Question:
Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu,
İf there are non Muslims, who hate our religion and mock it, should we still be nice towards them? For example if they happen to be my neighbors, and they greet me by saying “hello” or “good morning” should i respond back or ignore such people? What if they need something and ask for help? Barak Allahu feekum.
Answer:
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Being kind and courteous to Muslims and non-Muslims are based on teachings of the Quran and Sunnah of Rasulullah ﷺ. Greeting people and assisting them in the time of need are two ways of being kind and courteous. Islam does not prohibit us from being kind and courteous to non-Muslims, even if they show hostility to the Muslims.
In fact, Rasulullah ﷺ laid so much emphasis on the importance of kindness and good treatment to neighbours, some of the scholars of hadith dedicated an entire chapter on the rights of neighbours in their books.
Allah says in Surah 60 verses: 8-9
لَا يَنْهَاكُمُ اللَّهُ عَنِ الَّذِينَ لَمْ يُقَاتِلُوكُمْ فِي الدِّينِ وَلَمْ يُخْرِجُوكُمْ مِنْ دِيَارِكُمْ أَنْ تَبَرُّوهُمْ وَتُقْسِطُوا إِلَيْهِمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُقْسِطِينَ (8)
Allah does not forbid you from doing good and justice to those who did not fight you because of faith, and did not expel you from your homes. Surely Allah loves those who maintain justice. [8]
إِنَّمَا يَنْهَاكُمُ اللَّهُ عَنِ الَّذِينَ قَاتَلُوكُمْ فِي الدِّينِ وَأَخْرَجُوكُمْ مِنْ دِيَارِكُمْ وَظَاهَرُوا عَلَى إِخْرَاجِكُمْ أَنْ تَوَلَّوْهُمْ وَمَنْ يَتَوَلَّهُمْ فَأُولَئِكَ هُمُ الظَّالِمُونَ (9)
Allah forbids you only from having friendship with those who fought you on account of faith, and expelled you from your homes, and helped (others) in expelling you. And those who develop friendship with them, it is they who are the wrongdoers. [9]
Mufti Muhammad Shafi comments in Ma’aariful Quran under verse 8:
“The verse directs that justice and good behavior should be maintained with those unbelievers who did not fight the Muslims…The focus of the verse, therefore, is upon the direction that they should be treated, not only with justice, but also in good and courteous manner…[1]”
Under verse nine (9) he mentions:
“This verse speaks of those unbelievers who fought the Muslims in the matter of religion, drove them from their homes or supported their expulsion. These are hostile disbelievers and the Divine injunction in connection with them is to abstain from having friendly or cordial intimacy with them. This verse does not forbid just and kind treatment of them… On the basis of this juristic principle, Mazhari has ruled that justice, equity and fairness are necessary even with the hostile disbelievers who are at war with Muslims. Prohibition applies only in the case of cordial and friendly intimacy, not in the case of courteous attitude and kindness. This shows that it is permissible to be polite and courteous to those hostile enemies who are at war with Muslims. However, treating them with tenderness and courtesy should not cause danger, threat, harm or loss to Muslims. Wherever courtesy or tenderness might pose such a danger, it is not permitted to be tender or courteous towards them. Of course, justice and equity in all cases and under all circumstances are necessary and imperative. Allah, the Pure and Exalted, knows best!]”[2]
In one hadith, Mujahid (رحمه الله) said that Abdullah ibn Amr (رضي الله عنه) slaughtered a sheep and said: Have you presented a gift from it to my neighbour, the Jew, for I heard Rasulullah ﷺ say: Jibraeel kept on advising me about (good treatment to) my neighbour so much so, that I thought he would make him my heir[i].
This hadith shows that the Sahaabah (رضي الله عنهم) understood that kindness to neighbours includes non-Muslims also.
As for greeting non-Muslims, in normal circumstances, it is not permissible for Baaligh non-Mahrams males and females to greet or to reply to each other’s greeting but if one is greeted by a non-Mahram, then one should reply in the heart not audibly. However, if the greeting is from an elderly non-Mahram woman, then there is some leeway for a Muslim man to respond to her greeting.
The same rule will apply to greeting non-Muslims. Muslims may greet and respond to the greeting of non-Muslims with normal words like ‘good morning,’ ‘good afternoon’ and ‘good night.’ When there is a need to greet and speak the opposite gender, one may do so[3]. Casual loose talk with the opposite gender is not a necessity.
A Muslim should not use greetings of the non-Muslims that have words of disbelief or Shirk in it. If such a greeting is given to a Muslim, the Muslim should reply by saying ‘peace be upon those who follow guidance[ii].’
In conclusion, it will be permissible to respond to the greetings of your non-Muslim neighbours even if they ‘hate’ Islam. It is also permissible to assist non-Muslims when they ask for help and they have a genuine need. Additionally, if you know that someone has a genuine need, it will permissible to assist them even if they did not request your assistance.
Your kindness to your non-Muslim neighbours may lead to a change of their attitude towards Muslims whereby they may abandon mocking Islam altogether. It may also lead to them embracing the beautiful religion of Islam. Make it a challenge to yourself that your good treatment towards them is with a heart of kindness and generosity.
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Mufti Mujahid Dan Lubrin
Darul Iftaa, Jaamia Madinatul Uloom (Trinidad)
11th Muharram 1447- 7th July 2025
www.fatwa-tt.com /www.jaamia.net
[1] Ma’aariful Quran English Translation: Vol. 8 Pg. 418-419
[2] Ma’aariful Quran: Vol. 8 Pg. 420
[3] Kitaabul Fataawaa Vol.6 pg. 118 – 119, Ahsanul Fataawa Vol.8 pgs.42-43, Ahsanul Fataawa Vol.8 pgs.135-136, Fataawaa Mahmoodiyyah: Vol. 19 pgs. 91-95
[i] سنن أبي داود
5152 – حدثنا محمد بن عيسى، حدثنا سفيان، عن بشر أبي إسماعيل، عن مجاهد
عن عبد الله بن عمرو: أنه ذبح شاة، فقال: أهديتم لجاري اليهودي؟ فإني سمعت رسول الله -صلى الله عليه وسلم – يقول: “ما زال جبريل يوصيني بالجار، حتى ظننت أنه سيورثه”
[ii] رد المحتار على الدر المختار-6/413-412- دار الفكر-بيروت
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