Can Muslims be friends with non-Muslims?

The evidence

1. 1

   Quran Al-Mumtahana · 60:8–9

   Allah does not forbid kindness and justice to those who do not fight you; He forbids allying with those who do.

   لَّا يَنۡهَىٰكُمُ ٱللَّهُ عَنِ ٱلَّذِينَ لَمۡ يُقَٰتِلُوكُمۡ فِي ٱلدِّينِ وَلَمۡ يُخۡرِجُوكُم مِّن دِيَٰرِكُمۡ أَن تَبَرُّوهُمۡ وَتُقۡسِطُوٓاْ إِلَيۡهِمۡۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُحِبُّ ٱلۡمُقۡسِطِينَ ۝٨ إِنَّمَا يَنۡهَىٰكُمُ ٱللَّهُ عَنِ ٱلَّذِينَ قَٰتَلُوكُمۡ فِي ٱلدِّينِ وَأَخۡرَجُوكُم مِّن دِيَٰرِكُمۡ وَظَٰهَرُواْ عَلَىٰٓ إِخۡرَاجِكُمۡ أَن تَوَلَّوۡهُمۡۚ وَمَن يَتَوَلَّهُمۡ فَأُوْلَٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلظَّٰلِمُونَ ۝٩

   ⁸ Allah does not forbid you from those who do not fight you because of religion and do not expel you from your homes - from being righteous toward them and acting justly toward them. Indeed, Allah loves those who act justly ⁹ Allah only forbids you from those who fight you because of religion and expel you from your homes and aid in your expulsion - [forbids] that you make allies of them. And whoever makes allies of them, then it is those who are the wrongdoers

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2. 2

   Hadith Sahih al-Bukhari 5979

   Sahih Bukhari

   The Prophet ﷺ told Asma to be good to her non-Muslim mother.

   Narrated Asma':"My mother who was a Mushrikah (pagan, etc.), came with her father during the period of peace pact between the Muslims and the Quraish infidels. I went to seek the advice of the Prophet (ﷺ) saying, "My mother has arrived and she is hoping (for my favor)." The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Yes, be good to your mother

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   العربية

   وَقَالَ اللَّيْثُ حَدَّثَنِي هِشَامٌ، عَنْ عُرْوَةَ، عَنْ أَسْمَاءَ، قَالَتْ قَدِمَتْ أُمِّي وَهْىَ مُشْرِكَةٌ فِي عَهْدِ قُرَيْشٍ وَمُدَّتِهِمْ، إِذْ عَاهَدُوا النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم مَعَ أَبِيهَا، فَاسْتَفْتَيْتُ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقُلْتُ إِنَّ أُمِّي قَدِمَتْ وَهْىَ رَاغِبَةٌ ‏{‏أَفَأَصِلُهَا‏}‏ قَالَ ‏ "‏ نَعَمْ صِلِي أُمَّكِ ‏"‏‏.‏

3. 3

   Hadith Sahih al-Bukhari 1356

   Sahih Bukhari

   The Prophet ﷺ visited a sick Jewish boy who used to serve him.

   Narrated Anas:A young Jewish boy used to serve the Prophet (ﷺ) and he became sick. So the Prophet (ﷺ) went to visit him. He sat near his head and asked him to embrace Islam. The boy looked at his father, who was sitting there; the latter told him to obey Abul-Qasim and the boy embraced Islam. The Prophet (ﷺ) came out saying: "Praises be to Allah Who saved the boy from the Hell-fire

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   العربية

   حَدَّثَنَا سُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ، حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادٌ ـ وَهْوَ ابْنُ زَيْدٍ ـ عَنْ ثَابِتٍ، عَنْ أَنَسٍ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ قَالَ كَانَ غُلاَمٌ يَهُودِيٌّ يَخْدُمُ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَمَرِضَ، فَأَتَاهُ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَعُودُهُ، فَقَعَدَ عِنْدَ رَأْسِهِ فَقَالَ لَهُ ‏"‏ أَسْلِمْ ‏"‏‏.‏ فَنَظَرَ إِلَى أَبِيهِ وَهْوَ عِنْدَهُ فَقَالَ لَهُ أَطِعْ أَبَا الْقَاسِمِ صلى الله عليه وسلم‏.‏ فَأَسْلَمَ، فَخَرَجَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَهْوَ يَقُولُ ‏"‏ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي أَنْقَذَهُ مِنَ النَّارِ ‏"‏‏.‏

4. 4

   Hadith Sahih al-Bukhari 2068

   Sahih Bukhari

   The Prophet ﷺ bought food on credit from a Jew and mortgaged his armour to him.

   Narrated `Aisha:The Prophet (ﷺ) purchased food grains from a Jew on credit and mortgaged his iron armor to him

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   العربية

   حَدَّثَنَا مُعَلَّى بْنُ أَسَدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْوَاحِدِ، حَدَّثَنَا الأَعْمَشُ، قَالَ ذَكَرْنَا عِنْدَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ الرَّهْنَ فِي السَّلَمِ فَقَالَ حَدَّثَنِي الأَسْوَدُ عَنْ عَائِشَةَ ـ رضى الله عنها ـ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم اشْتَرَى طَعَامًا مِنْ يَهُودِيٍّ إِلَى أَجَلٍ، وَرَهَنَهُ دِرْعًا مِنْ حَدِيدٍ‏.‏

5. 5

   Quran Aal-i-Imraan · 3:28

   Believers should not take disbelievers as allies rather than believers.

   لَّا يَتَّخِذِ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنُونَ ٱلۡكَٰفِرِينَ أَوۡلِيَآءَ مِن دُونِ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَۖ وَمَن يَفۡعَلۡ ذَٰلِكَ فَلَيۡسَ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ فِي شَيۡءٍ إِلَّآ أَن تَتَّقُواْ مِنۡهُمۡ تُقَىٰةࣰۗ وَيُحَذِّرُكُمُ ٱللَّهُ نَفۡسَهُۥۗ وَإِلَى ٱللَّهِ ٱلۡمَصِيرُ ۝٢٨

   Let not believers take disbelievers as allies rather than believers. And whoever [of you] does that has nothing with Allah, except when taking precaution against them in prudence. And Allah warns you of Himself, and to Allah is the [final] destination

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6. 6

   Quran Al-Maaida · 5:51

   Do not take the Jews and Christians as allies.

   ۞يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ لَا تَتَّخِذُواْ ٱلۡيَهُودَ وَٱلنَّصَٰرَىٰٓ أَوۡلِيَآءَۘ بَعۡضُهُمۡ أَوۡلِيَآءُ بَعۡضࣲۚ وَمَن يَتَوَلَّهُم مِّنكُمۡ فَإِنَّهُۥ مِنۡهُمۡۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يَهۡدِي ٱلۡقَوۡمَ ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ ۝٥١

   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

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7. 7

   Hadith Sunan Abi Dawud 4833

   Hasan graded by Al-Albani

   A man follows the religion of his friend.

   Narrated AbuHurayrah: The Prophet (ﷺ) said: A man follows the religion of his friend; so each one should consider whom he makes his friend

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   العربية

   حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ بَشَّارٍ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو عَامِرٍ، وَأَبُو دَاوُدَ قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا زُهَيْرُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي مُوسَى بْنُ وَرْدَانَ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏ "‏ الرَّجُلُ عَلَى دِينِ خَلِيلِهِ فَلْيَنْظُرْ أَحَدُكُمْ مَنْ يُخَالِلُ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

8. 8

   Tafsir Al-Mukhtasar fi Tafsir al-Quran · 60:8

   Allah does not prohibit you from those who have not fought you on account of your Islam, and who have not expelled you from your homes, that you be good and fair to them by giving them any right they have against you. An example of this is how Asma bint Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq behaved with her disbelieving mother when she came to visit her after she had taken permission from the Prophet (peace be upon him) for this and he instructed her to join family ties. Allah loves those who are just to themselves, their families and what they are in charge of.

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