Resolving the Conflict Between Kindness to the Disbeliever and Hatred of Him

Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Aziz ibn Baz

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Question:
How do we reconcile the noble verse that says:

Allah does not forbid you from those who do not fight you because of religion

لَا يَنْهَاكُمُ اللَّهُ عَنِ الَّذِينَ لَمْ يُقَاتِلُوكُمْ فِي الدِّينِ

[Al-Mumtahanah: 8] to its end, with the saying of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him):

If you see the Jews and the Christians, force them to the narrowest part of the road

إذا رأيت اليهود والنصارى فاضطروهم إلى أضيق الطريق

?

Answer:
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:

Do not start by saluting the Jews and the Christians (when you meet them), and if you meet any of them on the road, force him to go to the narrowest part of the road

لا تبدؤوا اليهود ولا النصارى بالسلام، وإذا لقيتم أحدهم في طريق؛ فاضطروه إلى أضيقه

Bulugh al-Maram 11:55

It is to be on the edge of the road. This does not contradict that. Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) says:

Allah does not forbid you from those who do not fight you because of religion and do not expel you from your homes - from being righteous toward them and acting justly toward them

لَا يَنْهَاكُمُ اللَّهُ عَنِ الَّذِينَ لَمْ يُقَاتِلُوكُمْ فِي الدِّينِ وَلَمْ يُخْرِجُوكُمْ مِنْ دِيَارِكُمْ أَنْ تَبَرُّوهُمْ وَتُقْسِطُوا إِلَيْهِمْ

[Al-Mumtahanah: 8] You are to be kind to them and do good to them with charity. If he is poor, he is given charity other than zakah. If he is oppressed, he is supported, and the oppression is removed from him. This is required if they are not our enemies, but are under our protection, under a covenant with us, or under a dhimmah. They are not people of war for us; there is no fighting between us and them. Rather, they are under a dhimmah, or a covenant, or protection with us. So if we do good to them with wealth, with charity, by removing oppression from them—if someone oppresses them, we remove the oppression from them—this is a right, and there is no blame in that.
And so is justice between them, in that one adjudicates between them and is just between them and their opponents, and we do not oppress them. This is the obligation of Islam, which obliges its people to be just and not to oppress.

And when you testify, be just, even if [it concerns] a near relative.

وَإِذَا قُلْتُمْ فَاعْدِلُوا وَلَوْ كَانَ ذَا قُرْبَى

[Al-An'am: 152], and He the Exalted says:

and do not let the hatred of a people prevent you from being just. Be just; that is nearer to righteousness

وَلَا يَجْرِمَنَّكُمْ شَنَآنُ قَوْمٍ عَلَى أَلَّا تَعْدِلُوا اعْدِلُوا هُوَ أَقْرَبُ لِلتَّقْوَى

[Al-Ma'idah: 8], and He the Exalted says:

Indeed, Allah orders justice and good conduct and giving to relatives

إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَأْمُرُ بِالْعَدْلِ وَالْإِحْسَانِ وَإِيتَاءِ ذِي الْقُرْبَى

[An-Nahl: 90].
So justice is obligatory between the Muslim and the disbeliever, and doing good to the disbeliever who is not at war with us is permissible. It is established in the two Sahihs from Asma' bint Abi Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with them both) that her mother came to her as a disbeliever during the truce seeking wealth. So she sought permission from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: O Messenger of Allah, my mother has come to me seeking wealth. Should I maintain ties with her? The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:

Pray it

صليها

Source binbaz.org.sa

The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.

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