I reside in Jordan in a house where most of the residents are Christian brothers. We eat and drink with some of them. Is my prayer and my life with them invalid? I ask the Shaykh for guidance on this.
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The questioner : I reside in Jordan in a house where most of the residents are Christian brothers. We eat and drink with some of them. Is my prayer and my life with them invalid? I ask the Shaykh for guidance on this.
The Shaykh : Before answering his question, I would like to mention a note, hoping that it slipped from his tongue unintentionally, which is his saying: "I live with the Christian brothers". There is absolutely no brotherhood between Muslims and Christians.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Brotherhood is the brotherhood of faith, as Allah Mighty and Majestic said:[Al-Hujurat 49:10] If kinship by blood is negated due to a difference in religion, how can brotherhood be affirmed with a difference in religion and no kinship? Allah Mighty and Majestic said regarding Noah and his son, when Noah (peace be upon him) said: [Hud 11:45-46] So there is no brotherhood between a believer and a disbeliever, ever. Rather, it is obligatory for the believer not to take a disbeliever as a close friend, as Allah the Exalted said: [Al-Mumtahanah 60:1] Who are the enemies of Allah? The enemies of Allah are the disbelievers. Allah the Exalted said: [Al-Baqarah 2:98] And He, Blessed and Exalted is He, said: [Al-Ma'idah 5:51] So it is not permissible for a Muslim to describe a disbeliever, whatever the type of his disbelief, whether he is a Christian, a Jew, a Zoroastrian, or an atheist materialist, as a brother, ever. So beware, my brother, of such an expression. This does not mean that when we say this, if he is truly your brother by blood, his brotherhood is negated; I mean his blood brotherhood. Rather, his blood brotherhood remains if he is your brother, such as being one of your mother's children or one of your father's children. But a brotherhood that creates a bond between you and him is never permissible.
As for the answer to his question: What a person should do is stay away from mixing with non-Muslims. He should stay away from them because mixing with them removes religious zeal from his heart and may lead to affection and love for them. And Allah the Exalted said:[Al-Mujadila 58:22] Yes.
The questioner : This is a message that arrived from Iraq, Babylon, from Muhammad Faisal. He begins his message with "In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful," addressed to the honorable scholars of the program "Light on the Path." I greet you with a good and blessed greeting, and to your program "Light on the Path," for the good and guidance I have found in it in answering the questions of listeners that are difficult for them. I hope you will answer my questions. May Allah reward you.
The Shaykh : Before answering his question, I would like to mention a note, hoping that it slipped from his tongue unintentionally, which is his saying: "I live with the Christian brothers". There is absolutely no brotherhood between Muslims and Christians.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Brotherhood is the brotherhood of faith, as Allah Mighty and Majestic said:
The believers are but brothers
إِنَّمَا الْمُؤْمِنُونَ إِخْوَةٌ"My Lord, indeed my son is of my family; and indeed, Your promise is true; and You are the most just of judges!" (46) He said, "O Noah, indeed he is not of your family; indeed, he is [one whose] work was other than righteous
رَبِّ إِنَّ ابْنِي مِنْ أَهْلِي وَإِنَّ وَعْدَكَ الْحَقُّ وَأَنْتَ أَحْكَمُ الْحَاكِمِينَ * قَالَ يَا نُوحُ إِنَّهُ لَيْسَ مِنْ أَهْلِكَ إِنَّهُ عَمَلٌ غَيْرُ صَالِحٍO you who have believed, do not take My enemies and your enemies as allies, extending to them affection while they have disbelieved in what came to you of the truth
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءامَنُوا لا تَتَّخِذُوا عَدُوِّي وَعَدُوَّكُمْ أَوْلِيَاءَ تُلْقُونَ إِلَيْهِمْ بِالْمَوَدَّةِ وَقَدْ كَفَرُوا بِمَا جَاءَكُمْ مِنَ الْحَقِّWhoever is an enemy to Allah and His angels and His messengers and Gabriel and Michael - then indeed, Allah is an enemy to the disbelievers.
مَنْ كَانَ عَدُوًّا لِلَّهِ وَمَلائِكَتِهِ وَرُسُلِهِ وَجِبْرِيلَ وَمِيكَالَ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ عَدُوٌّ لِلْكَافِرِينَO 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 ءامَنُوا لا تَتَّخِذُوا الْيَهُودَ وَالنَّصَارَى أَوْلِيَاءَ بَعْضُهُمْ أَوْلِيَاءُ بَعْضٍ وَمَنْ يَتَوَلَّهُمْ مِنْكُمْ فَإِنَّهُ مِنْهُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الظَّالِمِينَAs for the answer to his question: What a person should do is stay away from mixing with non-Muslims. He should stay away from them because mixing with them removes religious zeal from his heart and may lead to affection and love for them. And Allah the Exalted said:
You 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. Those - He has decreed within their hearts faith and supported them with spirit from Him. And We will admit them to gardens beneath which rivers flow, wherein they abide eternally. Allah is pleased with them, and they are pleased with Him - those are the party of Allah. Unquestionably, the party of Allah - they are the successful.
لا تَجِدُ قَوْمًا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الآخِرِ يُوَادُّونَ مَنْ حَادَّ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ وَلَوْ كَانُوا ءابَاءَهُمْ أَوْ أَبْنَاءَهُمْ أَوْ إِخْوَانَهُمْ أَوْ عَشِيرَتَهُمْ أُوْلَئِكَ كَتَبَ فِي قُلُوبِهِمُ الإِيمَانَ وَأَيَّدَهُمْ بِرُوحٍ مِنْهُ وَيُدْخِلُهُمْ جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي مِنْ تَحْتِهَا الأَنْهَارُ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ وَرَضُوا عَنْهُ أُوْلَئِكَ حِزْبُ اللَّهِ أَلا إِنَّ حِزْبَ اللَّهِ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَThe questioner : This is a message that arrived from Iraq, Babylon, from Muhammad Faisal. He begins his message with "In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful," addressed to the honorable scholars of the program "Light on the Path." I greet you with a good and blessed greeting, and to your program "Light on the Path," for the good and guidance I have found in it in answering the questions of listeners that are difficult for them. I hope you will answer my questions. May Allah reward you.