Muslims Cannot Take Non-Believers As Friends

A complete understanding can only be achieved by understanding the whole issue as presented over all the verses and chapters and not by looking at only part of the Quran. Here is a large list of muslim scholars and teachers who have interpreted this verse you quoted: Muhammad Asad LET NOT the believers take those who deny the truth for their allies in preference to the believers - since he who does this cuts himself off from God in everything - unless it be to protect yourselves against them in this way. But God warns you to beware of Him: for with God is all journeys' end. M. Pickthall Let not the believers take disbelievers for their friends in preference to believers. Whoso doeth that hath no connection with Allah unless (it be) that ye but guard yourselves against them, taking (as it were) security. Allah biddeth you beware (only) of Himself. Unto Allah is the journeying. Shakir Let not the believers take the unbelievers for friends rather than believers; and whoever does this, he shall have nothing of (the guardianship of) Allah, but you should guard yourselves against them, guarding carefully; and Allah makes you cautious of (retribution from) Himself; and to Allah is the eventual coming. Yusuf Ali (Saudi Rev. 1985) Let not the believers Take for friends or helpers Unbelievers rather than believers: if any do that, in nothing will there be help from Allah: except by way of precaution, that ye may Guard yourselves from them. But Allah cautions you (To remember) Himself; for the final goal is to Allah. Yusuf Ali (Orig. 1938) Let not the believers Take for friends or helpers Unbelievers rather than believers: if any do that, in nothing will there be help from God: except by way of precaution, that ye may Guard yourselves from them. But God cautions you (To remember ) Himself; for the final goal is to God. Dr. Laleh Bakhtiar Let not the ones who believe take to themselves the ones who are ungrateful for protectors instead of the ones who believe. And whoever accomplishes that is not with God in anything, unless it is because you are Godfearing that you are being cautious towards them. And God cautions you of Himself. And to God is the Homecoming Wahiduddin Khan Let not the believers take those who deny the truth for their allies in preference to the believersanyone who does that will isolate himself completely from Godunless it be to protect yourselves against them in this way.[3] God admonishes you to fear Him: for, to God shall all return. T.B.Irving Believers should not enlist disbelievers as patrons in preference to [other] believers. Anyone who does so will have nothing to do with God, so you should take precautions against them. God warns you about Himself-, for towards God lies the Goal! Abdel Haleem The believers should not make the disbelievers their allies rather than other believers- anyone who does such a thing will isolate himself completely from God- except when you need to protect yourselves from them. God warns you to beware of Him: the Final Return is to God Abdul Majid Daryabadi Let not the believers take unto themselves the infidels as friends, beside the believers: and whosoever doth that, then he is not in respect of Allah in aught, unless indeed ye fear from them a danger. And Allah maketh ye beware of Himself; and unto Allah is the last wending. My references are from actually Muslim scholars, yet yours are from the Quaran and you are relying on your own understanding. However if you really want to know if muslims can have no believer friends, then why don't you ask them directly instead of reading a few versus that you may not understand. I have several muslim friends and I am LDS, they are not as close to me as my LDS friends, not by choice but because we as humans tend to naturally surround ourselves with people of similar ideals and beliefs. This is what the Quaran is saying in the verse you mentioned.