By Imam Murtadha Gusau
Tuesday, 24/12/2024
In the name of Allah, The Most Merciful, The Most Kind
All perfect praise be to Allah the Lord of the Worlds. May His peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) and upon all his family and companions.
Dear brothers and sisters! Maintaining amicable relations at a time when there are many differences of opinion can be difficult but is not impossible. Religion, inherently known to promote peace and bring mankind together has become one of the biggest causes of disputes since ancient times. It is an undeniable fact that Islam and Muslims receive the most backlash and hostility when it comes to religion-based conflicts. With so many misconceptions about Islam coupled with the rise of Islamophobia, one is bound to feel depressed and wonder how to live peacefully in a society that has people of various religions. The answer to this problem lies in the noble Qur’an and the life of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him).
When Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) began his journey of preaching Islam, he was faced with ridicule and hostility from the non-Muslims. Given that Islam is a religion of compassion and mercy for all people, he was neither discouraged from his purpose nor turned bitter towards non-Muslims when he acquired the upper hand. The Qur’an speaks about Allah’s mercy, but nowhere does it mention that Allah’s mercy is reserved only for the believers; or that as Muslims, we must be kind and merciful only towards Muslims.
Allah’s mercy and compassion encompass the whole of mankind including the non-Muslims, we must be good towards the non-Muslims and treat them with respect. Any Muslim who ill-treats a non-believer has gone against the command of Allah the Almighty. Allah the Most High says:
“And we have sent you (O Muhammad) only as a mercy for the whole mankind.” [Qur’an, 21:107]
And Allah the Most High says:
“Worship Allah alone and associate none with Him. And be kind to parents, relatives, orphans, the poor, near and distant neighbours, close friends, needy travelers, and those bondspeople in your possession. Surely Allah does not like whoever is arrogant, boastful.” [Qur’an, 4:36]
In our day-to-day lives, we come across various people. We have several relationships – friends, family, acquaintances – and it is not necessary, that they all be believers. For situations like these, Islam has shown us how to co-exist peacefully with people of other faiths.
Some reverts have non-Muslim parents and relatives, who are not supportive of them. They may ridicule them for their new Islamic identity or persuade them to leave Islam. Even in such a negative situation, it is imperative upon Muslims to treat them with kindness, compassion, respect, and be dutiful towards them, in the same way they would have behaved had they been Muslims too.
For Allah the Almighty has commanded in the Qur’an to be dutiful and good to one’s parents, and if they force them to worship anyone besides Allah, then do not obey them but behave with them kindly. Allah the Most High says:
“And We have commanded people to honour their parents. Their mothers bore them through hardship upon hardship, and their weaning takes two years. So be grateful to Me and your parents. To Me is the final return. But if they pressure you to associate with Me what you have no knowledge of, do not obey them. Still, keep their company in this world courteously and follow the way of those who turn to Me in devotion…” [Qur’an, 31:14-15]
Asma’u Bint Abubakar (may Allah be pleased with her) said:
“During the period of the peace treaty of Quraish with Allah’s Messenger (Peace be upon him), my mother accompanied by her father came to visit me, and she was a pagan. I consulted Allah’s Messenger (Peace be upon him), “O Allah’s Messenger (Peace be upon him)! My mother has come to me and she desires to receive a reward from me, shall I keep good relationship with her?” He said, “Yes, keep good relation with her.” [Bukhari]
Also being kind to neighbours, irrespective of their religious beliefs, is enjoined upon Muslims, as evident from the following Qur’anic verse:
“…And be kind to … near and distant neighbours…” [Qur’an, 4:36]
It is highly recommended to help and support them in their times of need, speak to them respectfully, and refrain from doing anything that might hurt their sentiments.
Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported:
“The Prophet (Peace be upon him) said, “By Allah, he is not a believer! By Allah, he is not a believer! By Allah, he is not a believer.” It was asked, “Who is that, O Messenger of Allah?” He said, “One whose neighbour does not feel safe from his evil.”
And Allah the Most High commands us to show kindness to the poor. [Qur’an, 4:36]
Islam encourages believers to help the financially weak members of society, as it is a highly rewarding deed. Financially stable believers are commanded to help the poor Muslims by giving them Zakat. Allah the Almighty is Al-Adl – the embodiment of justice – so he also encouraged us believers to help the poor non-Muslims by way of voluntary charity called the sadaqah.
Subhanallah! How just and fair is our Lord! This act of kindness not only shows the real essence of Islam to the non-believers but also helps us earn rewards from Allah the Most High.
Imam Shafi’i said:
“There is nothing wrong with giving charity to a mushrik as a nafilah (supererogatory) action, but he has no right to charity from the obligatory (Zakat). Allah praised people who, as He says, ‘… they give food, in spite of their love for it (or for the love of Him), to the Miskin (the poor), the orphan, and the captive.” [Qur’an, 76:8] [See Kitabul Umm, of Imam Shafi’i]
It was narrated that a Jewish woman came begging to Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) and she gave her something….[Sunan an-Nasa’i]
Islam promotes harmony and peaceful co-existence. As servants of Allah the Most High, it is our duty to live by the commands of our religion, rather than cutting off from society and restricting our interactions with just our Muslim brethren. We are not prohibited from carrying out business dealings with non-Muslims. Instead, we are prohibited from disrespecting or abusing those that they consider as gods. Allah the Most High says:
“˹O believers!˺ Do not insult what they invoke besides Allah or they will insult Allah spitefully out of ignorance. This is how We have made each people’s deeds appealing to them. Then to their Lord is their return, and He will inform them of what they used to do.” [Qur’an, 6:108]
The Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) was known to have visited a sick Jewish boy. [Bukhari] This shows that it is permissible to visit a non-believer in times of his sickness. All of these are only a few examples that illustrate the social aspect of Islam that often goes unnoticed.
Maintaining cordial relations with the non-believers, not disrespecting them, and treating them with kindness was part of Prophet Muhammad’s (Peace be upon him) character. A good Muslim is the one whose character reflects the teachings of the Qur’an and Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him). By treating non-Muslims with respect and kindness, we not only help maintain the peace of the society we live in, but also show them the real picture of Islam which has been maligned by the media and enemies of Islam.
Respected brothers and sisters! Here are some Prophetic Hadiths on how to deal with non-Muslims in our life:
- Asma’u Bint Abubakar As-Siddiq (May Allah be pleased with her) said: “My mother came to me while she was still a polytheist, so I asked the Messenger of Allah, ‘My mother, has come to visit me and she is hoping for (my favour). Shall I maintain good relations with her?’ He (Peace be upon him) replied, ‘Yes, maintain good relations with your mother.’” [Bukhari and Muslim]
- Narrated Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him): At-Tufail Ibn Amr came to the Prophet (Peace be upon him) and said, ‘The Daws (tribe) have perished as they disobeyed and refused to accept Islam. So invoke Allah against them.’ But the Prophet (Peace be upon him) said, ‘O Allah! Give guidance to [the tribe of] Daws and bring them [as Muslims]!’” [Bukhari]
- Narrated Ibn Umar: Umar saw a silken cloak for sale draped over a man and requested the Prophet (Peace be upon him) to buy it in order to wear it on Fridays and while meeting delegates. The Prophet (Peace be upon him) said, ‘This is worn by the one who will have no share in the Hereafter.’ Later on, Allah’s Messenger (Peace be upon him) got some silken cloaks similar to that one, and he sent one to Umar. Umar said to the Prophet (Peace be upon him), ‘How can I wear it, while you said about it what you said?’ The Prophet (Peace be upon him) said, ‘I have not given it to you to wear but to sell or to give to someone else.’ So, Umar sent it to his brother at Makkah before he embraced Islam.” [Bukhari]
The Prophet (Peace be upon him) did not blame him for his deed.
- The Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) accepted gifts from non-Muslims too.
Imam Al-Bukhari narrated that a Jewish woman brought him a sheep which was proved later to be poisoned after he ate some of it. The Prophet (Peace be upon him) pardoned her.
However, later on, when Bishr Ibn Al-Bara’, who had also eaten from it, died, the Jewish woman was killed for him.
- A number of the Prophet’s Companions narrated that the Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) said: ‘Beware, if anyone wrongs a mu`ahid [i.e. a non-Muslim enjoying the protection of Muslims], or diminishes his right, or forces him to work beyond his capacity, or takes from him anything without his consent, I shall be his adversary on the Day of Judgment.” [Abu Dawud]
- Narrated Abdullah Ibn Amr: The Prophet (Peace be upon him) said, “Whoever killed a mu’ahid shall not smell the fragrance of Paradise though its fragrance can be smelt at a distance of forty years (of traveling).” [Bukhari]
- Narrated by Anas: “A young Jewish boy used to serve the Prophet (Peace be upon him) and he became sick. So the Prophet (Peace be upon him) went to visit him. He sat near his head and asked him to embrace Islam. The boy looked at his father, who was sitting there. The latter told him to obey the Prophet (Peace be upon him) and the boy embraced Islam. The Prophet (Peace be upon him) came out saying: “Praise be to Allah Who saved the boy from the Hell-fire.” [Bukhari]
- The Prophet (Peace be upon him) used to do business and enter into dealings with non-Muslims. It was narrated that Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) said: “The Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) bought some food on credit from a Jew, and he gave him a shield of his as collateral (rahn).” [Bukhari and Muslim]
- Jabir Ibn Hayyan said: “The Prophet (Peace be upon him) and his Companions stood up for the funeral of a Jew until it disappeared.” [Sunan An-Nasa’i]
The Prophet (Peace be upon him) treated all people well, including non-Muslims. Allah enjoined fairness, kindness, good treatment and rendering back trusts for Muslims and non-Muslims alike. Allah the Almighty says:
“Allah does not forbid you from dealing kindly and fairly with those who have neither fought nor driven you out of your homes. Surely Allah loves those who are fair.” [Qur’an, 60:8]
From this Qur’anic verse we understand that Muslims should be kind to all peaceful people, Muslims and non-Muslims alike.
As charity begins at home, a Muslim, be it a born Muslim or a new Muslim should deal fairly and nicely with his peers especially when they are family or neighbours.
In summary, Islam urges Muslims to show kindness to parents even if they are non-Muslims. Islam advises Muslims to treat their neighbours kindly even if they are not Muslim. Islam encourages Muslims to ensure justice and show kindness to non-Muslims who are not fighting them. Islam prohibits killing non-Muslims living under Muslim rule. Islam prohibits wronging a mu‘ahid, detracting from his rights, or burdening him with more work. Islam prohibits committing transgression and commands justice.
All perfect praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds. May the peace, blessings and salutations of Allah be upon our noble Messenger, Muhammad (Peace be upon him), and upon his family, his Companions and his true followers.
Murtadha Muhammad Gusau is the Chief Imam of: Nagazi-Uvete Jumu’ah Mosque; and Late Alhaji Abdur-Rahman Okene Mosque, Okene, Kogi State, Nigeria. He can be reached via: gusauimam@gmail.com; or +2348038289761.