یَـٰۤأَیُّهَا ٱلَّذِینَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لَا تَتَّخِذُوا۟ ٱلۡیَهُودَ وَٱلنَّصَـٰرَىٰۤ أَوۡلِیَاۤءَۘ بَعۡضُهُمۡ أَوۡلِیَاۤءُ بَعۡضࣲۚ وَمَن یَتَوَلَّهُم مِّنكُمۡ فَإِنَّهُۥ مِنۡهُمۡۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا یَهۡدِی ٱلۡقَوۡمَ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِینَ

O you who have believed, do not take the Jews and the Christians as allies. They are [in fact] allies of one another. And whoever is an ally to them among you – then indeed, he is [one] of them. Indeed, Allah guides not the wrongdoing people.

5:51

Considering that this ayah deals with a matter of iman and kufr, the definition of “awliya” (translated here as “allies”) deserves attention. Looking at the tafsir of the ayah, it seems that some of the sahaba, radhi Allahu anhum, understood the definition relatively broadly. Ibn Abbas, radhi Allahu anhu, said that to take them as awliya means to seek help or assistance from them.

The tafsir of ibn Kathir, rahimullah, mentions a story about Umar, radhi Allahu anhu. Ibn Abu Hatim recorded that Umar asked Abu Musa al Ash’ari to help with a document, and Abu Musa had a Christian scribe. Umar was impressed with his work so asked Abu Musa to bring him to the masjid to record something else. Abu Musa said he can’t because he is not pure. So Umar realized that he wass Christian, and he became angry and quoted the ayah “O you who believe, do not the Jews and Christians as allies…” and then banished the scribe from Medina. This shows that Umar’s understanding was that to have a Christian employee could fall under the definition of mawala.

It is also related in the tafsir of Tabari, rahimullah, that Harun ibn Ibrahim asked ibn Sirin, rahimullah, about a man who sold his house to a Christian, and ibn Sirin quoted the ayah “O you who have believed, do not take the Jews and Christians as allies…” This attitude is shocking when we consider the depth of dependence of the Muslims on the mushrikeen today. Most Muslim countries have entered into some kind of military defense pact with the kuffar, and depend heavily on them for imports, education, and consulting services.

Muslims living in the West depend entirely on the security and services provided by disbelieving governments. The economic opportunities that are the main attraction for migrating there are also a service provided by the legal framework and trade networks established by the international order of liberalism, which itself depends on subjugating Islam.

The nations that provide the services afforded by this order are attacking Islam and the Muslims on many levels. Some nations, like the United States, are active in bombing, abducting, torturing, and killing Muslims as part of the “war on terror.” Other nations, like Germany and Scandinavia, contribute to the war through social programs that attack Islam by promoting modernist, industrial and post-industrial visions of social relations, and indoctrinating people to believe that un-Islamic values are universal and transcendent.

These imperial programs are part of maintaining the West’s dominance, which is necessary to maintain the level of affluence which makes living in the West desirable for Muslims. In this sense, Muslims living in the West, or those who are beneficiaries of regimes allied with the West, are directly sharing in the profits of a war against Islam. They thus have strong material incentives not to oppose this world order which systematically oppresses and victimizes Muslims and assaults the foundations of Islam.

This is why it’s beneficial to reflect on the fact that the first generations of Muslims feared Allah so much regarding this command that they disliked even to take support and help from Christians and Jews in ways that we regard today as absolutely permissible. Striving to imitate this sentiment will also surely lead to strengthening the bonds of unity between the Muslims and supporting our strength.

To be dependent on someone means that they have power over you, and it’s understood that the Jews and Christians will never cease their opposition to Islam.

وَلَن تَرۡضَىٰ عَنكَ ٱلۡیَهُودُ وَلَا ٱلنَّصَـٰرَىٰ حَتَّىٰ تَتَّبِعَ مِلَّتَهُمۡۗ قُلۡ إِنَّ هُدَى ٱللَّهِ هُوَ ٱلۡهُدَىٰۗ وَلَىِٕنِ ٱتَّبَعۡتَ أَهۡوَاۤءَهُم بَعۡدَ ٱلَّذِی جَاۤءَكَ مِنَ ٱلۡعِلۡمِ مَا لَكَ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ مِن وَلِیࣲّ وَلَا نَصِیرٍ

And never will the Jews or the Christians approve of you until you follow their religion. Say, “Indeed, the guidance of Allah is the [only] guidance.” If you were to follow their desires after what has come to you of knowledge, you would have against Allah no protector or helper.

2:120

Given this reality, we can be absolutely certain that if Jews and Christians gain power over us, they will certainly try to use their power to make us leave Islam. In fact, this dynamic is very visible within Muslim communities in the West, for those who care to see it. As such, when it comes to seeking protection, we must seek it as much possible from those who we know to possess sound Islamic belief, and who wish to support us in living according to the guidance of Islam.