Duties of a Muslim Towards a Non-Muslim

Question: What is the duty of a Muslim towards a non-Muslim, whether he is a dhimmi in a Muslim country or in his own country, and the Muslim is living in the land of that non-Muslim? The duty I would like to have clarified is interactions of all kinds, starting with greeting and ending with celebrating the non-Muslim’s festivals with him. Is it permissible to take him as a friend at work only? Please advise us, may Allaah reward you.

Answer by Sheikh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz رضي اللّه عنـه: Praise be to Allaah. The duty of the Muslim towards a non-Muslim includes a number of things:

Firstly: Da‘wah or calling him to Allaah, سُبحانه وتعالى.

He should call him to Allaah سُبحانه وتعالى and explain to him the reality of Islaam when possible, with regard to whatever issues he has knowledge about, because this is the greatest kindness that he can give to his fellow-citizens and to those whom he meets of Jews, Christians and others who may be Mushrikeen (polytheists), because the Prophet صلّى اللَّهُ عليه وسلّم said:

“The one who guides others to goodness will have a reward like that of the one who does it.”

And he صلّى اللَّهُ عليه وسلّم said to ‘Ali رضي اللّه عنـه, when he sent him to Khaybar and instructed him to call the Jews to Islaam:

“By Allaah, if Allaah were to guide one man through you, that would be better for you than having red camels (the best kind).”

And he صلّى اللَّهُ عليه وسلّم said:

“Whoever calls others to right guidance will have a reward like that of those who follow him, without that detracting from their reward in the slightest.”

So, calling him (the non-Muslim) to Islaam, conveying Islaam to him and being sincere towards him in that are among the best means of drawing close to Allaah.

Secondly: He should not wrong him, with regard to his physical well-being, his wealth or his honour. If he is a dhimmi (non-Muslim living under Muslim rule), musta’man (one who is granted security in a Muslim land) or mu‘aahid (one with whose country the Muslims have a peace deal), then he should give him his due rights, and not transgress against his wealth by stealing, betraying or deceiving, and he should not harm him physically by striking or killing him, because the fact that he is a mu‘aahid or dhimmi, or musta’man, means that he is protected by sharee‘ah.

Thirdly: There is no reason why we should not interact with him, buying, selling, renting, hiring and so on. It is narrated in saheeh reports that the Messenger of Allaah صلّى اللَّهُ عليه وسلّم bought from kuffaar who were idol worshippers, and he bought from the Jews, and these are interactions. When he صلّى اللَّهُ عليه وسلّم died, his shield was being held in pledge by a Jew for some food he had bought for his family صلّى اللَّهُ عليه وسلّم.

Fourthly: With regard to greeting, the Muslim should not initiate the greeting, but he may return it, because the Prophet صلّى اللَّهُ عليه وسلّم said:

“Do not initiate the greeting of salaam with the Jews or Christians.”

And he صلّى اللَّهُ عليه وسلّم said:

“If the people of the Book greet you with salaam (by saying al-salaamu ‘alaykum), say ‘Wa ‘alaykum.’”

So the Muslim should not initiate the greeting to a kaafir, but if the kaafir initiates it, and the Jew or Christians etc. greets you with salaam, then you should say “wa ‘alaykum,” as the Prophet صلّى اللَّهُ عليه وسلّم said.

These are some of the rights between a Muslim and a kaafir.

Another right is being a good neighbour. So if he is a neighbour, be kind to him and do not annoy him; give charity to him if he is poor, give him gifts, give him beneficial advice, because these are things that will attract him to Islaam and to become Muslim; and because the neighbour has rights. The Messenger صلّى اللَّهُ عليه وسلّم said:

“Jibreel kept urging me to be kind to my neighbour until I thought that he would make him my heir.”

{Saheeh – agreed upon.}

If the neighbour is a kaafir, he still has the rights of a neighbour; if he is both a relative and a kaafir, then he has two rights: the rights of a neighbour and the rights of a relative.

One of the rights of the neighbour is that you should give him charity, but not zakaah, if he is poor, because Allaah سُبحانه وتعالى says:

“Allaah does not forbid you to deal justly and kindly with those who fought not against you on account of religion nor drove you out of your homes. Verily, Allaah loves those who deal with equity.”

[al-Mumtahinah 60:8]

According to the Saheeh hadeeth narrated from Asma’ bint Abi Bakr رضي الله عنها, her mother, who was a Mushrik, entered upon her during the truce between the Prophet صلّى اللَّهُ عليه وسلّم and the people of Makkah, seeking help. Asma’ asked the Prophet صلّى اللَّهُ عليه وسلّم  for permission – should she uphold ties of kinship with her? 

The Prophet  صلّى اللَّهُ عليه وسلّم said:

“Uphold ties of kinship with her.”

But with regard to celebrating their festivals, the Muslim should not take part in celebrating their festivals, but there is nothing wrong with offering them condolences if a loved one dies, such as saying “May Allaah compensate you in your loss” and other kind words. But he should not say “May Allaah forgive him” or “May Allaah have mercy on him” if the deceased was a kaafir, and he should not pray for the deceased if he was a kaafir. But he may pray for the one who is alive to be guided and to be compensated and so on.

{From Fataawa Noor ‘ala al-Darb, 1/289-291}

Allaah سُبحانه وتعالى says:

لَا يَنْهَاكُمُ اللَّهُ عَنِ الَّذِينَ لَمْ يُقَاتِلُوكُمْ فِي الدِّينِ وَلَمْ يُخْرِجُوكُم مِّن دِيَارِكُمْ أَن تَبَرُّوهُمْ وَتُقْسِطُوا إِلَيْهِمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُقْسِطِينَ

“Allaah does not forbid you to deal justly and kindly with those who fought not against you on account of religion and did not drive you out of your homes. Verily, Allaah loves those who deal with equity.”

[al-Mumtahinah 60:8]

It was narrated from ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr رضي اللّه عنـه that the Prophet صلّى اللَّهُ عليه وسلّم  said:

“Whoever kills a mu‘aahid (a non-Muslim living under Muslim rule) will not smell the fragrance of Paradise, although its fragrance may be detected from a distance of forty years.”

{Narrated by al-Bukhari, 2995}

The Messenger of Allaah صلّى اللَّهُ عليه وسلّم said:

“If anyone wrongs a Mu‘aahid, detracts from his rights, burdens him with more work than he is able to do or takes something from him without his consent, I will plead for him (the Mu‘aahid) on the Day of Resurrection.”

{Narrated by Abu Dawood, 3052; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood}

It is proven that the Prophet  صلّى اللَّهُ عليه وسلّم said:

“Whoever kills a Mu‘aahid will not smell the fragrance of Paradise.”