Muslim Relations with Others: A Balanced Approach through Divine Centrality

Muslim relations illustrated through friendly café conversation between Muslim and non-Muslim men

Introduction

This article is the nineth article in the series ‘Be Proud of Your Islam‘. The article explores Muslim relations with non-Muslims through the lens of Divine Centrality. It shows how Muslims can maintain kind and just interactions with non-Muslims while staying true to Islamic principles, particularly in matters of faith where Islamic texts clearly distinguish between believers and non-believers. Click here to explore the full series.

Between Faith and Society: Exploring Muslim Identity in Relations with Others

Muslims often ponder their relationships with non-Muslims through questions like: How should I view them? While they may show kindness and do good deeds, how do I reconcile this with their status as non-believers in Islamic texts? If I am proud of my religion, why might I hesitate to share it openly? Am I being true to myself if I conceal aspects of my faith? Should I feel ashamed of displaying my religious identity? These questions often remain unclear in many minds, and we will address them through the perspective of Divine Centrality, which we explored in our previous articles.

The concept of “Divine Centrality” reflects complete servitude to ALLAH, meaning total submission to HIS guidance in all life aspects. This includes submitting to ALLAH in how we view ourselves and others, in our positions towards them, and in our interactions, while maintaining firm belief in HIS justice, wisdom, and mercy. Divine Centrality is essentially another expression of monotheism – making ALLAH the sole reference point in judging matters, people, and principles. It means deriving our standards from ALLAH alone, acknowledging that HIS command is truth and anything contrary is false.

Many who identify as Muslims unknowingly deviate from monotheism and true servitude to ALLAH while believing they are doing right. This deviation becomes particularly evident when people depart from divine guidance in how they view themselves and others, and in their interactions. It shows when they become uncomfortable with the clear distinctions mentioned in verses and hadiths between faith and disbelief, believer and non-believer, or when they doubt Islam’s capability to guide relationships between individuals and societies.

Modern Challenges to Divine Centrality in Muslim Relations

Many young Muslims today have moved away from Divine Centrality, servitude to ALLAH, and complete submission to the Creator. They believe we need different standards – taking only the moral teachings and worship practices from Islam while embracing secular concepts, global citizenship, and absolute equality among people regardless of their faith. They promote humanistic values where a person’s worth is measured solely by their treatment of others, regardless of their relationship with ALLAH, the LORD of humanity. This shift represents one of the clearest examples of replacing Divine Centrality with Human Centrality.

These young Muslims believe we should remove terms like “disbeliever” or “polytheist” from our vocabulary, claiming such distinctions threaten social harmony, national unity, and global coexistence. As their focus has shifted from the Creator to human beings, truth has become relative rather than absolute in their view. For them, truth is no longer defined by what ALLAH declares in the Quran or what HIS Messenger (Peace be upon Him) teaches.

Instead, they argue, “This may be truth for you, but not for Christians, Jews, or Buddhists. You see it as truth, but they view it differently”. They act as if others’ rejection of Islam somehow diminishes its absolute truth, or as if believing in falsehood transforms it into a relative truth. In this view, truth multiplies with different perspectives rather than remaining centered in divine revelation. Through this reasoning, they try to avoid acknowledging that those who deny Islamic truth are, by definition, disbelievers.

The Challenge of Relative Truth and Modern Interpretations

Some argue by saying, “We are disbelievers in their religion, and they are disbelievers in our religion”, suggesting that the term ‘disbeliever’ carries no particular weight for either side, as if both positions were equal. This completely contradicts Divine Centrality and violates true servitude to ALLAH and monotheism, which requires referring all matters back to HIM. This approach represents a form of polytheism by placing human beings at the center and serving their desires and opinions, while equating their standards and judgments with divine rulings, or even replacing them entirely.

Muslim relations depicted through reflection of contemplative Muslim in modern cityscape
A Muslim’s thoughtful contemplation of divine guidance in modern society

When polytheism is discussed, people typically think of physical acts like bowing to humans or stones, seeking their help, making supplications to them, or the polytheism of replacing ALLAH’s laws in governance. However, there’s another form of polytheism that often goes unnoticed – when individuals pray to ALLAH physically while their hearts and minds follow completely different directions. This has become a common spiritual ailment among many young Muslims.

ALLAH the Almighty says:

“But no, by your LORD, they will not [truly] believe until they make You, [O Muḥammad], judge concerning that over which they dispute among themselves and then find within themselves no discomfort from what You have judged and submit in [full, willing] submission“1
(Suraat ‘An-Nissaa’, 4:65)

Making the Messenger of ALLAH (Peace be upon Him) judge – whose obedience stems from obedience to ALLAH – extends to everything: determining truth from falsehood, right from wrong, oppression from justice, and distinguishing between disbeliever and Muslim. The judgment in all these matters belongs to ALLAH and HIS Messenger, not to humanistic standards. A Muslim approaches all of this by prioritizing ALLAH’s right and glorifying HIM, believing that HE is “The Most Just of judges” and that HIS judgment contains truth, wisdom, mercy, and justice for all humanity.

Understanding True Muslim Relations with Non-Muslims

In light of this foundation, let’s examine Muslim relations with others. Many people have adopted a false binary view regarding how Muslims should interact with non-Muslims: either label them as disbelievers and treat them harshly, perhaps even considering their lives and property violable, or avoid calling them disbelievers to justify treating them well and fairly. This misguided division stems from our lack of understanding of our religion.

The designation of disbelief is a divine ruling that we cannot change, and simultaneously, we recognize it as coming from ALLAH – the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate, the Kind, the Loving, the Forbearing, who shows more mercy to HIS servants than a mother to her child. Therefore, we cannot claim to be more merciful than HIM toward HIS creation. It’s important to note that the term “disbeliever” doesn’t necessarily mean that all non-believers have received the message properly, and thus their final judgment regarding Paradise or Hell isn’t determined by their current state in this world. How ALLAH deals with such cases will be addressed in detail in a future article, ALLAH willing.

Our current discussion focuses on how Muslims should interact with non-believers in this world. The divine ruling that classifies some people as disbelievers doesn’t call for oppressing them or showing arrogance toward them. Instead, it encourages showing mercy and compassion, motivating us to earnestly wish for their guidance so that we might become brothers in faith, together entering ALLAH’s Paradise which HE has promised to HIS believing servants. Consider the examples of people through whom many found guidance in our time – they all acknowledged ALLAH’s judgment regarding disbelief: Sheikh Ahmed Deedat, Dr. Zakir Naik, Dr. Abdurrahman Al-Sumait, and many others.

Practical Applications of Divine Centrality in Muslim Relations

When we put effort into translating Islamic content into various languages to reach non-believers, our motivation comes purely from mercy, wanting what’s best for them, and fulfilling our duty to ALLAH by inviting them to HIS religion. Consider, in contrast, those who reject using the term “disbelievers” – how many people find guidance through them? If they don’t recognize that these people suffer from disbelief in the first place, why would they seek to help them overcome it? The term “disbeliever” feels weighty not because Islam is unwelcoming, but because the state of disbelief itself is dangerous; it’s a description that highlights how much these people need salvation from disbelief.

So when a peaceful non-believer – someone who doesn’t oppose Muslims for their faith, doesn’t criticize Islam, doesn’t use power or Western nations to harm Muslims, and doesn’t persecute those who convert to Islam – asks you, “What does your religion say about me?” You should respond, “It says you should become Muslim“. And if they ask, “What if I don’t become Muslim?” You would say, “Then you would be a disbeliever“. If they ask, “Does this mean you consider it acceptable to harm me?” We respond by saying:

ALLAH the Almighty, who has judged you with disbelief, is the same One who commands us to show kindness and justice toward you, and HE even loves us when we treat you fairly. As ALLAH 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. Indeed, ALLAH loves those who act justly“2
(Suraat ‘Al-MumtaHanah, 60:8)

My LORD has commanded me to treat you well, stating: “Indeed, ALLAH orders justice and good conduct“3 (Suraat ‘An-NaHl, 16:90) – as an absolute principle.

Implementation of Divine Justice and Kindness in Muslim Relations

My LORD has commanded me to be just and trustworthy with you, stating: “Indeed, ALLAH commands you to render trusts to whom they are due and when you judge between people to judge with justice“4 (Suraat ‘An-Nissaa’, 4:58) – this applies to all people. HE has commanded me to speak to you kindly: “and speak to people good [words]“5 (Suraat ‘Al-Baqarah, 2:83) – this applies to everyone without exception. HE has instructed me to honor your kindness and fulfill my agreements with you, saying: “And the covenant of ALLAH fulfill“6 (Suraat ‘Al-‘Ancaam, 6:152). HE considers my agreements with you as part of ALLAH’s covenant, attributing them to HIMSELF to emphasize the importance of honoring them.

My LORD has commanded me that if I have non-believing parents, I must treat them with kindness, saying:

“But if they endeavor to make you associate with ME that of which you have no knowledge, do not obey them but accompany them in [this] world with appropriate kindness“7
(Suraat Luqmaan, 31:15)

For those who ask me about this, my LORD has commanded me to maintain family ties even with non-believing relatives, as Ibn Al-Qayyim explained:

“ALLAH has condemned those who sever kinship ties and magnified its severance and made its right obligatory even if she (the relative) is a disbeliever, for HIS saying: ‘And fear ALLAH, through whom you ask one another, and the wombs‘8 (Suraat ‘An-Nissaa’, 4:1). And in the hadith: ‘The severer of family ties will not enter Paradise‘9. ALLAH has made rights for relatives even if they are disbelievers, for disbelief does not remove their rights in this world“

My LORD has commanded me, O you who ask, to show kindness to you even if you don’t believe – whether you are a parent, relative, orphan, poor person, or neighbor, as ALLAH the Almighty said:

“Worship ALLAH and associate nothing with HIM, and to parents do good, and to relatives, orphans, the needy, the near neighbor, the neighbor farther away, the companion at your side, the traveler, and those whom your right hands possess“10
(Suraat ‘An-Nissaa’, 4:36)

As Ibn Al-Qayyim noted: “Everyone mentioned in this verse, their right is obligatory even if they are a disbeliever“.

The Principles of Charitable Dealings with Non-Muslims

You, who ask these questions, should know that as long as you don’t wage war against my religion, my LORD has not forbidden me from giving you voluntary charity just because you are a non-believer. When believers hesitated to give charity to non-believers, ALLAH revealed:

“Not upon You, [O Muḥammad], is [responsibility for] their guidance, but ALLAH guides whom HE wills. And whatever good you [believers] spend is for yourselves, and you do not spend except seeking the face [i.e., approval] of ALLAH“11
(Suraat ‘Al-Baqarah, 2:272)

Through these charitable acts, you seek ALLAH’s pleasure, and ALLAH, who has judged these people as non-believers, encourages giving to them and gaining HIS pleasure through such acts.

Dr. Al-Sumait – may ALLAH have mercy on him – and many charitable organizations and kind-hearted people worked in Africa digging wells, establishing schools, and building health centers for non-believers. They shared Islam’s message with them but never made conversion a condition for receiving help, remembering our Prophet’s saying (Peace be upon Him): “In every moist liver [living being] there is a reward“12.

You who ask me, my LORD has commanded that I can allocate from my zakat to you if I sense you are drawn to Islam, to bring your heart closer to the faith – as “those whose hearts are attracted to the faith“13 is one of the categories eligible for zakat. My Prophet (Peace be upon Him) commanded me to show mercy to you, saying: “The Compassionate One has mercy on those who are merciful. If you show mercy to those who are on the earth, HE Who is in the heaven will show mercy to you“14 – this applies to everyone on earth.

I must support you if you face oppression and help secure your rights when possible, even if your oppressor is Muslim, as my Prophet (Peace be upon Him) praised the Alliance of Virtue (Hilf al-Fudul) which was established to support all oppressed people. My LORD has warned me against oppressing you, and my Prophet taught me that the supplication of the oppressed is answered – this applies to any oppressed person, even if it’s the supplication of an oppressed non-believer against a Muslim oppressor.

Trust and Mutual Respect in Muslim-Non-Muslim Relations

You who ask, as long as you don’t oppose my religion through warfare, my Prophet (Peace be upon Him) commanded me to be trustworthy and reliable with you, so that you can trust me with your life and wealth, without fear of betrayal or deception. As He said: “The believer is one whom people trust with their lives and wealth“15 – this applies to all people without exception.

As long as you are not at war with us, I seek ALLAH’s pleasure by visiting you when you’re ill, exchanging gifts with you, sharing in your joys, comforting you in your sorrows, accepting your invitations, and praying for your guidance. These are the ways my LORD and Prophet commanded me to treat you, whether you’re from the People of the Book or not: to show you kindness, righteousness, justice, goodness, faithfulness, and trustworthiness. Your life and property are sacred to me, and I am forbidden from deceiving or betraying you. Through my commitment to ALLAH’s commands regarding you, I treat you better than those who share your faith.

I interact with you with the same care as my Prophet (Peace be upon Him) showed when He said—as recorded in Sahih al-Bukhari—”My parable and that of yours is like a man who kindled a fire. When it has illuminated all around him, the moths and grasshoppers began to fall therein. He tried to push them away, but they overcame him and jumped into it. I am catching hold of your waists ties (to save you) from fire, but you slip away from My hands“16.

Sincere Care with Clear Truth: Treating Non-Muslims as an Act of Divine Worship

All of this doesn’t stop me from being truthful and straightforward with you, O questioner, in disagreeing with your beliefs while you remain outside Islam. I won’t flatter or mislead you by suggesting you’re in a good state while in disbelief. My concern isn’t about gaining your acceptance of me as a Muslim, preventing harm from you, or securing financial or personal benefits. My focus is on you. I want what’s best for you, because I was brought forth for you—”You are the best nation produced [as an example] for mankind“17 (Suraat ‘Ali-‘Imraan, 3:110).

Muslim relations exemplified through community service and food distribution
Muslim volunteers sharing blessings through community food service

Understand this crucial point: I treat you this way as an act of worship to ALLAH, the Almighty—not for nationalism, humanism, or other vague concepts that neither guarantee continuity nor inspire sacrifice. This treatment can be challenging and demanding: maintaining ties with a non-believing relative who distances themselves from me, showing kindness to parents who try to lead me away from faith, or giving charity from my modest means. Nationalism offers no paradise to enter nor hell to avoid. Humanism provides neither paradise nor hell. But my LORD, who commanded me to treat you this way, offers both Paradise and Hell.

Currently, there are no Islamic societies that serve as proper examples for non-Muslims living within them, nor are these non-Muslims in countries that protect and support them if they embrace Islam, defending them from extremists and aggressors among their own people. Does this excuse them from embracing Islam? No, but it places on us the responsibility to make up for this through our good character and dealings with them, following Islamic guidelines, so we might win their hearts and make their path to Islam easier. I say this while aware of cases where brothers and sisters embraced Islam despite fearing injustice from their families.

What we’ve discussed will raise many questions: Should I treat a non-hostile non-Muslim the same way I treat a Muslim? Is it permissible to have affection for a non-believer? And what about those who are hostile? We will address these questions, ALLAH willing, in upcoming articles.

Conclusion: The True Islamic Perspective

Finally, the Muslim exemplifies the best character, utmost truthfulness, highest righteousness, and greatest mercy toward all people. We should take pride in our complete religion; we have nothing to conceal. Our hidden intentions are the same as our declared ones: “mercy to the worlds“, “the best nation produced for mankind“.

In contrast, Islam’s adversaries harbor hidden intentions of declaring Muslims as non-believers, though they don’t state it explicitly. They employ various methods to practice this declaration by making disbelief attractive and diminishing Islam in Muslims’ hearts, spreading religious doubt under the guise of “humanitarian work”, “cultural exchange”, and “intellectual enlightenment”. They fight against natural human disposition and spread corruption under the banner of “personal freedom” and “sexual culture” among other slogans.

Those with hidden, malicious agendas are the deceivers and traitors, while we remain honest and open. Therefore, they may hide their heads in shame, while we have every right to hold our heads high with our religion.

Peace and ALLAH’s mercy be upon you.

Source:

  1. Saheeh International translation ↩︎
  2. Saheeh International translation ↩︎
  3. Saheeh International translation ↩︎
  4. Saheeh International translation ↩︎
  5. Saheeh International translation ↩︎
  6. Saheeh International translation ↩︎
  7. Saheeh International translation ↩︎
  8. Saheeh International translation ↩︎
  9. Sahih Muslim ↩︎
  10. Saheeh International translation ↩︎
  11. Saheeh International translation ↩︎
  12. Sahih al-Bukhari ↩︎
  13. Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran ↩︎
  14. Sunan Abi Dawud ↩︎
  15. Sunan an-Nasa’i ↩︎
  16. Sahih al-Bukhari ↩︎
  17. Saheeh International translation ↩︎
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