Unbelievers Are Friends of One Another

By Imam Abdullah El-Amin, MMNS

“The unbelieving people are friends and protectors of each other.  Unless you (believers) protect each other, (the unbelievers will cause great persecution and turmoil in the land.”

One thing I have observed through the years is how greedy, envious people eventually start supporting each other.  Even evil, greedy, envious people that don’t like each other are united in their hatred of you (ordinary peace loving Adam).

One of my best friends, Syed Salman, may ALLAH rest his soul, used to tell me of a quote they used to say in India that said in essence, “The enemy of my enemy is my friend.”  Most people striving to be righteous will not collaborate with evil, greedy and envious people to better themselves.  They don’t want to be bothered with either of them.  But these “fire” people have no scruples.  They will support each other even though they know the other of them are liars and wrongdoers.  If they discover someone they don’t like has something against you, they will actually seek them out to come together against you.

They also support one another in their quest to make their blazing fiery mentality dominate over the cool water disposition of Adam.

This happens in organizations, especially religious organizations like mosques and churches, but also in families.  Some members can be scorned by other members yet the scorned ones will try to emulate and even protect the ones scorning them.    All the while, both of them either ignore or try to rule the good people striving to do the right thing.

This behavior has always perplexed me but now this strange phenomenon seems to be getting more common and openly practiced.  These envious, jealous ones used to be more secretive and covert in their activities, but now they are more brazen and open; and don’t seem to care who knows it.

I suppose this is why ALLAH gives us a stern warning about such people.  One of the weaknesses of well-meaning people striving to be righteous is, for the most part, they are not as aggressive as Jinn-minded, fiery people.  What makes Satan such a formidable foe is his relentless pursuit of his aims and plans.  He works extremely hard and focused to accomplish his goals.  He stays up late making phone calls convincing people to look his/her way.  And their aim is to control and rule people and situations.

ALLAH says unless you people striving to be righteous do this as well, there will be much turmoil and oppression in the society.   Why?  Because these fire people do not care about you as a human being.  They only see you as tools to further their ends; something like pawns in a game of chess.

We often question and comment on why the Muslims have not made more progress than we have, in spite of us possessing the last and greatest book of revelation.  It’s because we are too meek and mild trying to be good people.  Many of us utilize too much of the  “water”  we are composed of.  But in the Injeel, John the Revelator said he saw the beast (satan) going down in a “lake of fire.”  You need the cool clean waters of human nature to live by, but you also need to exercise your intelligence and not allow Shaitan to overpower you with his.

“As regards the believing men and the believing women, they are guardians of each other; they enjoin good and forbid evil and keep up prayer and pay the poor-rate, and obey ALLAH and His Messenger.  These people ALLAH will show His mercy; surely ALLAH is Mighty, Wise.”

As Salaam alaikum
(Al Hajj) Imam Abdullah El-Amin

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