ANSWERS: 23
  • exactly what it says
  • That is a actually common mistranslation, but one that is commonly cited by people trying to perpetuate barriers between the religions. In this case, the Arabic word "Awliya" in Surah 5:51 has been wrongly translated as "friend" whereas the correct word would be "protector". The Koran repeatedly states that the role of protector is God's alone. As a result, many people are under the misconception that this verse commands Muslims to distance themselves from Non-Muslims and to avoid friendship with them. In fact, Islam embraces Christians and Jews as "People of the Book [of God]" and allows for Muslim men to marry Christian or Jewish women if no suitable Muslim women are available. Furthermore, they are NOT required to convert to Islam in order to marry.
  • That’s right. Just as in: "Seek out your enemies relentlessly." (Surah 4:104) “Enemies” has been mistranslated. The verse should properly read “Seek out your enemas (and any other therapies appropriate to you, for Allah is most merciful!). And keep on digging that Religion of Peace. Pull the other one, it’s got a bell on it! Abu Schmabu
  • If "Awliya" really means "protector" as suggested above, then in this context (Muslims love context, so let’s be nice and consider it for them, shall we?), Muslims shouldn’t ask anyone to be their protector, including other Muslims. Thus the sura would make more sense if it read “Believers, take no human beings or animals or rocks or stones for your friends/protectors”. So why does it specify Jews and Christians? The problem with these Muslims isn’t that they’re clever; it’s that they think the rest of us are complete idiots.
  • To me it means that Muslims are extremists and they cannot be trusted.
  • It sounds awfully like the preaching of hatred and discrimination.
  • Let's make this simple. If you want to be friend great. If you want to kill me, I will have to kill you first sorry. How's that?
  • I think that one positive result of the Islamic revival is that more and more non-Muslims are actually picking up the Koran and reading it and finding out for themselves what Islam is really like. Thus you have people who still have their critical faculties going right to source, and discovering this truth… …which is the tragedy of Islam, the only major world religion founded by a truly deplorable human being. I won’t say more – just read the book.
  • first of all the friends word is mistranslated as protectors as specified above. ok let's think of the context placed in the time it was "revealed" or "written" depending on what you believe when the city mecca was pretty much in some deep trouble because jews christians and muslims were all at odds against each other. it was a warning to not trust the hypocrites because they were trying to do each other in. it really isn't fair to think that the verse is condemning christians and jews - they are actually referred to as people of the book in that they follow all the prophets and whatever scripture the prophets had come down with [in the original context] it really is a messy topic, i admit my ignorance to the situation, but the first time i read that verse i was highly offended and i had to do some reading. i think i'll need to follow up on that, but thats what i'd found in a nutshell
  • My first impression upon reading that is passage is beware of labels. Who you ARE is not a label you assign to yourself. So while you may see yourself through the label you identify with, the true believer will see THROUGH the label and accept you as the "child of God" you truly are.
  • It clearly means that Jews and Christians are untrustworthy!
  • Given that it was originally written in Arabic, by translating it into English you could probably make it mean anything you want it to mean to suit your own agenda.
  • actually there are at least 2 very diverse groups of muslims... those who believe in love and mercy. and those who believe in mercy killings. its fairly evenly divided among the 2 camps. unfortunately,even the more peaceful muslims will cover for their strong willed brothers. better the brother i hate, than the infidel i might love.
  • MvL there are some who saw in your question a genuine desire to know or discuss the subject raised in the question and they’ve taken the trouble to provide answers they sincerely believed to be helpful. A good example is the answer posted by Anonymous on Aug 31, 2007 at 11:58 am. However, it is now clear from your own admission “I'm not picking on Muslims specifically… I'm anti-faith” and from your comments and supplementary questions that your intention was neither to find out nor to have a challenging but genuine discussion. You appear to be out to ridicule under your anti-faith banner. Presumably the only belief system that is not subject to your ridicule is your own anti-faith system. In any case, you’re fully entitled to express yourself in whatever way you want, be it wise or not. Here’s another take on the issue which one hopes you will at least read. The person who knows a man’s weaknesses and failings most and is the most capable of bringing him down to earth from any silly ideas he might have is his wife. Yet, when Mohammed’s mission started, at age 40, the first person to believe him was his wife. Most of the rest in his city showed great hostility to his message. He was challenged, ridiculed, threatened with death and had wars of annihilation waged against him and his supporters at every opportunity, yet from this one person (Mohammed) the band of believers grew and has carried on growing to over 1.3 billion Muslims today, spread in every part of the world. The compelling arguments of his message persuaded even some of his bitterest opponents to change sides. Jews, who adamantly rejected Jesus, found themselves not just recognising Jesus but accepting him as the Christ after embracing Islam. Perhaps the following people from DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS, who embraced Islam, were far more gullible than MvL: A JEW who was an ARISTOCRAT and a RABBI in Mohammed's time http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abdullah_ibn_Salam. A WRITER, nearer to our times, who not only embraced Islam but also translated the HQ into English http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marmaduke_Pickthall. A famous BOXER http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muhammad_Ali, A CHRISTIAN PREACHER from Texas http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yusuf_Estes, A POP STAR http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yusuf_Islam, An INTELLECTUAL, lecturer at the prestigious Cambridge University in the UK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timothy_Winter, A woman JOURNALIST captured by the Taliban in Afghanistan http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yvonne_Ridley. More people from OTHER DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS can be found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_converts_to_Islam this of course concerns itself only with the famous cases. For Marmaduke Pickthall to have translated the HQ from the Arabic into English he must have studied it in minute detail and yet surprisingly he failed to see the awful horrors that jump at MvL from the pages of the HQ. You might argue that Pickthall belonged to a different generation, but what about this guy in the video. Which HQ completely transformed him? Can’t be the one MvL uses to get his quotations from, can it? .
  • If true it means as I suspected. Islam.. "not" the religion of peace.
  • I have found that someone has answered the question to my liking - so I have deleted my answer!
  • it means that jews and christians are NOT our friends but our enemies.they despise us
  • I have been accused of not answering the question in the comment at http://www.answerbag.com/a_view/2800699 and I agree and have given my reason why. As Anonymous says in the comments to his top answer (http://www.answerbag.com/a_view/1299697) "the intent of the questioner is to stir up more anti-Muslim sentiment." He's not really interested in an answer. You don't have to be a Muslim to know that Islam promotes peace and friendship. Any fair minded objective study will show you that. A glimpse of his biography would show you that Mohammed joined non Muslims in good works. As the quote in the question is from the HQ let the HQ respond. Muslims were yearning for friendly relations with everybody and HQ 60:7-8 gives them hope saying "It may be that God will grant love (and friendship) between you and those whom ye (now) hold as enemies. For God has power (over all things); And God is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful." The HQ explains the reasons for the limited prohibition in the next verse and tells them that "God forbids you not, with regard to those who fight you not for (your) Faith nor drive you out of your homes, from dealing kindly and justly with them: for God loveth those who are just." This is common sense. You wouldn't seek friendship and protection from those intent on destroying you and driving you out of your homes, would you?
  • A Muslim can marry a Christian or Jewish women whom should be not only a friend but his love and most precious person. Then how do you think he is forbidden from having Christian or Jewish friends????? The meaning here is in the believe, which means: Believer, take neither Jewish nor Christian's (Believe) and go astray from your believe, i.e. Keep your believe pure. Taking one verse and interpret as one wishes doesn't work in Islam. Verses have to be understood in the light of: 1: The context (and whether it's a general rule of just for specific situation) 2: Other verses on the same topic 3: How Mohammad PBUH applied it in his life or sayings 4: The present situation (in a war is mostly different from peace and stuff like that)
  • seems pretty clear to me...but te muslims will try to dance around it..but i think we are all smart enough to understand what dont take them as friends means...
  • Probably the same thing as this, from the Bible: "Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?" 2 Corinthians 6:14
  • This verse is often quoted to indicate that Muslims are not allowed to befriend Non-Muslims. Verses 60:8-9 explain that this is not the case.
  • It is taken out of Context. I can it is written in Quran that you should not pray, but it actually says you should not pray in state of intoxication. Like that you should read the whole translation it says Believers, take neither Jews nor Christians for your friends and Protectors. They are friends and protectors of one and another. Whoever of you seeks their friendship and supports them shall become one of their number. Allah does not guide the wrongdoers. Allah does allow Muslims to befriend a Jew or Christian but it say if you seek their friendship and support them which means if you support their religion you shall become one of them

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