Rights of Non Muslims in Islam - Shaykh Zakaullah Saleem

Opening — Khutbah al-Hajah

إِنَّ الْحَمْدَ لِلَّهِ نَحْمَدُهُ وَنَسْتَعِينُهُ وَنَسْتَغْفِرُهُ وَنَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ مِنْ شُرُورِ أَنْفُسِنَا وَمِنْ سَيِّئَاتِ أَعْمَالِنَا مَنْ يَهْدِهِ اللَّهُ فَلَا مُضِلَّ لَهُ وَمَنْ يُضْلِلْ فَلَا هَادِيَ لَهُ أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ

Amma ba'd: Indeed the best of speech is the Book of Allah, and the best of guidance is the guidance of Muhammad ﷺ, and the worst of matters are those newly invented, and every newly invented matter is a bid'ah, and every bid'ah is a misguidance, and every misguidance is in the Fire. Amma ba'd.

The Beauty and Comprehensiveness of Islam

My dear respected brothers and sisters in Islam, the religion of Islam is such a beautiful religion — it is the chosen religion by Allah Dhul Jalali wal Ikram. This is the only religion that Allah has chosen for mankind. This is such a beautiful religion that covers every single aspect of life, and it guides us on every single step of our life — how to deal with the issues around us.

Islam teaches us how to treat others. Islam teaches us how to treat our parents, our children, our family, our spouses, our neighbours, people around us, our colleagues, our friends. Islam even teaches us how to treat animals. Islam even teaches us how to treat birds. Islam even teaches us how to treat our own body, our own selves. Islam is such a beautiful religion.

Islam teaches us how to deal with other Muslims, and Islam also teaches us how to treat non-Muslims around us. There are a number of ayat in the Quran in which Allah has guided us how to treat non-Muslims — and especially when we live amongst non-Muslims and we live in a non-Muslim country — how to deal with them, how to treat them. Bearing in mind that the religion of Islam is the religion of justice; it is the religion of 'adl and insaf. There is no oppression, there is no discrimination within the religion of Islam.

Allah's Justice Towards the People of the Book

If you were to look at the Book of Allah right from the beginning of the Quran, you will come to realize that Allah has criticized the People of the Book — referring to Jews and Christians — those who played with their religion and changed the verses of the books that Allah gave them: the Torah and the Injil. Allah, in some places, showed His wrath and anger at them, and He even cursed them. But at the same time, Allah Dhul Jalal al-Ikram did not generalize everything and everybody. Rather, there are a number of ayat in which Allah showed clear justice towards the People of the Book, to Ahlul Kitab, to non-Muslims, to Kuffar.

And whenever Allah praises them, Allah Dhul Jalal al-Ikram also instructs us to follow their good footsteps — to follow their example in good deeds.

Surah Ali 'Imran — Not All Are Alike

For example, Allah has criticized the People of the Book in Surah Ali 'Imran at the beginning of the fourth Juz, where Allah humiliated them because they disobeyed Him. And in the following ayah, Allah says — not all of them are alike; they are not similar; they are not the same:

From amongst the People of the Book, there is a group of people who are steadfast and firm in the Tawheed of Allah. They recite the verses of Allah during the hours of the night, and they prostrate — they make sajdah to Allah. They believe in Allah, they believe in the Last Day. They enjoin the good and they forbid the evil, and they hasten towards the good deeds. And indeed they are the righteous and the pious people.

So Allah has praised that group of people amongst Ahlul Kitab who are steadfast and firm and obedient to Allah.

Surah Al-Ma'idah — A Balanced Group

Likewise, Allah again makes mention of some of the serious mistakes that the People of the Book made — how they changed their book, the Torah and the Injil. But in Surah Al-Ma'idah, Allah said:

If the People of the Book were to believe truly, and if they were to show their piety towards Allah, He would have forgiven their sins and would have allowed them to enter Paradise.

And if they were to establish the Torah and the Injil, they would have been given provision from above them and from underneath their feet. Amongst them there is a group who are balanced — not all of them are alike.

Surah Al-A'raf — Those Who Guide with Truth

Likewise, Allah praises them in Surah Al-Baqarah — when He says that amongst the People of the Book, amongst the Jews, there are people who recite the Book that Allah revealed to them, and they recite it the way the Book deserves to be recited. These are the people who truly believe in that Book.

In Surah Al-A'raf, Allah Dhul Jalal al-Ikram says: from amongst the nation of Musa (alayhissalam), from the people of Musa, there is a group who guide others with truth:

And they show justice. Allah Dhul Jalal al-Ikram also said in Surah Al-A'raf that when they disobeyed Allah, and Allah showed His anger at them, amongst them were people who used to commit sins, and a group who used to forbid the evil, and a third group who used to stay silent and quiet. So Allah made mention of all three groups. Then Allah says He divided them on the earth into groups and nations, and amongst them are the pious people and some others are otherwise.

So Allah again showed the balance and justice towards the People of the Book.

The Report of Masruq — Boasting About Religion

Imam Ibn Kathir and Imam Ibn Jarir have reported on the authority of Masruq — one of the great Tabi'in — who says: once some people amongst the Jews, the Christians, and the Muslims were together in one sitting, and every one of them was boasting about their religion. The Christian said, "We are better than you all — better than you Jews and Muslims." The Jews said, "We are better than you Christians and Muslims." And the Muslims also said the same — "We are better than you, both Jews and Christians."

Allah then revealed the ayah: your simple desires and wishful thinking — that you are better and you boast yourselves over others — mean nothing to Allah Dhul Jalal al-Ikram. Your wishes and desires, and neither the wishes and desires of Ahlul Kitab, will avail you anything. Rather, Allah is going to judge you based on your deeds. Whoever commits any sin will get his punishment. And in the following ayah, Allah says: whoever performs good deeds, whether male or female, such people will enter Paradise and they will not be shown any injustice at all.

So Allah again showed His mercy, justice, and balance towards the People of the Book.

Surah Ali 'Imran — Trustworthy and Honest Among Them

Allah Dhul Jalal al-Ikram also says in Surah Ali 'Imran that amongst the People of the Book you will find some who are so trustworthy and honest — if you were to hand over to them a great amount of treasures and wealth, they would return it back to you without stealing anything. Whereas some others amongst the People of the Book are those who, if you give them only one single dinar, they will not return it to you unless you constantly stand over them demanding it. So again Allah showed the balance and justice.

Kindness to Non-Muslim Parents and Relatives

Allah Dhul Jalal al-Ikram also instructed us to be fair and just when it comes to dealing with and treating non-Muslims. And even if your parents are non-Muslims, you have to show your kindness, your gentleness, and your duty towards them. Allah said in the Quran: if your parents instruct you to commit shirk with Allah, do not obey them — but does that mean you become rude and aggressive towards them? No. Rather, you need to accompany them and treat them with kindness and gentleness.

The Story of Asma' bint Abi Bakr

Allah Dhul Jalal al-Ikram encouraged us and instructed us to be dutiful and kind towards people who are kind and gentle towards us. When Asma' bint Abi Bakr migrated from Mecca to Medina, she left her mother behind in Mecca — and her mother was not a Muslim. When Asma' arrived in Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah, her mother followed her and came to Medina. She knocked at the door of Asma' and asked permission to enter.

Asma' said, "Oh my dear mother, stay here. Let me go to the Prophet of Allah and ask him the ruling — am I allowed to let my mother enter my house?" So she came to the Prophet and said, "Oh Messenger of Allah, my mother has come to me, and she is showing some interest and some love for me. Am I allowed to strengthen my relationship with her?" The Prophet said, "Yes — you must have a good relation with your mother," although she was not a Muslim.

So our religion has instructed us and encouraged us to be just and fair when it comes to dealing with non-Muslims.

Rights of Non-Muslim Neighbours

Allah has instructed us in Surah An-Nisa':

Worship Allah alone and do not associate anything with Him. Be kind and dutiful towards your parents, your relatives, the orphans, the needy, your neighbours — the neighbours amongst your relatives, and also the neighbours who are not amongst your relatives — and also the people who are by your side. The Mufassirun have said this ayah includes the neighbour — Muslim and non-Muslim both.

The Story of Abdullah ibn 'Amr ibn al-'As and His Jewish Neighbour

It is reported that once a companion of the Prophet, Abdullah ibn 'Amr ibn al-'As, instructed his servant to slaughter a goat. The servant slaughtered the goat, and while skinning it, Abdullah ibn 'Amr said, "Oh my dear servant, be quick — and make sure that when you have finished cutting the meat of this goat, you must begin with the neighbour." The neighbour was a Jewish person. He said, "You must give some meat as a gift to our neighbour who is not a Muslim — you must begin with him."

The servant said, "May Allah guide you, oh Abdullah — what are you saying? Shall we give this meat as a gift to someone who is not a Muslim? He is a Jew!"

Abdullah ibn 'Amr said, "Yes — I heard the Messenger of Allah advising us of the rights of neighbours — the rights of neighbours, Muslims and non-Muslims — until we had the fear that the Prophet would assign a portion of the inheritance and give it to neighbours as well — to that extent."

So my dear brothers and sisters in Islam, the point is that our religion has taught us how to deal with non-Muslims around us — whether they are your relatives or not your relatives, whether they are your neighbours or not your neighbours — while you live amongst them, you have some duties and responsibilities towards them.

That is why the scholars of Islam — the ulama and the fuqaha — have allowed and said it is permissible, rather it is preferable, that whenever you cook something in your house, you give something as a gift to your non-Muslim neighbours. And even when Allah blesses you with a child and gives you the tawfiq to do the 'aqiqah, give some meat to your non-Muslim neighbours, your non-Muslim colleagues, and the people around you.

The scholars have also allowed and said it is permissible to give the meat of the qurbani and the udhiyah to non-Muslims. This is something that is permissible in the religion of Islam.

The Prophet's Generosity Towards Non-Muslims

We find so many examples in the Seerah and the Sunnah of the Prophet that he used to spend and give his own wealth on non-Muslims. We all know the incident when the Prophet received the very first revelation from Allah when he was in the cave of Hira. He was frightened and came back to his wife Khadijah (radiyallahu ta'ala anha), his whole body shivering, and he said:

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 3)

Our mother Khadijah (radiyallahu ta'ala anha) said:

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 3; Sahih Muslim, Hadith 160)

"By Allah, Allah is never going to leave you alone — why? Because of your good akhlaq, your kindness, your gentleness, and your treatment of the people around you." And who were the people of Mecca? They were all non-Muslims. So our mother Khadijah said: "Oh my dear husband Muhammad, you strengthen your relation with your relatives. You earn and you spend on those who are destitute. You hold the burden of others on your own shoulders." These are some of the characteristics our mother Khadijah mentioned at that point — and she said, because of this type of akhlaq and manners, Allah Dhul Jalal al-Ikram is never going to leave you alone, and Allah will be in assistance of you all the time.

The Hadith of Anas ibn Malik — Generosity of the Prophet

Sayyiduna Anas (radiyallahu ta'ala anhu) reports — and the hadith is reported by Imam Muslim (rahimahullah):

(Sahih Muslim, Hadith 2312)

There was never a case when the Prophet was approached by someone and he was asked to give something in the name of Islam, except he would give it. Once a man came — he was not so content with accepting the religion of Islam — but the Prophet gave him a large flock of goats and animals filling the space between two mountains. He took them and returned to his people and said: "Oh my people, accept Islam! Indeed Muhammad gives in a way that he never has any fear of poverty." So Anas says that the Prophet used to give a lot — even to non-Muslims — to win their hearts and bring them closer to the religion of Islam.

The Story of Safwan ibn Umayyah

I would like to conclude with an amazing story from the Seerah of Rasulullah — when the Prophet spent his wealth and gave towards non-Muslims until they accepted Islam, and also for those who were newly converted, spending on them until they were content and satisfied with the religion of Islam.

Safwan ibn Umayyah is one of the chiefs of the Quraysh. His father, Umayyah ibn Khalaf, was killed in the Battle of Badr along with Abu Jahl, for he was one of the biggest enemies of Rasulullah. So Umayyah was killed, and his son Safwan remained a kafir until the Prophet conquered Makkah.

On the day of the Fatah of Makkah, Safwan managed to flee and escape from Makkah — he did not want to face Muhammad. But his wife accepted Islam and came to the Prophet. The Prophet asked her about her husband Safwan, and she said he had escaped and left Makkah out of fear. She asked the Prophet for asylum and refuge, and the Prophet granted it to her.

She then reached Safwan, and Safwan returned back to Makkah. One of the conditions was that the Prophet said, "We are not going to harm you, on the condition that you will not fight against us — against Islam or the Muslims." He accepted this condition but did not accept Islam.

Then, a short while after that incident, the Battle of Hunayn took place. During the Battle of Hunayn, the Prophet was in need of some weapons and he borrowed from Safwan. Safwan gave to Rasulullah, and he also participated in the Battle of Hunayn — not as a fighter or warrior, but simply to witness the battle between the Muslims and the non-Muslims.

Once the battle was over, there was a large booty — the ghanima. Within the booty were cattle: animals, goats, sheep, cows, and camels in such large numbers that Safwan kept staring at them. The Prophet looked at him and said, "Do you like all these cattle?" He said, "Yes, yes, Muhammad." The Prophet said, "All of these cattle are for you — go with them."

At that, Safwan said, "By Allah, I take an oath by Allah — no one has as big a heart as the heart of Muhammad!" And he accepted Islam. He narrates himself: "The Prophet gave me 100 animals. Then he gave me another 100 animals. Then he gave me another 100 — altogether 300. And he kept giving and spending on me until Muhammad and his religion became dearer to me than anything on this earth."

So this, my dear brothers and sisters in Islam, is the akhlaq and the ta'amul of the Prophet with non-Muslims.

Da'wah — The Greatest Right of Non-Muslims Upon Us

My dear brothers and sisters in Islam, we should not forget that when it comes to treating and dealing with non-Muslims around us, one of the biggest rights they have upon us is to call them to the religion of Allah. This is one of the greatest rights of non-Muslims upon us — that we invite them and show them the path of Islam. Our duty is to convey the message. Whether they accept Islam or they do not accept Islam, hidayah and guidance is not in our hands — but we must fulfill our responsibility and our duty.

Allah says in the Quran:

"Say: Oh People of the Book, come towards the statement — the kalima — that is equal between us and you: that we should not worship except Allah and we should not associate anything with Allah." So invite them, give them da'wah towards the religion of Allah.

And even when it comes to debating or arguing with them, Allah has also shown us the way — how to argue with them and how to debate with them:

If you are put in a position where you have to debate them, make sure you abide by the boundaries of the Shari'ah. It does not mean in any way, form, or shape that you cross the boundary with the excuse that you have to deal with non-Muslims and you become like them. No — your religion is different from their religion. And where Islam sets a boundary, you must abide by those boundaries and you cannot cross them.

Conclusion — Congratulating Greenland Masjid

May Allah give us tawfiq and ability to be true ambassadors of Islam. May Allah allow us to show our kindness, our gentleness, and our generosity towards non-Muslims around us.

I will conclude by congratulating this very masjid — alhamdulillah — and those brothers and sisters who initiated the project of giving shelter to the homeless for the past few weeks. As you have heard in the announcement before the khutbah, alhamdulillah, Greenland Masjid has been accommodating the homeless for the past few weeks. Many brothers volunteered their time and sacrificed their sleep at night in order to give a safe place to the homeless to stay overnight in the masjid.

I hope that other masajid in the city and outside the city — up and down the country — follow this good practice, so that by this practice you can win the hearts of so many non-Muslims. May Allah guide them towards the religion of Islam. May Allah give us tawfiq and ability to understand our religion in the right way, according to the Seerah of Rasulullah.