The Ninth Type: Antagonism and Friendship

This means considering the enemies of Allah as protecting friends and the protecting friends of Allah as enemies. Friendship for someone else means to wish for him what you wish for yourself and you hate for him what you hate for yourself.

The meaning of antagonism is that you wish that a loss or a disaster happens for someone or for him to miss the bounty of a goodness. Also, it is that you intend to do this whenever you are able to do so to him without the availability of obstacles. Which means that you wish the victory for a disbeliever or you wish for him to be good.

Imam ‘Izzaddīn, peace be upon him, said: “Know that these two types of friendship and antagonism are from the worst ugliness and greatest scandals.”

●     Regarding the first, which is friendship with the enemies of Allah, it is sufficient for it to be prevented by His saying, exalted be He: {You will not find any people who believe in Allah and the Last Day, having affection for those who oppose Allah and His Messenger, even though they were their fathers, sons, brothers, or kindred} (Q. 58:22) etc. This verse is considered a sufficient preventer and a forbidder for whoever has retaining ears—as it contains denying the true faith for the one who has this kind of behaviour. And Allah, exalted be He, has forbidden, in his Holy Quran, to make friendship with the disbelievers for a relationship or friendship before Islam or any from the other reasons of friendship or kindred. He repeated this several times in the Holy Qur’an.

●     Regarding the second, which is antagonizing the protected friends of Allah, it is considered a great sin and horrible behaviour, as he, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny, said: ((The believer is not considered a believer, except only when wishes for his brother what he wishes for himself and to hate for him what he hates for himself)).

Know that friendship and enmity may happen because of religious reasons, like when he makes friendship with the other because he is from the protected friends of Allah and to antagonize him because he is an enemy to Allah. But if it was not like this, then they happen because of mundane reasons, like he likes to avail him because of a family relationship between them or to get a benefit from him. Or he must wish evil for him because he got hurt by him, and similar things. The forbidden relationship regarding the enemies of Allah is that of religious friendship only. But the mundane friendship is allowed, except what is forbidden according to Islamic Law.

And there are three types of it.

●     The first is to honour him by either calling him with his epithet and to greet and praise him, or doing this by shaking his hands and to set before him or walking behind him. This is according to His saying, exalted be He: {...and let them find harshness in you} (Q. 9:123). It is also to walk to them intending to honour them either by visiting, greeting, saying farewell to him, or to ask something which is related to the walker.

        Allama Ibn Hābis said: “...or when he intends to either enjoy by living with them, near them, or to walk with them.” All of this is indicated in his saying, peace and blessings be upon him and his progeny; ((Whoever walks with an oppressor and he knows that he is an oppressor, then he has repudiated Islam)). Only except he walked to him for a need that is not related to the walker, like to defend an oppressed one, then it is to be allowed. Similar is the case with honouring him for a religious benefit like wishing to guide him by the saying or by the deed.

●     The second type is what is forbidden by Islamic Law like what includes supporting the oppressors and the disobedient people to their injustice and their disobedience. An example would be to urge people (by sermonizing or any things alike to it) to support him in fighting Muslims; or to do a deed like writing for a forbidden tax or similar; or to make instruments for the amusement centres; or to build houses for the sinful deeds and similar deeds.

     Allama Ibn Hābis said: “...and helping him may occur by leaving, like leaving jihad and to leave snubbing whoever neglects it, as if it has an effect in making him stop joining jihad, as living with them affected them, supported them, deceived them and made them think that what they do is right.” All of this of forbidden even if it did not include a honouring. In case of the man was depending on the service of the oppressors and he cannot live and his children cannot live well either, except by serving the oppressors or by writing for their sake, then he must migrate with them. He must stop teaching his children how to write if he surely believed that if they learnt it, they would write on behalf of the oppressors.

●     The third forbidden type is the praying for the disobedient that they will have good in the hereafter. However, it is permissible to ask Allah to give them goodness only in the life of this world, on condition of that this does not cause corruption. The exception is to request the long life for them, which is not allowed.

This is all what is forbidden to be done for the disobedient.

Regarding the antagonizing the believer, it is not allowed neither for mundane nor religious reasons, as long as he is not proven to be disobedient.