world it is impossible to prohibit it - but not close friends. Beware of possibility of social extrication and of punishment from Allah.
009 4/144: “Take not for friends unbelievers rather than believers: do ye wish to offer Allah an open proof against yourselves?” This is really a strong one: To make good friends with non-Muslims is a clear proof that you are not a good Muslim - this even for Allah, not to mention all the Muslim society. This verse may give a strong social pressure NOT to associate with non-Muslims.
Year 627-628 AD (099):
010 58/14: “Turnest thou (good Muslim*) not thy attention to those (bad or careless Muslims*) who turn (in friendship) to such who have the Wrath of Allah upon them (non-Muslims*)?”
That is something you should not do. A good verse for a mullah, a fanatic, an enemy of yours seeking to hurt you, for anybody whishing to launch extrication against anyone - a strong social threat: Do not mingle too much with the bad non-Muslims.
A very likely reason - among others - why Muslims in many cultures do not fit in.
Year 629-630 AD (102):
011 60/1: “Take not my (Allah’s or Muhammad’s - “my” is written with “m”, not “M”*) enemies (non-Muslims*) as friends (or protectors) - - -”. To mingle with non-Muslims may result in ideas or knowledge that is not good for Muslims to have - f. ex. that there are lots of mistakes in the Quran, or that not all non-Muslims are bad.
012 60/1: “And any of you (Muslims*) that does this (making friends with non-Muslims*) has strayed from the Straight Path (Islam*)”. To make friends - at least good friends - with non-Muslims is a sin and a deviation from Islam.
How do you think a verse like this works on the possibility of integration of Muslims in other societies? - or for non-Muslims trying to be integrated in a Muslim society? - or even for contact between Muslims and other people?
013 60/9: “Allah only forbids you - - - from turning to them (non-Muslims striving against you for your faith*) to turn to them (for friendship or protection):” Do not become friends with your opponents and the opponents of Islam.
014 60/13: “Turn not (for friendship) to people on whom is the Wrath of Allah (non-Muslims*):” Plain words for your money.
Year 631 (105)
015 9/16: “- - - take none (no non-Muslim*) for friends and protectors - - -”. It is hardly possible to forbid close contact between Muslims and others in more direct words.
016 9/23: “Take not for protectors your fathers or your brothers if they love infidelity above Faith (= are not good Muslims*)”. My comments under 9/16 just above are wrong. This is even more direct and strict - - - and heartless.
017 9/24: If you love anybody or anything - absolutely anyone - more than Allah and Muhammad (!!), you are at the risk of punishment. This is as bad as Stalin, Hitler, Mao and Pol Pot at their most extreme. And friendly contacts - not to mention friendship - with non-Muslims are gigabytes on the way in direction of Hell.
018 9/114: “- - - he (Abraham - said to be a Muslim*) dissociated himself from him (Abraham’s pagan father*)” Beware that everybody of any positive consequence that the Quran “borrows” from the Bible, is transformed to be a Muslim in the Quran - anyone, even Jesus and Noah and Joseph, and Moses and all the prophets - and Abraham.
Be no friend even with your parents if they are not Muslims!
This is one of the rather sad points of the Quran - even a central point: Islam shall mean so much to you, that if even your closest family - children or parents - do not obey you and become Muslims: Leave them and forget them. Fanatism shall be the norm in Islam.
Similar things are said more places in the Quran - Noah should f. ex. let his son drown, because the son was no Muslim (which Noah was said to be!!). A nice and benevolent and human religion.
Only Islam really can be your closest friend. Nothing and nobody else - except Muhammad - counts.
Year 632 (107):
019 5/51: “Take not the Jews and the Christians (pagans are not even mentioned*) for your friends and protectors.” If people a leader looks upon as (possible) enemies or as possible subjects for attacking and suppression, are made up to look like something bad and deprived and kept at a distance personally, it is much easier for that leader to make his followers believe that “that vermine” deserves to be attacked and killed and raped and suppressed and to have their possessions stolen - especially if the warriors among his followers are permitted to rob and rape and enslave and steal himself valuables and women “justly and right“.
And with no intermingling from the outside the leader also greatly reduces the risk of that his subjects meets unwanted ideas or facts.
Then: No friendship, thank you.
020 5/57: “Take not for friends and protectors those who take your religion for a mockery and a sport - - -”. The words are reasonable - but the main thing is: Do not mingle with people who have other ideas or who know things.
021 5/80: “Thou seest many of them (Muslims?*) turning in friendship to the unbelievers. - - - (with the result) that Allah’s wrath is on them - - -”. Stay away from friendship with non-Muslims. If not Allah will be angry with you. A clear message.
Did anyone say integration in the west is difficult?
022 5/81: “If only they had believed in Allah, in (Muhammad*) - - - never would they (Muslims*) have taken them (non-Muslims*) for friends - - -”.
It is just tragic - most religions are today able to live together in peace and reasonable harmony. But Islam is so bent on hate against all others and on conquering all other religions and suppressing its peoples, that cohabitation is difficult. The only position Islam really wants is superiority.
A fitting last word in this list.
P O S T S C R I P T U M F O R C H A P T E R V I I
Also in this chapter one sees a marked change of the religion in 622 AD. One thing is that there are only five places discouraging friendship with non-Muslims in the some 86 surahs from Mecca covering the first 12 years of Muhammad’s teaching, compared to 17 (if I have found all) in the ca. 22 surahs from Medina covering the last 10 years.
Much more essential is the fact that on average the discouraging became much stricter. Much stricter. And also add chapter III.
One possible reason is Muhammad’s starting robbing and stealing from caravans and preparing for war. A group believing every outsider is an enemy is much easier to incite hate in - and willingness to go to war or terrorism or robbery.
Can a strongly believing conservative Muslim ever really become a good and trusted German citizen? - even if many Muslims liked - and like - Hitler.
Cairo, 7. Dec. 07