Introduction

A common question Muslims have when reading the Qur’an and Sunnah is whether or not the lessons found therein apply to non-Muslims. Sometimes a text will refer to “Muslims” or “believers,” but does that mean it only applies to Muslims?
Some religious rules are certainly limited to Muslims, such as funeral rites, marriage, and dietary laws, but these differences are clearly defined in Islamic legal tradition. This research will show that other general exhortations to charity, kindness, and benevolence apply to both Muslims and non-Muslims, as Muslims should be respectful and well-mannered towards fellow human beings as a whole. There are plenty of indications in the Qur’an and Sunnah that much of our moral paradigm applies to the bulk of humanity, with exceptions made for the worst offenders of justice. 
This article aims to highlight the status of both Muslim and non-Muslim family members and neighbors in Islam. It will explain the various covenants of protection for non-Muslims that existed in classical Islam, how these covenants granted legal protections to non-Muslims that were equivalent to those protecting Muslims, and how these covenants are analogous to the concept of ‘citizenship’ today. Finally, it will analyze some of the Prophet’s ﷺ discourse in which he used exclusive language for Muslims, but which scholars have understood for various reasons to be inclusive of non-Muslims.

Non-Muslim family members in Islam

Non-Muslim neighbors in Islam

Non-Muslim covenant of protection

Exclusive language, inclusive meaning

Conclusion

Notes