How should Muslims treat non-Muslims? Are they required to deal kindly and justly, or hate them? Are Muslims required to smile in their faces, or stab them in the back?
I believe, many non-Muslims are eager to hear an answer to such questions from the mouth of Islamic resources. Particularly under the big wave of Islamophobia in the Western world, and the number of violent incidents made allegedly in the name of Islam. So, it's important to talk about the basis of Islamic perspective about non-Muslims. Hatred or Love? Marginalizing or Merging? Fighting or Cooperation? Separation or Coexistence?
The best way to understand Islamic perspective about the relation between Muslims and non-Muslims is to follow what Prophet Muhammad said and practiced. This way we can focus on the theoretical principles set for Muslims to treat non-Muslims, and in the same way see a practical application of these principles.
It's important at first to clarify that everything that Prophet Muhammad say or do, is considered to be a legislation for all Muslims. If Qur'an is the first source of Shari'a (Islamic legislation), then sayings and deeds of the Prophet are the second source. Qur'an says; "Ye have indeed in the Messenger of Allah a beautiful pattern (of conduct) for any one whose hope is in Allah and the Final Day, and who engages much in the Praise of Allah." 33th chapter: 21th verse. Subsequently, when the Prophet do something or say anything, all Muslims are required to do the same as he did and apply what he said. All Muslims consider Prophet Muhammad as the best example for them..
When the message of Islam started to spread in its early beginning, the people of Mecca started to murder new Muslims, torture them, besiege and boycott them, and expropriate their properties. This sufferance lasted for 13 years. The atmosphere in Mecca has not become suitable for Muslims to live, so they had to immigrate to another place away from the reach of Meccans. The choice was Medina, 450 KM away from Mecca. Medina was a place where Jews settled long time before. The first thing Prophet Muhammad did after he migrated to Medina was to sign a treaty, including all tribes of Medina beside Jewish tribes. The main clauses of that treaty were;
*The Jews will profess their religion, and the Muslims theirs.
*If attacked by a third party, each shall come to the assistance of the other.
*Neither shall commit sins to the prejudice of the other.
*The wronged party shall be aided.
*Each shall contribute to defending Madinah, in case of a foreign attack, in its respective area.
*This treaty shall not hinder either party from seeking lawful revenge.
There are major values seen in these clauses such as; Freedom of religion, Merging Jews in community instead of marginalizing them, Setting the basics of justice and equity, Supporting the right regardless of faith. Prophet Muhammad practiced these values 14 centuries ago!
In Qur'an, 60th Chapter, 7th & 8th verse say;"It may be that Allah will grant love (and friendship) between you and those whom ye (now) hold as enemies. For Allah has power (over all things); And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. * 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 loveth those who are just." In addition, Prophet Muhammad -God bless him- said about Dhimmis (non-Muslims living under Islamic protection); "He who hurts a Dhimmi hurts me, and he who hurts me annoys Allah." Reported by Al-Tabarani. The two verses and the Hadith (Saying of the Prophet) show very clearly the main frame of how a Muslim should treat non-Muslims.
If we started by the Hadith we can realize that it's a big sin and a forbidden thing to hurt non-Muslims. What is a "hurt"? This include everything that would annoy any human; mistreat, transgression and oppression. We aren't talking here about bombing civilian places and random shooting. If Prophet Muhammad considered hurting, just the hurt at any level, as hurting for himself and subsequently to God (Which devout Muslim would dare to do something that hurt the Prophet and annoy Allah?), then, higher levels of hurt like attacking and killing them is an unforgivable crime.
The two verses maintain the peace that must be achieved between Muslims and non-Muslims who don't aim at fighting and driving Muslims out of their homes. Peace for peace, that's it. These verses include all non-Muslims; Christians, Jews, and even the infidels. "Kindly and Justly", a very clear order. Smiling, Giving a present, Exchanging friendly visits, Sharing the food, Volunteering in social projects, Selling & Buying, Medical treatment, Sharing in social occasions, Helping the needy, Giving the poor, .. there is so much other to say, it's simply; "Dealing Kindly and Justly"!
Another short incident that Prophet Muhammad did, but, I believe, it has much to tell Muslims about treating non-Muslims. One day a funeral procession passed by and the Prophet (PBUH) stoop up. The people objected. "But it is the funeral of a Jews." and he responded, "Is he not a human being?"
I asked myself "What is the message out of that?", "What did Prophet Muhammad want to tell his companions?". I think the message is clear. Prophet Muhammad, the Prophet of Islam is telling Muslims that when we treat non-Muslims kindly, it's not about cheating them, but it's all about respecting them .. just because they are human beings. It's about respecting their souls and their dignity, whatever they believe in.
In another occasion, a delegation of Christian Yemenis arrived to Medina to meet Prophet Muhammad. The Prophet welcomed them in the mosque of Medina. When the time of their prayer came, they prayed at the mosque, and the Prophet allowed them! Prophet Muhammad is not just telling Muslims that we should give non-Muslims the freedom of practicing their faith, but in addition, we might share them our worshiping places, our mosques, to practice their worshiping. So open-minded, so civilized!
When the Prophet was migrating from Mecca to Medina secretly, the people of Mecca was chasing him to assassinate him, they even sent 10 strong young men with sharp swords to his house to kill him, but God saved him (PBUH). The situation was so risky, any mistake would lead to the death of the Prophet, the messenger of God, and the receiver of the revelation. When the Prophet needed a guide to show him the way to Medina through the desert without being seen by the Meccans, he choose Abdullah Ibn Urayket, one of the Meccans, a good guide, and .. a non-Muslim!
Thinking of it, the Prophet of Islam trusted a non-Muslim in that critical situation. He would easily reveal the secret to the Meccans, and win the 100 camels prize that Meccans made for anyone who tell them about the place of the Prophet. But the Prophet didn't looked at him that way, instead he looked at how good he was as a guide who knows the secret roads to Medina and how honest and trusted he was so not to reveal his secret. The Prophet trusted him i.e. trusted a non-Muslim! This tell all Muslims very clearly that working with a non-Muslim, is no thing bad.
One of the most important Hadith (Sayings of the Prophet) about the security of the non-Muslims' lives is the following. The Prophet of Islam said; "Whoever kills a person whom we have a treaty will not even come close enough to Paradise to smell its scent, and its scent can be found at a distance of forty years travel." Reported by Bukhari
No thing would be more clear. All those who bomb themselves in civil places thinking that they are dying as "martyrs" who will go to paradise, all those who kill randomly by the name of Islam thinking that they are practicing the noble Jihad, and all those who terrorize the safe non-Muslims, all of them must hear that saying of the Prophet. The Prophet is telling them that they will not even approach to paradise after their death.
An application of that Hadith was made in the life of the Prophet. It has been recorded in more than one source that one of the Muslims killed a man from the People of the Covenant, and the case was brought before the Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him), who said; "I am the one most obliged to fulfill his covenant" and ordered the murderer to be executed. A Muslim was executed because he killed one non-Muslim! That's Shari'a!
These were few examples of how Prophet Muhammad, the Prophet of Islam, treated non-Muslims. In fact, that's what are we, Muslims, required to be with non-Muslims, those who live with us in the same place, and share us the same planet. We're required to love them not to hate them, to make peace with them not to terrorize them, to coexist with them not to kill them. That's what my religion, Islam, tell me to do.