Q: What are the obligations of Muslims towards nonMuslims, whether they are Dhimmys (protected nonMuslims living under Islamic rule) or living in nonIslamic countries? What is the duty of a Muslim living in a nonIslamic country? I refer to different forms of dealing such as greeting, participating in their celebrations, etc. May I consider them fellow coworkers? Please, advise. May Allah reward you!
A: A Muslim may deal with nonMuslims through many lawful ways: First: Da`wah (calling to Allah) and explaining the truth of Islam to them as much as possible, as this is the greatest favor that could be done by a Muslim to their fellow citizens, whether Jews, Christians or other nonMuslims, according to the saying of the Prophet (peace be upon him), One who guides to something good has a reward similar to that of its doer. Related by Imam Muslim in his Sahih (authentic) Book of Hadith. When the Prophet (peace be upon him) sent `Aly (may Allah be pleased with him) to Khaybar and asked him to invite the people to Islam, he said, "By Allah, if even one person is guided through you, that will be better for you than possessing the most valuable camels." (Agreed upon by Imams AlBukhari and Muslim).The Prophet (peace be upon him) also said, If anyone calls others to follow right guidance, their reward will be equivalent to those who follow him (in righteousness) without their reward being diminished in any respect. If anyone invites others to follow error, their sin will be equivalent to that of the people who follow them (in sinfulness) without their sins being diminished in any respect. Related by Muslim in his Sahih Book of Hadith.Practicing Da`wah and telling the people about Islam is one of the most important duties and one of the best acts that draw one closer to Allah.
Second: It is impermissible to treat a Dhimmy, a Musta'man (nonMuslim with a peace agreement permitting them to enter and stay temporarily in a Muslim country) or a Mu`ahad (nonMuslim in a temporary covenant with Muslims) unjustly regarding their self, property or honor. You should give them their rights without the least wrong in financial matters, whether by theft, betrayal or deception. You should not harm them physically, whether by beating them or otherwise, as being a Dhimmy or a Musta'man protects them.
Third: There is no harm in conducting commercial transactions with them, such as buying, selling and hiring. It is authentically reported from the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) that he bought things from Kafirs (nonMuslims), idol worshippers and Jews. When he (peace be upon him) died, his shield was mortgaged with a Jew in return for food he had bought for his family.
Fourth, you should not initiate greeting. This is according to the saying of the Prophet (peace be upon him), Do not initiate greetings to the Jews or the Christians . Related by Muslim in his Sahih Book of Hadith.He (peace be upon him) also said, When the People of the Book greet you, you should say, "The same to you." A Muslim should not initiate greeting a Kafir, they should only reply saying "The same to you", according to the saying of the Prophet (peace be upon him), When the People of the Book greet you, you should say, "The same to you." (Agreed upon by Imams AlBukhari and Muslim).These are some of the rights that nonMuslims have on Muslims. This also includes the right of being a good neighbor. You should never harm your nonMuslim neighbors but you should give them charity if they are needy, present them with gifts, and advise them. This may be a cause of their being guided to Islam and as our neighbors have rights on us. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, Jibril (Gabriel, peace be upon him) continued to recommend me about treating the neighbors kindly so much so that I thought he would give them the right of inheritance. (Agreed upon by Imams AlBukhari and Muslim).If the neighbor is a nonMuslim, they have the right of kind treatment. If they are relatives, they have a double right: the right of a neighbor and the right of kinship. It is permissible for a Muslim to give Sadaqah (voluntary charity), not Zakah, to a neighbor who is a Kafir, provided that they are not warriors. This is according to Allah's saying, Allâh 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, Allâh loves those who deal with equity. It is also reported in the Sahih Hadith on the authority of Asma' bint Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with her) that her mother came to her in Madinah seeking help at the time of the treaty of AlHudaybiyyah and she was a Mushrik (polytheist). Asma' took the permission of the Prophet (peace be upon him) to maintain ties of kinship with her, and he gave her permission.
There is no harm to give Zakah to AlMu'allafati Qulubuhum (those whose hearts are inclined to Islam) among Kafirs. This is according to Allah's saying, AsSadaqât (here it means Zakât ) are only for the Fuqarâ' (poor), and AlMasâkin (the poor) and those employed to collect (the funds), and to attract the hearts of those who have been inclined (towards Islâm) A Muslim should not take part in their celebrations of their feasts.