The realistic Islamic perspective of loving non-Muslims

Does Islam teach us to love the unbelievers [non-Muslims] or to show them affection?

It depends upon what definition of love we are using.

The word ‘love’ has many different definitions and subdivisions. Scholars of Islam have divided the types of love into a variety of categories according to different perspectives.

The discourse is however often confused because we use a single word ‘love’ [hubb] to mean different things in different contexts.

This is a type of permissible ‘natural love’ that all human beings experience, such as with their parents, co-workers, and friends.

Natural love [al-mahabbat al-tab’iyyah], as defined by Ibn al-Qayyim, is what the human inclines to by his nature, such as the thirsty one’s love for water, the hungry one’s love for food, love for sleep, a wife, or a child. This love is not blameworthy unless it diverts from the remembrance of Allah ﷻ and distracts from His love.

There are several examples from the life of the Prophet ﷺ in which he had natural love for his family, relatives, and other non-Muslims.

It is known that the Prophet ﷺ lived with polytheists, Jews, and Christians and all of them attested to the Prophet’s good manners and morality.
The Prophet never fought them except after they showed open hostility to him and prevented him from practicing his religions in peace. The biography of the Prophet ﷺ indicates he had relationships with people of other faiths and even cooperated with them for public affairs of the society.

In one verse, the Prophet ﷺ was commanded to convey the message of Islam to his tribe and to ask for no earthly reward in return, except for the expectation that they would maintain ties of reciprocal affection as family members:

قُلْ لَّا أَسْأَلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ أَجْرًا إِلَّا الْمَوَدَّةَ فِي الْقُرْبَىٰ

“Say: I do not ask you anything for it, except affection due to relatives”. Qoran: Al- Shura 42:43

The most obvious instance of love by the prophet for the non-Muslim [parent] was his relationship to his uncle Abu Talib, who had raised him and protected him but who died as an idolater.

The prophet tried to convey the message of Islam to him with parental affection.

لْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ أَشْهَدُ لَكَ بِهَا يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ

Abu Hurayrah [may Allah be pleased with him] reported: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to his uncle [when he was dying]: "Say 'there is no god but Allah', and I will testify for you by it on the Day of Judgment." Al-hadith

The Prophet ﷺ clearly loved his uncle with the natural love of a relative and Abu Talib loved him as well, which demonstrates that it is permissible for us to show such reciprocal affection. It would hence be unjust to return familial kindness shown by non-Muslim family members with hostility or indifference! It was reported from Anas [ may Allah be pleased with him]: “once a Jewish woman invited the prophet ﷺ to have lunch, and he accepted the invitation for food”.

There are, nevertheless, still certain extremist allegations that loving non-Muslims is an act of disbelief.
Indeed, this is unfounded claim and a is non-real approach perpetuated by those who intend to distort Allah’s religion.

The Prophet has never cut his relationship with non-Muslims, nor did he order Muslims to cut their relationships with them. He even used to visit his Jewish neighbourss in cases they were sick.

The Messenger ﷺ was the most pious person and the most knowledgeable about the Book of Allah, and this was how he practiced Islam.

Therefore, we should get the teachings of our religion from Allah ﷻ and His Messenger ﷺ but not from those who distort Allah’s religion with false allegations.

The editorial staff