Is it permissible to say that the Jews and Christians are our brothers?
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Question:
May Allah reward you, Honorable Shaykh. This questioner asks: Is it permissible for us to say to the Jews and Christians that they are our brothers? He cites the saying of Allah the Exalted:[Al-A'raf 7:65] and His saying: [Al-A'raf 7:73], and he says: And by His saying: [An-Najm 53:2], where the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) is called a companion of the disbelievers.
Answer:
This is misguidance. The one who says that the Jews and Christians are our brothers is spreading misguidance, may Allah protect us from that. The Jews and Christians are not our brothers; they are disbelievers. Allah (Exalted and Majestic) says:[Al-Ma'idah 5:51], so they are not our brothers. Our brothers are the believers. Indeed, the believers are brothers. A Muslim is the brother of a Muslim. As for the disbeliever, he is not our brother; rather, we disavow him, even if he is the closest of people to us in lineage. [Al-Mujadila 58:22], [At-Tawbah 9:114]. Allah said: Indeed, there has been for you a good example in Ibrahim and those with him, when they said to their people: "We disavow you and what you worship besides Allah; we disbelieve in you..." [Al-Mumtahanah 60:4] [Al-Mumtahanah 60:4]. And does he say, may Allah grant us well-being, that the Jews and Christians are our brothers? Does he say that we love them because of the brotherhood between us and them? Or does he say that we love for them what we love for ourselves, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Sahih al-Bukhari 13? Does he love for the Jews and Christians what he loves for himself?
If that is the case, then he is one of them:[Al-Ma'idah 5:51]. As for the saying of Allah the Exalted: [Al-A'raf 7:65], "their brother Hud," they said that the intended meaning is brotherhood of lineage, not brotherhood of religion. A disbeliever may be your father, your brother, or your son; the fatherhood, sonship, and lineage-based brotherhood remain. But what is intended now is religious brotherhood. So if a disbeliever is the father of a Muslim by lineage, he is not his father in religion, nor his brother in religion; rather, he is his enemy. There is enmity between them: [Al-Mumtahanah 60:4]. The intended meaning of "brother" by strength of lineage is that he is of their kind, from among humans, and not from among the angels. Ah. This is what "their brother" means.
As for the saying of Allah the Exalted: "Your companion has not gone astray," the "companion" here does not mean the companionship of love and brotherhood. "Your companion" means your Prophet whom Allah sent to you. Is the intended meaning the companionship of love and the companionship of religion? Also, is this address for the disbelievers in general, or for the believers as well? Is this general for the believers and the disbelievers, or perhaps it is specific to the Muslims?
May Allah reward you, Honorable Shaykh. This questioner asks: Is it permissible for us to say to the Jews and Christians that they are our brothers? He cites the saying of Allah the Exalted:
And to the 'Aad [We sent] their brother Hud.
وَإِلَىٰ عَادٍ أَخَاهُمْ هُودًاAnd to the Thamud [We sent] their brother Salih.
وَإِلَىٰ ثَمُودَ أَخَاهُمْ صَالِحًاYour companion [Muhammad] has not strayed, nor has he erred,
مَا ضَلَّ صَاحِبُكُمْ وَمَا غَوَىٰAnswer:
This is misguidance. The one who says that the Jews and Christians are our brothers is spreading misguidance, may Allah protect us from that. The Jews and Christians are not our brothers; they are disbelievers. Allah (Exalted and Majestic) says:
O you who have believed, do not take the Jews and the Christians as allies. They are [in fact] allies of one another. And whoever is an ally to them among you - then indeed, he is [one] of them. Indeed, Allah guides not the wrongdoing people.
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَتَّخِذُوا الْيَهُودَ وَالنَّصَارَىٰ أَوْلِيَاءَ بَعْضُهُمْ أَوْلِيَاءُ بَعْضٍ وَمَن يَتَوَلَّهُم مِّنكُمْ فَإِنَّهُ مِنْهُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الظَّالِمِينَYou will not find a people who believe in Allah and the Last Day having affection for those who oppose Allah and His Messenger, even if they were their fathers or their sons or their brothers or their kindred
لَّا تَجِدُ قَوْمًا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ يُوَادُّونَ مَنْ حَادَّ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ وَلَوْ كَانُوا آبَاءَهُمْ أَوْ أَبْنَاءَهُمْ أَوْ إِخْوَانَهُمْ أَوْ عَشِيرَتَهُمْAnd the request of forgiveness of Abraham for his father was only because of a promise he had made to him. But when it became apparent to Abraham that his father was an enemy to Allah, he disassociated himself from him. Indeed was Abraham compassionate and patient.
وَمَا كَانَ اسْتِغْفَارُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ لِأَبِيهِ إِلَّا عَن مَّوْعِدَةٍ وَعَدَهَا إِيَّاهُ فَلَمَّا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُ أَنَّهُ عَدُوٌّ لِّلَّهِ تَبَرَّأَ مِنْهُ إِنَّ إِبْرَاهِيمَ لَأَوَّاهٌ حَلِيمٌThere has already been for you an excellent pattern in Abraham 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
كَانَتْ لَكُمْ أُسْوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ فِي إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَالَّذِينَ مَعَهُ إِذْ قَالُوا لِقَوْمِهِمْ إِنَّا بُرَآءُ مِنكُمْ وَمِمَّا تَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ كَفَرْنَا بِكُمْand there has appeared between us and you animosity and hatred forever until you believe in Allah alone
وَبَدَا بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَكُمُ الْعَدَاوَةُ وَالْبَغْضَاءُ أَبَدًا حَتَّىٰ تُؤْمِنُوا بِاللَّهِ وَحْدَهُThe Prophet (ﷺ) said, "None of you will have faith till he wishes for his (Muslim) brother what he likes for himself."
صلى الله عليه وسلم لا يؤمن أحدكم حتى يحب لأخيه ما يحب لنفسه،If that is the case, then he is one of them:
And whoever is an ally to them among you - then indeed, he is [one] of them. Indeed, Allah guides not the wrongdoing people.
وَمَن يَتَوَلَّهُم مِّنكُمْ فَإِنَّهُ مِنْهُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الظَّالِمِينَAnd to the 'Aad [We sent] their brother Hud.
وَإِلَىٰ عَادٍ أَخَاهُمْ هُودًاthere has appeared between us and you animosity and hatred
وَبَدَا بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَكُمُ الْعَدَاوَةُ وَالْبَغْضَاءُAs for the saying of Allah the Exalted: "Your companion has not gone astray," the "companion" here does not mean the companionship of love and brotherhood. "Your companion" means your Prophet whom Allah sent to you. Is the intended meaning the companionship of love and the companionship of religion? Also, is this address for the disbelievers in general, or for the believers as well? Is this general for the believers and the disbelievers, or perhaps it is specific to the Muslims?
Source
قناة «العلامة الدكتور صالح الفوزان»، هل يجوز القول بأن اليهود والنصارى إخواننا؟ لمعالي الشيخ صالح الفوزان — youtube.com
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.