EL BAKA'y'S letter OF RECOMMENDATION. 645 
being friends with those who bore arms against you for the sake 
of religion, and who expelled you from your abode, or who 
aided in expelling you." '* Then he held his tongue. So I 
said to him, * Speak 1 do you think that one of these verses 
abrogates the other ? If so, you lie, and are made a liar. Or, 
do you think that one is contradictory to the other, and that 
the contradiction is in the mind of God ? If so, you are a 
fool, and are made a fool of, and lead astray, and are led 
astray. Or do you believe a part of the book and disbelieve 
a part ? If so, you are one of those of whom it is said, Do 
ye believe one part of the book and disbelieve the other ?"t 
If so, you are an unbeliever, crying out against unbelief.' 
Then he asked me to explain to him. So I said, *Let it suf- 
fice you as to this mystery and difficulty, that your head is 
sprinkled with grey, but that you are ignorant of the book of 
your Lord which has been revealed to you, and about the 
Sunna of your Prophet. For the ordinance about the hostile 
unbeliever |, and the unbeliever who is not hostile, is well 
known in the book and in the Sunna. As for the unbe- 
liever who is not hostile, there is no prohibition to treat him 
kindly ; whereas to deal justly with him is a positive duty. 
As for the hostile one, nothing is said about his being treated 
with kindness, therefore kindness to him is not expressly en- 
joined ; but God has only prohibited friendship with him in 
preference to Moslims, or helping him against Moslims. 
But kindness and equity towards an unbeliever who is not 
hostile, is manifestly lawful ; whereas friendship with a hos- 
tile unbeliever is expressly unlawful, and kindness and equity 
towards him are among doubtful duties; and the unbelievers 
who are hostile, or hinderers, or contumacious, belong to one 
class, and are subject to one ordinance ; and with such, affec- 
tion — whatever belongs to intimate friendship — is forbidden* 
This is the law with regard to unbelievers. As for Kitabis, 
* Sur. Ix. 8. t Sur. ii. 79. ^ 
