The Ruling on Friendship and Dealings with Polytheists and Disbelievers

Question:
May Allah bless you. A questioner says: Is friendship and embracing polytheists and disbelievers among the things that distance one from righteousness? What is the ruling on the relationship with them?

Answer:
The relationship with them requires a distinction. The relationship in matters of this world and the interests of this world is permissible. The relationship with them in transactions, in buying and selling, and in industries is permissible. And the relationship with them in matters of politics, the relationship between states in political matters that do not harm the religion, but are only in the interest of politics, in matters of politics. And what is good for the ruler, this is also permissible. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) concluded treaties with the polytheists and with the disbelievers, as in the case of the treaty with the Jews in Madinah and the treaty with the polytheists in the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah, for the interests of the ruler’s politics, the interests of the Muslims’ politics, because the benefit in this returns to the Muslims. As for the relationship with them in matters of religion, this is not permissible. The relationship with them in matters of religion is that we concede something of our religion for their sake, or we participate with them in something of their religions, their acts of worship, and their rituals, and we say this is from what they call freedom of religions or freedom of belief. This is a false statement, and I seek refuge in Allah. It is a statement that is not permissible to be said, nor to come from a believer. The religion does not approve except faith in Allah, except the creed in the oneness of Allah. It does not approve except Islam. Indeed, the religion in the sight of Allah is Islam. As for what is other than Islam of the religions, it is false, whether Judaism, Christianity, Zoroastrianism, or polytheism; they are all false religions. It is obligatory to fight them and wage war against them until they believe in Allah and His Messenger. “Fight the polytheists” Conceding matters of religion means we leave something of the matters of our religion for their sake, or we participate with them in something of the matters of their religion, whether from the standpoint of rivalry, or from the standpoint of, or from the standpoint of favor, or from the standpoint of, yes.
This is from the category of compromise. All of this is not permissible, and neither religion, nor the Shari'ah, nor reason approves of it. We must take pride in our religion and disavow their religion. Likewise, it is not permissible for us to love them in our hearts. We never direct love toward them in our hearts, because they are the enemies of Allah and His Messenger. This means you love them, ally with them, and support them forever. This is not permissible in the religion of Allah the Exalted. Allowing them and loving them is not permissible in the religion of Allah. Allah. So you hate the disbelievers because Allah hates them, because the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) hates them, and because the believers hate them. You hate them for the sake of Allah, even if they are the closest people to you, whether your son, or your father, or your brother, or from your kin or tribe. As long as he is a disbeliever, an enemy of Allah and His Messenger, you disavow him, just as Ibrahim (peace be upon him) disavowed his father when it became clear to him that he was an enemy of Allah. This is the true religion. As for the salam, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: But if they greet you, say, and it is permissible to return the salam to them. Returning the salam when they initiate it and greet us, we return to them with this phrase: "And upon you" only. We do not say "And upon you peace"; we say "And upon you" only. This is the issue of the salam and greeting. We do not initiate it with them, but if they initiate it with us, we return it to them.