Is it haraam to have non-Muslim friends?
The Qur'an addresses the issue of friendship with non-Muslims in several verses, indicating that while it is not outright forbidden to associate with them, there are important limitations and considerations.
In Surah Aal-i-Imraan, it states: Let not the believers take disbelievers for their friends in preference to believers.
3:28 This verse emphasizes that believers should prioritize friendships with fellow Muslims over non-believers, especially if such relationships could compromise their faith or community integrity. Ibn Kathir explains that this directive aims to protect believers from potential betrayal and harm that could arise from close alliances with those outside the faith.
Additionally, in Surah Al-Mumtahana, Allah forbids making friends with those who have persecuted Muslims, stating: Allah forbiddeth you only those who warred against you on account of religion and have driven you out from your homes and helped to drive you out, that ye make friends of them.
60:9 This reinforces the idea that friendships should be approached with caution, particularly with those who have demonstrated hostility towards the Muslim community.
Moreover, the verse from Surah Al-Maaida indicates that true belief should reflect in one's choices of companionship: If they believed in Allah and the Prophet and that which is revealed unto him, they would not choose them for their friends.
5:81 This suggests that a believer's choice of friends should align with their faith commitments.
From a hadith perspective, the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ also emphasized the importance of choosing one's companions wisely, stating: A man follows the religion of his close friend, so each of you should consider whom he befriends closely.
Sunan Abu Dawud 43:61
In summary, while it is not strictly haraam to have non-Muslim friends, the guidance from the Qur'an and Hadith suggests that Muslims should be cautious in forming close friendships with them and should prioritize relationships with fellow believers to maintain their faith and community integrity.
Sources
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3:28 · Aal-i-Imraan
3:28 · Muhammad Marmaduke Pickthall
لَّا يَتَّخِذِ ٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ ٱلْكَٰفِرِينَ أَوْلِيَآءَ مِن دُونِ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ ۖ وَمَن يَفْعَلْ ذَٰلِكَ فَلَيْسَ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ فِى شَىْءٍ إِلَّآ أَن تَتَّقُوا۟ مِنْهُمْ تُقَىٰةًۭ ۗ وَيُحَذِّرُكُمُ ٱللَّهُ نَفْسَهُۥ ۗ وَإِلَى ٱللَّهِ ٱلْمَصِيرُ
Let not the believers take disbelievers for their friends in preference to believers. Whoso doeth that hath no connection with Allah unless (it be) that ye but guard yourselves against them, taking (as it were) security. Allah biddeth you beware (only) of Himself. Unto Allah is the journeying.
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60:9 · Al-Mumtahana
60:9 · Muhammad Marmaduke Pickthall
إِنَّمَا يَنْهَىٰكُمُ ٱللَّهُ عَنِ ٱلَّذِينَ قَٰتَلُوكُمْ فِى ٱلدِّينِ وَأَخْرَجُوكُم مِّن دِيَٰرِكُمْ وَظَٰهَرُوا۟ عَلَىٰٓ إِخْرَاجِكُمْ أَن تَوَلَّوْهُمْ ۚ وَمَن يَتَوَلَّهُمْ فَأُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلظَّٰلِمُونَ
Allah forbiddeth you only those who warred against you on account of religion and have driven you out from your homes and helped to drive you out, that ye make friends of them. Whosoever maketh friends of them - (All) such are wrong-doers.
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5:81 · Al-Maaida
5:81 · Muhammad Marmaduke Pickthall
وَلَوْ كَانُوا۟ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِٱللَّهِ وَٱلنَّبِىِّ وَمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْهِ مَا ٱتَّخَذُوهُمْ أَوْلِيَآءَ وَلَٰكِنَّ كَثِيرًۭا مِّنْهُمْ فَٰسِقُونَ
If they believed in Allah and the Prophet and that which is revealed unto him, they would not choose them for their friends. But many of them are of evil conduct.
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Tafsir Ibn Kathir on 3:28
Tafsir Ibn Kathir · 3:28
Allah, Exalted and Glorious, forbids His believing servants from forming close alliances or friendships with disbelievers, and from showing them love behind the backs of the believers. This prohibition is sternly reinforced by the statement: "And whoever does that is not from Allah in any way," meaning that anyone who commits what Allah has forbidden in this regard has disassociated themselves from Allah, as He says elsewhere, addressing the believers: "O you who have believed, do not take the disbelievers as allies instead of the believers. Do you wish to give Allah against yourselves a clear authority?" (Quran 4:144) And He also states: "O you who have believed, do not take the Jews and the Christians as allies. They are allies of one another. And whoever among you takes them as allies is indeed one of them. Indeed, Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people." (Quran 5:51). Similarly, He commands: "O you who have believed, do not take My enemies and your enemies as allies, extending to them affection," and warns, "And whoever does that among you has gone astray from the straight path." (Quran 60:1) Furthermore, after affirming the loyalty among the believers – such as the Muhajirun, Ansar, and the Bedouin Muslims – He clarifies that the disbelievers are allies to one another: "And those who disbelieve are allies of one another. Unless you do so, there will be fitnah (tribulation) and great corruption on earth." (Quran 8:73) Regarding the exception mentioned in the verse – "except that you may fear from them something" – this refers to taqiyya, the practice of outwardly protecting oneself from harm or danger posed by the disbelievers in some regions or times. This allowance is permissible only outwardly, not inwardly or in true loyalty. This is supported by the hadith recorded by al-Bukhari from Abu Darda’, who said, "We show hostility on the faces of some people, yet our hearts curse them." Al-Thawri narrated from Ibn Abbas that taqiyya is not to be manifested through action, but only by the tongue – by words of dissimulation or precaution. This view is also supported by Al-Aufi and other early scholars, such as Abu al-Aliyah, Abu al-Sha’tha, al-Dahhak, and al-Rabi’ ibn Anas. They support their understanding with the verse: "Whoever disbelieves in Allah after his belief, except for one who is forced while his heart remains firm in faith..." (Quran 16:106) Al-Hasan said that taqiyya is allowed until the Day of Judgment. Allah then warns against taking the disbelievers for allies and warns against His own punishment, saying: "And Allah warns you against Himself," meaning He warns you against His wrath, His displeasure, and His severe retribution for those who ally with His enemies and treat His allies as enemies. Finally, Allah reminds that everyone will return to Him: "And to Allah is the final return," meaning that to Him is the ultimate reckoning and the final outcome, and He will recompense all according to their deeds. Ibn Abi Hatim narrated from his chain that Amr ibn Maymun, quoting Mu’adh ibn Jabal, said: "O children of 'Awad, I am a messenger of the Messenger of Allah to you. You know that the final return is to Allah, whether to Paradise or to the Fire."
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Sunan Abu Dawud 43:61
Sunan Abu Dawud · Book 43, Hadith 61 · Narrated by Abu Huraira
The Prophet said: A man follows the religion of his close friend, so each of you should consider whom he befriends closely.
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