# Can a Muslim have a close non-Muslim friend?

*Assim al-Hakeem on non-Muslim friends and their salam*

- URL: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/--pntsar8ck/s/37/
- Date: 2021-02-16 · Kind: lesson · Transcript tier: machine · Recording: Monday Nights with Mufti #202| Q&A Unscripted & Unrestricted! 😉 | Mufti Abu Layth (2:00:50–2:06:20)
- Status: general teaching
- Watch from the start of the segment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--PntsaR8ck&t=7250s
- Recording page: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/--pntsar8ck/

**Topics:** Friendship and social life; Non-Muslim festivals and greetings; Views on contemporary scholars

**Summary (not a quotation; machine-made, unchecked):** Mufti Abu Layth calls the teaching that Muslims cannot have close non-Muslim friends ignorance and venom that makes the deen suffer.

## Longer summary

Mufti Abu Layth plays a clip in which Assim al-Hakeem answers a questioner who has a close non-Muslim friend, now seriously ill and interested in Islam, and asks whether he may return his salam and make dua for his cure. In the clip the shaykh says a Muslim may have a non-Muslim acquaintance or colleague but not a dear friend and confidant, and that a non-Muslim's salam is answered only with a smile, calling this the most authentic opinion. Mufti mocks the clip, punning that his parents named him Hakim but Allah gave him no hikmah, and imitating his 'how can you have a non-Muslim friend'. He then says this is the type of ignorance, hatred and venom that is being spread, that it is why the deen suffers, as people come to think Islam forbids such friendships, and calls it nonsense and a tragedy.

## Sources and names cited

- Assim al-Hakeem
- salam (the greeting of peace)
- dua
- hikmah (wisdom)

## Transcript (machine tier, 2:00:50–2:06:20)

[2:00:11] but then because muthala is haram you're not allowed to pierce the upper part of the ear or body parts if you can do musla here then why can't you do it here [Laughter] i am you see this is the problem this is why the ummah is uh is where it is but i saw that and i thought well i have to share that now since it's so

[2:00:50] um what are the limits right now there's also another one people moving on to the next microscope it just keeps getting the universe keeps giving people the universe keeps giving so what are the right now if i can have after from india my question is that i have a very close non-muslim friend and whenever he met he always used to say [Music] he is suffering from cancer and it's not

[2:01:28] like that that after knowing that he is suffering from cancer he wants to change and he wants to accept islam so i want to know can i answer his salam or in general speaking can i answer salaam of non-muslim okay can i make dua or my salah for him that may allah grant him cure from cancer okay i will answer inshallah the wise the wise is about to part his wisdom

[2:02:06] learn right this is wisdom coming all the way bedouin wisdom tsunami of wisdom is coming your way people after from india he says that he has a very dear friend of his who's a non-muslim esperame

[2:02:43] for listening to such wisdom but hello and this is uh an issue you should look into after you can't have dear friends who are non-muslims because yeah you can't have an acquaintance a colleague at work but not a dear friend whom you hang uh out with and you use him as a confidant you tell him your secrets and you take his counseling no this is not uh recommended so he says that he's sick and he's not sure whether he's interested in islam or not however

[2:03:21] every time he meets uh him he says to aftab assalamu alaikum should i reply to his salaam the answer is no any non-muslim who says loud you simply reply with a smile that's it and you don't complete you don't continue because this is the way of the prophet salallahu this is the most authentic opinion

[2:03:51] from india you you heard that people the wisdom right there pouring forth that it knocked my uh version see this is the problem people you know when you get these uh bedouins oh such an oxymoron that his parents decided to give him the name hakim and allah decided to give him no hikmah

[2:04:29] that's just such that's just like a cruel joke uh that's just cruel don't you think so that's just like uh you know you know so it's it's a shame really it's a shame [Laughter] but here he is sharing any little ounce of wisdom that he can find in the desert amongst the camel study so he said people first of all

[2:05:10] how can you even have a non-muslim friend explain me explain me this one how is possible no is [Laughter] you're muslim how can you have a non-muslim yes you can have an acquaintance you can have a colleague how can you have a friend friend friend friend friend friend kafir

[2:05:39] oh lahi this is the type of ignorance people this is the hatred and the venom the cancer the radioactive toxicity that is being spewed this is why the deen suffers because people they have to learn this kind of stuff and think acha that's what my islam is about then i'm not even allowed to have these friends i should be weary it should be this should be that it's nonsense it is really a tragedy to be honest but it is what it is and right so right

## Cite

Mufti Abu Layth Archive, segment --PntsaR8ck/s/37. https://muftiabulayth.org/r/--pntsar8ck/s/37/

Not a fatwa: these answers were given to specific people at specific times. Ask a qualified scholar about your own situation.