Qur'an on How Muslims to Treat Unbelievers

How should Muslims treat people who do not believe in Islam?  What are they commanded to do?  Do their religious holy books instruct them to show love and tolerance, or do the books teach intolerance and hatred?  Here I provide a few take-home messages on the topic from Surah 60 of the Quran. 

Surah 60 was revealed after the Hijrah (Muhammad's migration from Mecca to Medina) but before Muhammad took Mecca from the Quraish.  If you talk to a Muslim, you may have given Surah 60:8 of the Quran as 'proof' that Muslims are to treat people fairly:

"Allah forbids you only about those who fought you on account of faith, and expelled you from your homes, and helped (others) in expelling you, that you have friendship with them. Those who develop friendship with them are the wrongdoers." Quran 60:8, Mufti Taqi Usmani

This verse at first looks like it promotes peace, but if you read it, you see that it provides no real guarantee to treat the unbeliever fairly.  The verse instructs the Muslim to show kindness and deal justly with those who HAVE NOT fought them over religion.  To those people who HAVE fought them over religion, showing friendship is wrong.  Such Muslims are called the wrongdoers, the same name given to unbelievers.

Lets us look at the verse in context of Surah 60.  Surah 60:1 tells Muslims, specifically here those Muslims setting out to do jihad, not to take enemies of Allah as allies nor to show friendship toward them:

"O you who believe, do not take My enemies and your enemies for friends, expressing love with them, while they have rejected the Truth that has come to you, expelling the Messenger and your selves (from Makkah) merely because you have faith in Allah who is your Lord, if you have set out to do Jihād (struggle) in My way, and to seek My pleasure. You express love with them secretly, while I know what you have concealed and what you have revealed. Any of you who does this has missed the straight path." Quran 60:1, Mufti Taqi Usmani

Who are the enemies of Allah?  The passage is reflecting on the events that led to the Hijrah, where Muhammad was driven out of Mecca.  Include in the enemies of Allah are those who reject Muhammad's message. 

In Surah 60:4, Muhammad quotes a statement attributed to Abraham.  In this statement, Abraham apparently chose to reject and dissociate from his people.  The reason?  They started worshipping of Gods other than Allah: 

 "Indeed, there is an excellent example for you in Ibrāhīm and those with him, when they said to their people, “We disown you and what you worship instead of Allah. We disbelieve in you. Enmity and hatred has arisen between us and you forever, unless you believe in Allah alone”,... " Quran 60:4, Mufti Taqi Usmani

Because of their faith in other deities, Abraham became consumed with hostility and hatred against his own people.  How can this hostility be taken away?  Only by believing in Allah, and Allah alone.

Jesus offers a better way.  In the Bible, Jesus you teaches to love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.  This idea is both counterintuitive and transformative.  We are no longer required to be the instrument for God’s justice; let God be our judge.  We need not fight unbelievers in God.  God is all powerful.  He is able to defend his good name.  He will deliver justice.

Take home messages:
  1) Muslims are NOT commanded to treat ALL unbelievers with love and friendship.
  2) Rather, they are to withhold friendship from opponents of Allah. 
  3) Opponents of Allah are those that reject Muhammad's message.
  4) Muslims who have friendship with such people are wrongdoers.
  5) Even worship of another god but Allah can produce hostility in Muslims.
  6) This hostility can only be removed by converting to Islam.