Salaam
My mother has a Christian maid.She has worked for my mother for 12 years very good heartedly.She served her with good intentions. But the Quran says Christians should not be friends and you shouldn’t share secrets with them. But my mother still keeps contact with her. Please enlighten me as to what Islam says.
Wa’alaykum as Salām wa raḥmatullāhi wa barakātuhu,
The Qurān prohibits us from taking non Muslims as bosom friends. Allāh Ta’ālā says:
“لا يَنْهَاكُمُ اللَّهُ عَنِ الَّذِينَ لَمْ يُقَاتِلُوكُمْ فِي الدِّينِ وَلَمْ يُخْرِجُوكُمْ مِنْ دِيَارِكُمْ أَنْ تَبَرُّوهُمْ وَتُقْسِطُوا إِلَيْهِمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُقْسِطِينَ
There are generally four types of association in Shari’ah:
a) Mu’āmalāt (dealing),
b) Muwāsāt (sympathetic),
c) Mustārāt (kind),
d) Muwālāt (hearty friendship).
The first 3 types of association are permissible. The fourth type (i.e. hearty relationship) is strictly prohibited with a non-Muslim as there is a fear of him influencing a Muslim against Islamic values and principles. The maid is just someone who helps in carrying out ones chores and is not considered as a bosom friend. In fact, the vast majority of slaves during the time of Nabi صلي الله عليه وسلم were non Muslims, since they were those captured from war.
Wassalaam,
Ismail Moosa (Mufti)
Iftaa Department,
Euro-Sunni & Islamic Research and Welfare Academy