Galip Hasan KUŞÇUOĞLU is a living Saint of Allah. He shares his opinions about sufism and Islam on the web site: www.galibi.com. One of the subjects he mostly dwells on, is Surah Al-Maida verse 51. In the verse, we used the word ‘FRIEND’ as the word ‘SAINT’, and because of that wrong meaning, we have made the people of the book our enemies. In general in most purports of Koran, Surah Al-Maida verse 51 is like that:
“O you who believe! Take not the Saints of Jews and Christians for your Saints. Because they are their Saints. Among you who take their Saints as your Saints are from them. ALLAH does not guide the cruels community.”
Galip Efendi tells about this subject in his book ‘The Brothership that We in Need For’(Muhtaç Olduğumuz Kardeşlik) that :
‘Isn’t it a reality that the People of the Scripture who live the Shari’a brought by their Prophets and granted by Allah, had been hurt spiritually and made enemies to Muslims and to Holy Koran by the ones who had externalized the People of the Scripture from Divine Mercy by giving a false meaning to Al- Maida and made them become enemies to Holy Koran, and had caused them to despise Muhammadians. They saw no harm and they had the impudence of showing those kind of meaning distortion in the imaginary and product of egoistic meanings and interpretation as Divine Order.
Isn’t it enough that we insult and impute the People of the Scripture who believes in Eminent Allah by saying giavour, non-muslim and disbeliever to them which is opposite the Divine Order? Have a heart!..
The meaning which the Sufi understands from that verse:“O Believers! Take not the Saints of Jews and Christians for your Saints. Because they are their Saints. (After accepting the subsequent Shari’a, the Saints from the previous Sharias are not the Saints granted from your Shari’a. Be subject to your Saint who has been granted from your Shari’a and who is compatible with the Divine Order and reflects the shari’a granted to you today. If you go back and subject to the subsequent Sharia, you tyrannise your real self) ALLAH does not guide the cruels community.” (Al-Maida, 51)
Here! The meaning which this incapable man of Allah understands…You should know that when you reject Saint and change it with “Friend” which is irrelevant with the meaning, not only you do not reflect the meaning truely but also you contradict with the meaning of Holy Koran!
How will you explain the opposite that Eminent Allah had enlivened the People of the Scripture in Holy Koran with His Mercy? Will you still insist on telling “disbeliever” “giavour” “non-muslim” to the People of the Scripture who believe in ALLAH? How further irregular opinion will continue? Have a Heart on! In order to protect the Shari’a granted to the latest time’s ummah, you have been seized with superior complexity and you have rendered Islam into which position?!.. You can not deny with ignoring!.. Can’t you see that even though the science and power of mankind is not sufficient, communities are surging in crowds to the beauties instinctively?’1
For example someone who is subjet to Muhammadian Shari’a which is the last shari’a, can not be subject to Jewish or Christian Shari’a. He has to be subject to a Saint from his shari’a. Otherwise he victimizes himself.
When we use the word friend instead of Saint in Al-Maida 51, we have considered the people of the scripture enemies, giavour and disbeliever, however the situation of the People of the Scripture in Koran is made clear in these verses:
1-“Those who believe( in the Koran and the Prophets sent before you), Jews, Christians, and Sabaeans; whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day and does what is right; shall be rewarded by their God; no fear shall come upon them, neither shall they regret.” (Al-Baqara, 62)
2-“(Yet) they are not all alike.Among the People of the Scripture there is an upright community who during the night recite the revelations of Allah and fall prostrate before Him.” (Âl-Imran, 113)
“They believe in Allah and the Last Day, and enjoin what is right and forbid what is evil, and vie with one another in good Works.They are of the righteous.” (Âl-Imran, 114)
“And whatever good they do, its reward will not be denied them.Allah is Aware of those who are righteous.” (Âl-Imran, 115)
3-“And there is certainly among the People of the Scripture some who believe in Allah and that which is revealed to you and that which was revealed to them, humbling themselves before Allah.They will not sell the revelations of Allah for a miserable gain! Verily their reward is in the presence of their God; and Allah is Swift in reckoning.” (Âl-Imran, 199)
4-“This day are good things made lawful for you.The food of those who have received the Scripture is lawful for you, and your food is lawful for them. And so are the virtous women of the believers, and the virtous women of the those who received the Scripture before you when you give them their marriage portions and live with them in honour, not in fornication, nor taking them as secret concubines.Whoso denies the faith, his work is vain and in the Hereafter he will be among the losers. (Al-Ma’ida, 5) 5-“Those who believe (in the Koran), and those who are Jews, and Sabeans, and Christians, whoso believes in Allah and the last Day and does right, no fear come upon them, neither shall they grieve.”(Al-Ma’ida, 69)
6-Those who have been expelled unjustly from their homes only for the reason that they said: “Our God is ALLAH”. For had it not been for Allah’s repelling some men by means of others, monasteries churches, synagogues, and mosques, wherein the name of Allah is often mentioned, would have been demolished. Allah will surely help those people who help Him. Truly, Allah is Strong, Almighty. (Al-Hajj, 40)
Galip Efendi in a different section of the same book , tells his those opinions about Al-Maida 51.
The meanings and interpretations which says “Do not make friends from Jews and Christians” are completely against the soul of Koran and Divine Mercy. And it is application is impossible and has brought nothing but enmity between Celestial religions.
Eminene Allah had ordered “Saint” in many places of Koran, who is an inheritor of the Prophets. The word “friend”in Turkish is used in every theme even in illicit matters..However in Arabic; there is no word of “friend”.
Since we have to take a foreign word as they pronounce it because “it does not reflect the same meaning” when it is not found in our language, why don’t we make the same application for “Saint”? In Al-Maida 51., to say “friend” to “Saint” changes the meaning a lot. To exclude Jews and Christians completely, does not suit Allah’s rules and we should not go out the Divine Order by ignoring the verses in Koran which gratify the believers of the People of the Scripture.
Throughout the history we have seen that it is not possible to live by despising the people in other religions and we could not see that. The ones who can not see the realities, who can not get rid of the enthralment of their fleshly feelings and who think that by despising other people they would gain! We can not disregard the misery emerging from that supposition. Please, we should change that kind of belief and attitude. Today much more we are in need for that. It is said that ‘ from wherever the loss you quit, is a profit!.2
By saying ‘friend’ instead of ‘saint’, we do not only see the People of the Book as enemies but also we deny and ignore the existence of the Saint who is the inheritor of the Prophet and has a lofty and spiritual personality. The key word of Al-Maida 51., is ‘Saint’. When we use it with its original meaning in other words in Arabic, the enmity between the People of the Book finishes and the importance of the word ‘Saint’ comes into prominence.
I finish my writing with a statement of Galip Efendi and I entrust you to Allah.
Though Allah priased the ones who had faith in the celestial books and the pages that had come to some prophets in Koran which Allah had granted after about 600 years from Jesus,!.
Isn’t it true that the latest time prophet Eminent Muhammad Mustapha (May Allah’s Mercy and Salaam be on him!) had sometimes made contact with the people of the book?..
Didn’t he assigned a corner of Mescid-i Saadetin (Saadettin Masjid) for them to make ritual?
Didn’t he make people perform a defaulting funeral prayer for christian king of Ethiopia, Neccaşi when
he had departed?
Have a heart!..’3
Foundation Member
1 H. Galip Hasan Kuşçuoğlu, (2010), Muhtaç Olduğumuz Kardeşlik, Uludağ Yay., Bursa, ss.41-43
2 Kuşçuoğlu, a.g.e., ss.166-167.
3 Kuşçuoğlu, a.g.e., s.16.