Renting a flat from disbelievers sharing the kitchen with them
15-12-2003 | IslamWeb
Question:
Can I rent a basement apt from a non-Muslim family? I will have my own room, bathroom, etc., but will have to go up to use the kitchen.
Answer:
Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds; and may His blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon all his Family and Companions. Initially the Muslim should stay away from neighboring disbelievers and should do his best to live among Muslims in a society that show Islamic rites and apply Islamic teachings. The evidence for this is the Hadith reported by Muslim that the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam) narrated the story of a man who had killed 100 people and who ultimately came to a scholar and asked him about how to repent from this obnoxious sin. The scholar told that killer: Go to such and such land, there you will find some people who worship Allah Alone, worship Allah with them and do not return to your land. It is a land of evil. The other evidence is the Hadith, considered sound by Al-albani , where the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam) said: I am exempt from any Muslim who lives among non Muslims. [ Abu Dawood ] Nevertheless, there is no objection to rent a flat from a disbeliever and share the kitchen with him. But you should beware of their impurities and of entering the kitchen when some alien women are present there, above all, if there is fear of being alone with any of these women. The Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam) said: Beware of entering (in a place) where (alien) women are. [Reported by Imams al-Bukhari and Muslim ] The Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam) also said: No one of you should stay in seclusion with an alien woman. [Reported by Imams al-Bukhari and Muslim ] The prohibition becomes more emphatic if we know that the non Muslim women do not wear Hijab and nothing prevents them from depravity. On the other hand, if you need to use their utensils, you should clean them before use. Al-Bukhari reported from Abu Thalaba al-Khashani said, 'I said O! Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam) of Allah I live in a land of the People of the Book, can we eat in their utensils?' The Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam) said: If you find other than those utensils, do not eat in them. Finally, we advise you to adhere to righteous and good deeds. You should also keep on praying in congregation to meet Muslims, talk to them and study with them. Allah knows best.