It's appropriate for a Muslim to know how to relate with his non-Muslim friends, relatives or neighbors in today's heterogeneous world of ours. Non-Muslims - Christians and Jews - have been the companion of Muslims right from the inception of Islam. In Mecca and Medina; for example, we have seen how our noble Prophet Muhammad (Peace and Blessing of Allah be Upon Him) relates with them kindly. Therefore, knowing how to engage and interact with them, be it at work, at home, or in your neighborhood is not anew; it's a fourteenth century sociology found nowhere but within the Quran and Sunnah. Following are five important relationship guides that can help you interact peacefully and lawfully with non-Muslims:
1. You Must Deal Justly with Them
Non-Muslims must be treated fairly by Muslims. Christians and Jews aren't enemies to Muslims; therefore, Muslims must deal with them justly. The Holy Quran says: "Allah forbids you not, with regard to those who fight you not for (your) faith nor drive you out of your homes, from dealing kindly and justly with them: for Allah love those who are just" (Quran 6:8).
2. You Can Give Zakaat (Almsgiving) to Non-Muslims
There is nothing wrong in helping the non-Muslims; in fact, there is a huge reward in sympathizing with them and helping the poor and the needy amongst them. Giving charity and alms to non-Muslims is a good virtue of Islam that helps tremendously in drawing the non-Muslims to Islam. The Quran says: "Zakaat is only to be given to the needy, the poor, those employed to collect (the funds); and to attract the hearts of those who have been inclined (towards Islam)... " (Quran 9:60).
3. You Can Congratulate and Exchange Gift with Them
You can congratulate your Christian friends, neighbors, or colleagues during their festive occasions. In fact, you can even exchange gifts with them (on condition that these gifts are not unlawful such as being alcohol or pork). You can greet them on their X-mass or New Year gala. This becomes more so an obligation, especially if the non-Muslims offer their greetings to your Islamic occasion such as Eid Mubarak or Ramadan Kareem. The Quran says: "when you're greeted with a greeting, greet in return with what is better than it or at least return it equally... " (Quran 4:86).
4. You Can Eat From Their Food
You can accept and eat the food of your non-Muslim friends or neighbors. There is nothing wrong with that in Islam. The Quran says: "... The food of the People of the Scripture (Christians and Jews) is lawful to you and yours is lawful to them... " (Quran 5:5).
5. You Can't Participate in Their Religious Festivities
You can congratulate the non-Muslims of their festivities, exchange gift with them, and even eat from their food; but you can't participate in their religious commemorative. This is haram (unlawful) because Islam doesn't endorse such festivities. Ibn Taymiyah and his student, Ibn-ul-Qayyim, "adopted stringent measures and restricted the permissibility of Muslims' participation in non-Muslims' occasions".
The relationship between Muslim and non-Muslim is a healthy one. A Muslim never takes other religious adherents as his enemies; he considers them as his fellow humans who deserve to be treated fairly, judiciously, and equitably.
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