The West has inherited its political ideas from numerous sources, one of which is Aristotle. Indeed, Aristotle's books of public right, namely his Nicomachean Ethics and his Politics, were part of the Jeffersonian inspiration behind the Declaration of Independence. So much he admitted in his letter to Richard Henry Lee of May 8, 1825.
Now for Aristotle, friendship was both an important individual trait as well as a public trait. The happiness for the individual, that is, his end, Aristotle insisted, is the same as that of the
polis. Indeed, Aristotle conceives of the citizens of a
polis as a body or network of friends, or, perhaps more accurately, of a network of groups of friends, friends who share a common life, friends in which there is no opposition, but rather a commonality of interests. This has to be so since a friend is "another self." In the polity, there "arise . . . family connexions, brotherhoods, common sacrifices, amusements which draw men together. But these are created by friendship, for the will to live together is friendship. The end of the state is the good life, and these are the means to it."
Politics 1280b35. Friendship and justice are all tied to a community: "To the same extent that a community exists, friendship also exists, and likewise justice."
Politics, 1159b29-31; and 1160a7-8. Some degree of friendship must exist for there to be justice. Id. Friends are a practical necessity, since man being neither a god nor a beast, but a "political creature and one whose nature is to live with others." NE, 1169b18;
Politics 1253a2. So important is friendship in the Aristotelian schema, that he views the end of political activity as not being the production of external goods (wealth, income), or power, or other mundane ends.
Rather, the end of political activity, and therefore law, is to enable citizens to live a life of leisure, a life of leisure together as friends, sharing together in activity which is intrinsically and authentically worthwhile.
Friendships reduce disputes and reduce friction, since when citizens are friends, they act disinterestedly toward each other: the opposition and pettiness frequently found in the disputes between "mine" and "thine" is overcome. That is why legislators appear to care more about friendship than about justice, since "when men are friends they have no need of justice." N.E., 1155a26.
Now, assuming that friendship places an important role in civil and political society, what are we to do with Muslims? A Muslim would seem to automatically exclude himself from the category of good citizen since he excludes himself from the category of friendship. A pious, believing Muslim is sworn to be any non-Muslim's enemy, is sworn not to be a non-Muslim's friend. How can the Muslim be invited to be part of the polity, how can he be a good citizen, when his very constitution--the Qur'an and the Sunna--prohibit the very thing needful and precious to a common life?*
What does the Qur'an say?
O you who believe! do not take for intimate friends from among others than your own people; they do not fall short of inflicting loss upon you; they love what distresses you; vehement hatred has already appeared from out of their mouths, and what their breasts conceal is greater still; indeed, We have made the communications clear to you, if you will understand. Qur'an 3:118.
O ye who believe! Take not for friends unbelievers rather than believers: Do ye wish to offer Allah an open proof against yourselves? Qur'an 4:144.
O ye who believe! take not the Jews and the Christians for your friends and protectors: They are but friends and protectors to each other. And he amongst you that turns to them (for friendship) is of them. Verily Allah guideth not a people unjust. Qur'an 5:51
O Ye who believe! Choose not for guardians such of those who received the Scripture before you, and of the disbelievers, as make a jest and sport of your religion. But keep your duty to Allah if ye are true believers. Qur'an 5:57.
There is for you an excellent example (to follow) in Abraham and those with him, when they said to their people: "We are clear of you and of whatever ye worship besides Allah: we have rejected you, and there has arisen, between us and you, enmity and hatred for ever,- unless ye believe in Allah and Him alone": But not when Abraham said to his father: "I will pray for forgiveness for thee, though I have no power (to get) aught on thy behalf from Allah." (They prayed): "Our Lord! in Thee do we trust, and to Thee do we turn in repentance: to Thee is (our) Final Goal. Qur'an 60:4
O ye who believe! Choose not your fathers nor your brethren for friends if they take pleasure in disbelief rather than faith. Whoso of you taketh them for friends, such are wrong-doers. Qur'an 9:23.
You shall not find a people who believe in Allah and the latter day befriending those who act in opposition to Allah and His Messenger, even though they were their (own) fathers, or their sons, or their brothers, or their kinsfolk; these are they into whose hearts He has impressed faith, and whom He has strengthened with an inspiration from Him: and He will cause them to enter gardens beneath which rivers flow, abiding therein; Allah is well-pleased with them and they are well-pleased with Him these are Allah's party: now surely the party of Allah are the successful ones. Qur'an 58:22.
The Ahadith provide no more comfort, and confirm the harsh instructions of the Qur'an. Muhammad had no friends among non-Muslims, and a Muslim is to imitate Muhammad in all things.
'Amr b. 'As reported: I heard it from the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) quite audibly and not secretly: Behold! the posterity of my fathers, that is, so and so, are not my friends. Verily Allah and the pious believers are my friends. Sahih Muslim 1:417.
Narrated AbuSa'id al-Khudri: The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: Associate only with a believer, and let only a God-fearing man eat your meals.
Abu Dawud 41:4814; see also Abu Dawud 41:4832
"O you who believe! Take not my enemies And your enemies as friends offering them (Your) love even though they have disbelieved in that Truth (i.e. Allah, Prophet Muhammad and this Quran) which has come to you." Sahih Bukhari 59:572:1
Muslim scholars echo the instructions of the Qur'an and the acts of Muhammad. For example, we have Ibn Kathir:
Allah forbids His believing servants from having Jews and Christians as friends, because they are the enemies of Islam and its people, may Allah curse them. Allah then states that they are friends of each other and He gives a warning threat to those who do this.
Allah prohibited His believing servants from becoming supporters of the disbelievers, or to take them as comrades with whom they develop friendships, rather than the believers.
. . .
Allah said next, (unless you indeed fear a danger from them) meaning, except those believers who in some areas or times fear for their safety from the disbelievers. In this case, such believers are allowed to show friendship to the disbelievers outwardly, but never inwardly. For instance, Al-Bukhari recorded that Abu Ad-Darda' said, "We smile in the face of some people although our hearts curse them." Al-Bukhari said that Al-Hasan said, "The Tuqyah is allowed until the Day of Resurrection."
Ibn Taymiyah has the following to say about Muslim friendship with non-Muslims:
“Imitation generates friendship and love, and regarding them as allies in the inside, just as loving them on the inside generates imitating them on the outside.” Allah tells us that there is no (true) believer who takes a kafir as a friend, for whoever takes a kaafir as friend is not a believer. Imitation on the outside implies that a person loves (the one whom he imitates), and so it is forbidden.”
We could go on, but you get the point.
It would seem, then, that Muslims--who are taught not to befriend non-Muslims--are, if Aristotle's concepts are to be believed, never to expected to be good citizens of any polity made up to any extent by non-Muslims.
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Source: WikiIslam: Qur'an, Hadith, and Scholars: Friendship with Non-Muslims.
