MUHAMMADIYAH.OR.ID, YOGYAKARTA—Muslims are encouraged to make friends with non-Muslims and respect them. The basis of the notion is from Surah al-Hujurat verse 13.
Al-Qur’an, through surah al-Mumtahanah verses 8-9, commands Muslims to be kind and fair to non-Muslims. Indeed, al-Qur’an requires Muslims to show them affection.
Interpreting surah al-Mumtahanah verses 8-9, As-Sa’di in Tafsir Karim ar-Rahman mentioned that Allah commands His believers to maintain good relationships and repay other people’s goodness. Allah does not forbid Muslims from dealing kindly and fairly with those who have neither fought nor driven Muslims out of their homes.
As part of good muamalah, Islam prohibits Muslims from insulting what non-Muslims invoke besides Allah because they will insult Allah spitefully out of ignorance, as mentioned in Surah al-An’am verse 108.
In conclusion, the Muhammadiyah Council for Tarjih enacts that Muslims are allowed to get to know non-Muslims as long as it deals with social relationships and is not related to religious practices. Speaking of observance, Muslims use the principles of “lakum dinukum wa laiyadin” (for you is your religion, and for me is my religion).
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