Conditioned dealing with Christians and Jews
4-12-2007 | IslamWeb
Question:
Is it permissible to deal with young men who are Jews or Christians in college for the sake of benefiting from their knowledge in the field of science?
Answer:
All perfect praise be to Allaah, the Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and messenger.
It is permissible for a Muslim to deal with non-Muslims, like Jews or Christians, to benefit from their knowledge in the field of science, provided that the Muslim observes the limits of Sharee‘ah. For example, a person is not permitted to socialize or mingle with them while they commit sins like drinking alcohol and so on. Moreover, it is impermissible for a Muslim (under the pretence of seeking knowledge) to meet their women in seclusion or sit with those who expose their adornment because this is indeed evil and it represents strong temptation.
However, a Muslim is permitted to answer their greetings and to be involved with them in buying and selling, for the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, used to do this. Moreover, it is permissible to benefit from their knowledge in the field of science in college, as mentioned in the question, provided that the person can keep intact the features that distinguish him as a Muslim, and can adhere to the rituals of his own religion.