There is nothing wrong with treating non-Muslims kindly if they are not fighting us

There isnothing wrong with showing kindness to non-Muslims, so long as they are notknown to be hostile towards Muslims or to be helping our enemies against us.Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Allah doesnot forbid you to deal justly and kindly with those who fought not against youon account of religion and did not drive you out of your homes. Verily, Allahloves those who deal with equity.

It is onlyas regards those who fought against you on account of religion, and have drivenyou out of your homes, and helped to drive you out, that Allah forbids you tobefriend them. And whosoever will befriend them, then such are the Zalimoon (wrong-doers those who disobey Allah).”

[al-Mumtahanah 60:8-9].

Ibn Katheer(may Allah have mercy on him) said:

That is, Hedoes not forbid you to treat kindly those disbelievers who are not fighting youbecause of your religion, such as the women and the weak among them.

“deal justly” means to treat them kindly

“and kindly” means fairly.

“Verily,Allah loves those who deal with equity”. End quote.

Tafseer Ibn Katheer, 4/446

Shaykh Ibn‘Uthaymeen said in his commentary on Soorat al-Baqarah(2/294):

With regard tonon-Muslims, there is nothing wrong with treating them kindly on condition thatthey are not among those who are fighting us because of our religion or seekingto drive us from our homes, because Allah, may He be exalted, says(interpretation of the meaning):

“Allah doesnot forbid you to deal justly and kindly with those who fought not against youon account of religion and did not drive you out of your homes. Verily, Allahloves those who deal with equity.”

[al-Mumtahanah 60:8].

The Muslimwill be rewarded for treating these people kindly. Allah, may He be exalted,stated that one of the attributes of the righteous, who are the people of Paradise, is (interpretation of the meaning):

“And theygive food, in spite of their love for it (or for the love of Him), to Miskin (poor), the orphan, and the captive”

[al-Insaan 76:8]

–and thecaptive cannot be anything other than a non-Muslim.

Qataadah (may Allah havemercy on him) said:

“And they givefood, in spite of their love for it (or for the love of Him), to Miskin (poor), the orphan, and the captive”

[al-Insaan 76:8]

–Allah has enjoined kind treatment of captives, and the captives at thattime would have been mushrikeen (polytheists).

See: Tafseer at-Tabari,10/8364

An-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said in al-Majmoo‘ (6/237):

If you givecharity to an evildoer or to a non-Muslim such as a Jew, a Christian or a Magian, that is permissible and there will be reward forthat in general terms. The author of al-Bayaansaid: as-Saymari said: The same applies with regardto a non-Muslim who is in a state of war with the Muslims. The evidence forthat is the verse in which Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation ofthe meaning): “And they give food, in spite of their love for it (or for thelove of Him), to Miskin (poor), the orphan, and thecaptive” [al-Insaan 76:8], and it is well knownthat the captive would be a non-Muslim who was in a state of war with theMuslims. End quote.

And Allah knows best.