The Muslim Students’ Association of the University of Houston has a most interesting website, especially its page headed “Questions Related to Aqidah (Faith).” (Thanks to MB for the link.) Among other things, it tells Muslims that they should not hire unbelievers, and that Muslims are permitted to be polite to unbelievers for the purpose of calling them to Islam.
(I wonder if the UH authorities know that the MSA is advocating religious discrimination.)
Ruling About Hiring a Non-Muslim Maid [or Servant]
Question: I sent requests asking for a maid to help my wife with her housework. I discovered, through letters, that they did not find a Muslim in the country that I wanted a maid from. Is it allowed for me to hire a non-Muslim maid?
Response: It is not allowed to have a non-Muslim maid or a non-Muslim male servant, or a worker who is non-Muslim for anyone living in the Arabian Peninsula. This is because the Prophet (peace be upon him) ordered the Jews and Christians to be expelled from that land. He ordered that only Muslims should be left there. He decreed upon his death that all polytheists must be expelled from this Peninsula.
Although this only has to do with the Arabian Peninsula, the Saudi Sheikh who is writing this ruling then expands its scope:
Furthermore, hiring disbelieving men and women is very dangerous for the Muslims, their faith, their behavior and the upbringing of their children. Therefore, such must be prevented in obedience to Allah, the Glorified, and His Messenger (peace be upon him), and to prevent a source of evil and immorality.
And Allah is the One who provides guidance.
Shaikh Ibn Baz
And then there is directive to manipulate the unsuspecting:
Ruling Concerning Mixing with the Disbelievers in order to Call Them to Islam
Question: Is it allowed to mix with the disbelievers, Christians, Hindus and others, and to eat and talk to them or even to be amicable with them as a means of calling them to Islam?
Response: It is allowed to mix with the disbelievers, sit with them and be polite with them as means of calling them to Allah, explaining to them the teachings of Islam, encouraging them to enter this religion and to make it clear to them the good result of accepting the religion and the evil result of punishment for those who turn away. For this purpose, being a companion to them and showing love for them is overlooked in order to reach that good final goal.
Shaikh Ibn Jibreen
“For this purpose, being a companion to them and showing love for them is overlooked in order to reach that good final goal.” In other words, it is an objective evil to be a companion to and show love for an unbeliever “” unless one is doing it to convert them.
This ruling accords completely with Qur’an 3:28: “Let not the believers take for friends or helpers unbelievers rather than believers: if any do that, in nothing will there be help from Allah: except by way of precaution, that ye may guard yourselves from them.” It’s a bit convoluted, but the verse is essentially saying that Muslims must not make friends with non-Muslims, except insincerely, in order to strengthen themselves against them. This is one of the foundation verses of the doctrine of religious deception, taqiyya. And certainly making friends with an unbeliever in order to make him a Muslim would be one way to strengthen the Muslim community.