Is It Kufr to Be Kind to Those Who Mock Islam?

Answered by Shaykh Irshaad Sedick

Question

Does Quran 58:22 say that loving, befriending, or showing kindness to people who have mocked Allah, Islam, or the messengers (peace be upon them) is considered disbelief, even if they are relatives? Also, what does Quran 4:140 ask of us?

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Especially Merciful.

No, showing kindness to such people is not disbelief, and neither verse says that it is.

What the Two Verses Mean

Quran 58:22 is about having loving allegiance to those who openly oppose Allah and His Messenger, meaning loving their hostility and being pleased with it. This is what goes against faith.

Natural affection for relatives, good character, giving gifts, and fair treatment are not included in this. Allah (Most High) says: “Allah does not forbid you from dealing kindly and fairly with those who have neither fought nor driven you out of your homes.

Surely Allah loves those who are fair.” [Quran 60:8] The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) also told Asma (Allah be pleased with her) to keep ties with her mother, even though her mother was still a polytheist [Bukhari and Muslim].

Quran 4:140 is about what to do when Allah’s verses are being mocked. You should excuse yourself or change the subject, and come back when the conversation has moved on. The sin is staying and listening to the mockery without concern, but it ends once the mockery stops.

Practical Guidance

Maintain your relationships with these relatives and treat them well; this is an act of worship, not a compromise. Step away only during moments of mockery, doing so respectfully and explaining yourself if it will be understood.

Keep your closest friendships with people of faith, and think carefully about close friendships if mocking religion is a regular habit.

Dislike the act, but hope for the person’s guidance—this is the Prophetic way.

And Allah (Most High) knows best.

[Shaykh] Irshaad Sedick
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Shaykh Irshaad Sedick was raised in South Africa in a traditional Muslim family. He graduated from Dar al-Ulum al-Arabiyyah al-Islamiyyah in Strand, Western Cape, under the guidance of the late world-renowned scholar Shaykh Taha Karaan (Allah have mercy on him), where he taught.

Shaykh Irshaad received Ijaza from many luminaries of the Islamic world, including Shaykh Taha Karaan, Shaykh Muhammad Awama, Shaykh Muhammad Hasan Hitu, and Mawlana Abdul Hafeez Makki, among others.

He is the author of the text “The Musnad of Ahmad ibn Hanbal: A Hujjah or not?” He has been the Director of the Discover Islam Centre, and for six years, he has been the Khatib of Masjid Ar-Rashideen, Mowbray, Cape Town.

Shaykh Irshaad has fifteen years of teaching experience at some of the leading Islamic institutes in Cape Town). He is currently building an Islamic podcast, education, and media platform called ‘Isnad Academy’ and has completed his Master’s degree in the study of Islam at the University of Johannesburg. He has a keen interest in healthy Prophetic living and fitness.