O You Who Believe

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"O you who have believed, do not take your fathers or your brothers as allies if they have preferred disbelief over belief. And whoever does so among you – then it is those who are the wrongdoers."

[Surah At-Taubah 9:23]

Allah commands shunning the disbelievers, even if they are one's parents or children, and prohibits taking them as supporters if they choose disbelief instead of faith. Allah warns in another verse:

"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 (people). For such He has written (predetermined) faith in their hearts, and strengthened them with a Ruh (proof, light and true guidance) from Himself. And He will admit them to Gardens (Paradise) under which rivers flow."

[At-Tur 58:22]

Al-Hafiz Al-Bayhaqi recorded that 'Abdullah bin Shawdhab said, "The father of Abu 'Ubaydah bin Al-Jarrah was repeatedly praising the idols to his son on the day of Badr, and Abu 'Ubaydah kept avoiding him. When Al-Jarrah persisted, his son Abu 'Ubaydah headed towards him and killed him. Allah revealed this Ayah in his case.

Allah commanded His Messenger to warn those who prefer their family, relatives or tribe to Allah, His Messenger and Jihad in His cause.

The next verse of Surah Taubah relates to the same matter.

"Say: If your fathers, your sons, your brothers, your spouses, 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 rebellious."

[At-Taubah 9:24]

A believer isn't a true believer if he prefers his fathers, sons, brothers, spouses, kindred, wealth, commerce and dwellings, amassed and collected because they are comfortable and good over Allah, His Messenger (salAllahu alayhi wasallam) and fighting in Allah's cause.

To such people will befall Allah's punishment and torment.

Hazrat Umar (R.A) once heard the Prophet of Allah (salAllahu alayhi wasallam) saying:

"If you transact in 'Iynah (a type of Riba), follow the tails of cows (tilling the land), become content with agriculture and abandoned Jihad, Allah will send on you disgrace that He will not remove until, you return to your religion."

(Abu Dawud)

Allah has clearly distinguished the path of the righteous from that of the wrongdoers and the believers are commanded to stand firm with Allah and His religion even if they have to face enmity from their own relatives. Hence, nothing, for a believer, should be more important than his faith. Not even his family.

Here again, the word 'ally' is used. This concept is mentioned many times in previous chapters as well. To combine with someone means allying with someone. Combination is a mixture. Forming an alliance means oneparty adopts some methods of the other party and the other party does the same.

Before the reveal of Surah Al-Kafirun, the Hindus had offered the Muslims to form an alliance i.e for Muslims to follow some of the Hindus' rituals and ways while Hindus would adopt some of Islamic ways.

The clear reply from Allah came in the following words:

Say, "O disbelievers, I do not worship what you worship. Nor are you worshippers of what I worship. Nor will I be a worshipper of what you worship. Nor will you be worshippers of what I worship. For you is your religion, and for me is my religion."

[Al-Kafirun 109:1-6]

Forming an alliance with the disbelievers is different from just associating with them or engaging in small matters with them out of necessity. It is not forbidden to communicate with the disbelievers; what is prohibited is following or more accurately, obeying them and their ways.

Hence, a believer can keep his ties with his disbelieving relatives but he cannot cross Allah's boundaries by obeying them and following their ways.

A true believer follows Allah and Allah alone.

"It is You we worship and You we ask for help."

[Al-Fatiha 1:5]

Allah then clarifies that those who choose disbelievers over believers are the wrongdoers. Similarly, those who prefer disbelief over belief are the wrongdoers. Allah tells in the next verse that there is no guidance for the transgressors, rebels and disbelievers.

Things we learnt:

> Among believers, it is prohibited to obey and ally with disbelieving people, may they be one's relatives or close ones.

> Those who follow the disbelieving relatives, adopt their ways and abandon their own religion, they are the wrongdoers as well as the transgressors of Allah's limits. And Allah does not like those who transgress.

May Allah guide us to the right path.
Ameen.
Wama alayna illal balaghul mubeen.