Title: Making Friends with the Rejecters against the Believers - Aal Imraan 3: 28 & Al-Nisaa 4: 144 Question: One of the objections raised by Ibn Warraq (http://www.secularhumanism.org/wtc.htm) is that in Al-Nisaa 4: 144 and Aal-Imraan 3: 28, the Qur'an says that Muslims cannot be friends with non-believers. Please explain the referred verse of the Qur'an. Nexus Answer: As I have stated in my earlier responses, all these verses, which direct the Muslims to keep their relations with others in check, clearly relate to a time, when the newly established Muslim state was facing strong opposition from the surrounding populations and a threat of war was lurking in the air. It was in such times that the Qur'an directed the Muslims to be extremely careful in their relations with other people. Furthermore, there are two additional factors, which should be kept in mind, while deriving any conclusions from these verses: Firstly, these verses do not relate merely to non-believers, but, in fact, relates to 'rejecters'. The word used in both these verses is 'Kaafir' , which has been used in the Qur'an for those who reject God's truth, even after it has become absolutely clear to them. Secondly, the relationship prohibited by the referred verse is that of taking the 'rejecters as friends leaving aside the Believers'. This statement clearly implies the restriction on taking the rejecters as friends, against the Believers. Keeping the foregoing explanation in perspective, it is quite clear that the directive entailed in the referred verses is specific to a situation, when Truth and falsehood had become manifest from each other through one of the messengers of God and when the armies of Truth and falsehood were at war with each other. Under these circumstances, the Muslims have been directed to side with the Truth, rather than help the falsehood against the Truth. I hope this helps. Regards, Moiz Amjad October 6, 2001