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:

Love before Marriage

Imaam Ibnul-Qayyim رحمه الله said:

“And the cure for this deadly illness (i.e. love before marriage) is for the person that is afflicted to realize that this love is only due to his/her own delusions and ignorance.

So, upon such a person is to first and foremost strengthen their Tawheed and reliance upon Allaah, and secondly to increase in worship and busy themselves with it, so much so that they do not have any spare time to let their minds wander and think about their beloved.

The Deen is sincerity

Is such a person not nourished night & day by his Beloved?

Ibnul Qayyim رحمه الله:

“…is such a person not nourished night and day by his Beloved?”

There is an interesting section of ‘Zad al-Ma’ad’ (2/33 of the printing with al-Arna’ut’s checking) where Ibnul Qayyim رحمه الله talks about Sawm al-wisal, which is that the Prophet صلّى اللَّهُ عليه وسلّم would sometimes fast an entire 24-hour day without breaking his fast. When asked by the Companions why he had forbidden them from doing so while he himself would practice it, he replied: “I am not like anyone of you. During the night, my Lord provides me with food and drink.”

Ibnul Qayyim رحمه الله mentions that there are two interpretations to what the Prophet صلّى اللَّهُ عليه وسلّم meant when he said this. The first is that he is literally provided with food and drink, and the second is that he is being nourished spiritually by Allaah. The stronger of the two interpretations is the second, because if the Prophet صلّى اللَّهُ عليه وسلّم was being provided with actual food and drink, he would no longer be fasting at all, let alone continuously.

He then proceeded with a beautiful exposition of how it is that the servant can be nourished by Allaah without eating or drinking anything. Although Ibnul Qayyim رحمه الله wrote this in regards to the Prophet’s continuous fasting, it is something that can actually apply to any fasting person, such as ourselves:

What is Ihsaan?

كَنْزُالأَطْفاَل

(The Children's Treasure)

Taught by: Umm Hyatt al-Ameriki  حفظها الله

LESSON # 11

Q 17)  مَا هُوالإحْسان؟ - What is Ihsaan?

أن تَعْبُدالله:

كَأنَّك تراه *

فإن لم تَكُن تراه فإنَّهُ يَراك *

Answer:  It is to worship Allaah as if you see Him and even if we don't see Him, know that He sees you. Ihsaan has to do with actions that are 'hasan' (good) and perfection within that action. So, Ihsaan is from perfecting your actions (if you made this action good). 

Sheikh A'ala Sheikh حفظه الله mentioned in his book with regards to the explanation of this hadeeth in 'Forty Hadeeth' that every Mu'min (believer), every servant has some level of Ihsaan. He mentioned that no action is considered correct except with the presence of Ihsaan. So, he said every Muslim has a level of Ihsaan.

Read & Download Lesson #11

The Meaning of Worship..

Great blessings from Allaah due to direct consequences of tests & trials!

Ibnul Qayyim رحمه الله said:

…If you ponder Allaah’s wisdom in that with which He tests His slaves and chosen ones, by means of which He directs them to achieve the highest goals and reach the highest positions, which they could not have achieved without these tests and trials… all these tests and trials are in fact a kind of honour, for while they appear to be trials and tests, in fact they are mercy and blessings.

How many great blessings from Allaah are the direct consequences of tests and trials?

Think about the story of our father Adam, and how his test ended with him being chosen and brought close to Allaah, and repenting and being guided and raised in status.

What does external closeness between creatures gradually lead do?

Ibn Taymiyyah said:

“… Allaah fashioned the human, as well as every type of creature, to naturally interact with similar creatures. The closer these two creatures are, the more they will interact and become similar to each other in their manners and characteristics, to the point that one would be unable to distinguish between them except in terms of their physical appearance.

Since human beings are closest to each other, their interaction with and imitation of each other is the strongest. Although not as strong, the closeness of humans to animals is intermediate, and there must be interaction and imitation between them to a certain degree as well. Although extremely weak, there is also a degree of closeness between humans and plants, and there must also be interaction and imitation between them to a certain degree.

The Fitnah of Wealth Is More than the Fitnah of Children

Question posed to Imaam Ibn Baaz رحمه الله: The mentioning of the wealth always come before the mentioning of the children in the Qur'aan although the children are more precious with the parent than his wealth. What is the wisdom behind that?

Answer: The fitnah of the wealth is more (than the fitnah of the children). That is because the wealth aids him upon fulfilling the prohibited desires and other than that. This is different from the children. Indeed it is possible that the parent is tested by them and he disobeys Allaah due to them. However, the fitnah of wealth is greater and more severe. Based upon this, Allaah began with (mentioning) the wealth before the children.

Like in His statement:

وَمَا أَمْوَالُكُمْ وَلَا أَوْلَادُكُم بِالَّتِي تُقَرِّبُكُمْ

“It is not your wealth or your children which gets you closer to Us.”

(Saba 34:37)

“Knowledge searches for action; if it does not find it, it will depart.”

 

Question: What is your advice regarding acting upon knowledge?

Answer by Sheikh Al-‘Uthaimeen رحمه الله : It is mandatory that a person acts upon his knowledge, because the fruit of knowledge is action. If a person does not act upon his knowledge, he will consequently be from amongst the first people to be punished in the fire on the Day of Judgement.

It was mentioned (in lines of poetry):

“The scholar who did not act upon his knowledge will be punished before the worshippers of idols.”

Thus, if a person does not act upon his knowledge, this will lead to failure in knowledge, loss of blessing, and forgetfulness of knowledge.

This is based on the statement of Allaah سُبحانه وتعالى:

فَبِمَا نَقْضِهِم مِّيثَاقَهُمْ لَعنَّاهُمْ وَجَعَلْنَا قُلُوبَهُمْ قَاسِيَةً يُحَرِّفُونَ الْكَلِمَ عَن مَّوَاضِعِهِ وَنَسُواْ حَظًّا مِّمَّا ذُكِّرُواْ بِهِ

'Due to their breach of their covenant, We cursed them and made their hearts grow hard. They change the words from their places and have abandoned a good part of the Message that was sent to them.'

(Al-Maa’idah 5:13)