Can Muslims keep Non-Muslims as Friends -Zakir Naik

Can Muslims keep Non-Muslims as Friends -Zakir Naik.
There’s a verse in the quran, which many of the muslims. They must understand allah says in the quran in surah an-nisa chapter number 4 verse number 144 where allah says,

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ لاَ تَتَّخِذُواْ الْكَافِرِينَ أَوْلِيَاء مِن دُونِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَتُرِيدُونَ أَن تَجْعَلُواْ لِلّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ سُلْطَانًا مُّبِينًا
O believers! Do not take disbelievers as allies instead of the believers. Would you like to give Allah solid proof against yourselves?

Who believe take not for awliya the unbelievers in preference to the believers and many of the translations. They translate the arabic word awliya as Friends. So the translation reads that oh you who believe do not take for friends unbelievers in preference to believers.
Which i feel it’s the wrong translation. The correct translation is the word awliya should be translated as someone who is a protector.

so the right Translation is you believe do not take from protectors unbelievers in preference to believers.
Who do not take for protectors non-muslims in preference to muslims, and the same message repeated in surah maidah chapter number five
Verse number 57 and 58

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ لاَ تَتَّخِذُواْ الَّذِينَ اتَّخَذُواْ دِينَكُمْ هُزُوًا وَلَعِبًا مِّنَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ الْكِتَابَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ وَالْكُفَّارَ أَوْلِيَاء وَاتَّقُواْ اللّهَ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ
O believers! Do not seek the guardianship of those given the Scripture before you and the disbelievers who have made your faith a mockery and amusement. And be mindful of Allah if you are ˹truly˺ believers.

وَإِذَا نَادَيْتُمْ إِلَى الصَّلاَةِ اتَّخَذُوهَا هُزُوًا وَلَعِبًا ذَلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ قَوْمٌ لاَّ يَعْقِلُونَ
When you call to prayer, they mock it in amusement. This is because they are a people without understanding.

Surah Al-Maidah Verse-57-58

That all you who believe do not take for friends and protectors, those who make a mockery of religion Or take it as a sport. That means all those non-muslims, who take your deen as a mockery or as a sport.

Do not keep friendship with them no go to them for protection.
These verses of the quran are very clear.

But otherwise keeping acquaintanceship with a non-muslim, keeping normal friendship with a non-muslim is no problem at all.
Under normal circumstances we should treat the non-muslims with justice and kindness.

In fact i say we should go a step further, so that they’re impressed with our religion they impressed with our deen.

and you can find several examples in the life history of the prophet muhammad salla allahu alayhi wa sallam.
Several you can give a talk only on giving examples, how the prophet deal with the non-muslims?

And many of us are aware of that incidents, where a non-muslim he enters the mosque of the prophet, and he relates the sabbah irritated.

They want to teach the non-muslim lesson but the prophet he stops them. And he says be calm, get some water and wash the floor that’s it.
We know of the famous incidents whenever prophet muhammed used to walk there was a non-muslim lady. Who used to throw dirt on the prophet muhammad salla allahu alayhi wa sallam Every day whenever used to walk the non-muslim ladies to throw dirt.

One day when the prophet walks below the house of that non-muslim lady No dirt falls on him.
So he’s surprised he goes to a house to find out why was no dirt thrown today and he realizes that.
She was sick and he prays for shifha and that non-muslim lady, she’s so impressed with the prophet that she accepts islam.

Are the example in the cedar of the prophet muhammad salla allahu alayhi wa sallam.

That there was a jew by the name of zed, the prophet had borrowed some money from him, but before the time was due that jew,
He comes to the prophet and he demands for the money back and he’s rude he speaks ruling to the prophet that give my money back.
And the time was not yet up. Hazrat Omar (RA.) he gets angry and he says oh enemy of god had it not been for the treaty between the muslims the jews i would have chopped off your head for speaking to the prophet like that.

Hazrat omar (ra.) we know that he was a man of justice. He gets irritated. How could someone speak to the prophet of allah like that.
The prophet immediately intervenes and he tells hazrat omar (ra.) that be calm.
Hazrat omar (ra.) that give this jew his money back and add to it the amount of 20 gallons. Because you frightened him. Because the hazrat omar (ra.) frightened him.
The man did not have the right to ask the money because the time wasn’t yet up. The time wasn’t due, yet because hazrat omar (ra.) he frightened that non-muslim the prophet said besides giving the money back to him, add 20 gallons worth.

Because he had flighted the jew and alhamdulillah. The jew is impressed with the behavior of the prophet and he accepts islam.

So generally the muslims should be kind and just to the non-muslims. We have to be the right example. So that they realize we are the followers of the religion of peace.

A muslim is a person who acquires peace by submitting his will to allah subhanahu wa ta’ala so as far as general dealing is concerned we have to be kind and just.
But there is a caution, which i always mentioned in my talk.
Whenever i’m dealing with this topic, that keeping non-muslim friends is no problem as long as you are having an influence on that non-muslim.

If it is the vice versa then there is a danger, if the non-muslim friend is having a greater influence on you, then there is a problem. Because whenever There is a relationship between two human beings, and when you keep on meeting very often, no one can tell me that nothing happens.
Either you’re influencing him or he’s influencing you. You can’t say that nothing is happening. So if you’re having influence on him. Alhamdulillah summa alhamdulillah continue the relationship.

So that he understands islam better. But if he’s having an influence on you, then be careful you may follow his path. Which may be wrong.
So here if it’s a relationship, in which your deen is in danger, then i feel you have to discontinue that relationship.

You have to be careful the quran is very Clear as far as protection is concerned, if there are two options believer an unbeliever a believer is preferable at all times the verse says do not take unbelievers for protectors in preference to believers.

So as far as your deen is not in danger and if you are having an influence on the non-muslim alhamdulillah and i have hundreds of non-muslim friends Mashallah. Hundreds hindus christians many.

And almost all that i know, they respect me mashallah. They know that i’m a die i speak about the religion yet alhamdulillah, they respect me.

So as long as you are having influence on them. It’s very good.