In Islam, taking care of the needy and giving alms to those whose situation is worse than yours are fundamental aspects of the faith. Most people are aware that zakat, compulsory charity, is one of the five pillars of Islam. The Qur’an says: “Zakat is for the poor and needy, those who work to collect [it], those whose hearts are inclined to the truth [i.e. new converts to Islam], the freeing of slaves, those in debt, those who fight in God’s way, and the traveler. God has ordained it. God is All-Knowing, All-Wise (9:60; see also 2:177). Indeed, many verses of the Qur’an remind people of the importance of taking care of those in need while showing the rewards for such charity. Beyond this, Islam gives paramount importance to social harmony and charity is one way of building bridges between those of means and those without. There is a well-known hadith in which the Prophet is asked: “Which act in Islam is the best?” He responded “To give food and to greet everyone with ‘peace’ whether you know them or you do not.” (al-Bukhari, hadith no: 28). On another occasion, the Prophet told his followers that they should “not disdain or trivialize any good deed no matter how small it might seem, even just smiling [is such a deed].” (Muslim, hadith no: 2626) So even the simple act of smiling at someone on the street is a positive act. These are universal principles that were valid at the time of the Prophet and are at least as important if not more important today in our society.
Of these, perhaps one of the most important and succinct verses discussing the idea of welcoming strangers in Islam, is the following. “Worship God and associate nothing with Him, and do good to parents, and to relatives, orphans, the needy, the neighbor who is kin, the neighbor who is a stranger, the companion at your side, the traveler, and those whom your right hands possess. Indeed, God does not like those who are proud and boastful” (4:36; see also 2:215, 17:26) The term that is used here for traveler is ibn al-sabil and literally means the “son of the way,” which is generally understood as a person who has traveled significantly, i.e. someone who has traveled outside of his or her own hometown or region. Commentators on the Qur’an describe this term in several ways. Ibn Kathir discusses ibn al-sabil by describing him or her as “travelers [sic] passing a city who have nothing which helps them to continue on their journey, even if they have property in their home city” (Ibn Kathir vol. 4, 169). God commands one to be kind and do what is beautiful to those travelers because they are in a situation of strangeness and need and they cannot find the things that they had in their home countries. Given its prominence in this verse, it is clear that care for the travelling stranger, no matter his or her circumstances, is an important element of Islamic faith.
The Prophet of Islam praised strangers; he personally took care of them when they arrived in his city. Several narrators recorded versions of the same story of the Prophet speaking of the ghuraba. In one version, the Prophet said: “‘Blessed are the strangers.’ The companions asked, ‘Who are the strangers?’ The Prophet responded: ‘The strangers are the people who are stripped of their family and relatives’” (Ibn Majah, hadith no: 3388). Another hadith, narrated by the prominent companion Abu Huraira, expands on this idea and further explains why strangers are blessed in Islam. He reported that the Prophet said, “Islam began as something strange [i.e. as a small minority] and it will return to being strange, so blessed are the strangers.” (Muslim, hadith no: 145. A similar hadith is found in Ibn Majah, hadith no: 3987). The Prophet said “Of the people, the most beloved to God are the strangers.” The Prophet then was asked, who is a stranger? He responded: “Those who escape oppression because of their religion and get together around Jesus, the son of Mary” (Hammad, vol. 1, p 77). Prophet is describing a time of turmoil during which people will be forced to migrate due to oppression and leave their homes and property.
Even in the earliest days of the Prophet’s prophethood, there is ample evidence to easily conclude that most of the people who accepted his message were strangers, al-ghuraba in Mecca. Apparently, the elite group from Mecca were not happy with the Prophet’s fondness and care for these social outcasts many of whom were from the lowest rungs of society in Mecca, the al-Mawali, the slaves and servants. The Meccan elite told him that they would accept him if he kept these strangers and poor people away from him. A Qur’anic verse came and rejected their request. The verse says: “Do not repel those who call upon their Lord in the morning and in the evening, seeking His countenance. You are not accountable for them and they are not accountable to you. If you do repel them, [then you will] be among the wrongdoers. (6:52)
The Qur’an is also replete with examples of proper care for strangers and travelers. The two most famous of these are the stories of the Prophets Joseph and Moses. Joseph and his story is found in chapter 12 of the Qur’an, which is named after him. Like most prophetic narratives, Joseph’s story in the Qur’an is similar to what is found in the Bible, with subtle differences. Joseph was put into a well due to the jealousy of his brothers and he was found by a caravan. He was taken to Egypt where was sold in a market for a small amount of money. The Qur’an tells us that the king [pharaoh] of Egypt and his wife were the ones to purchase him. The Qur’an recounts their conversation: “And the Egyptian who bought him, said to his wife: ‘Make his stay comfortable, perhaps he will profit us or we shall adopt him as a son.’ Thus did We establish Joseph in the land, that We might teach him the interpretation of events. And God has full control over His affairs but most people do not know” (12:21). To summarize, the Qur’anic narrative continues to relate how, eventually, Joseph proves his loyalty to the king and his expertise in affairs of state and he rises to be in the second highest position in Egypt.
From a theological perspective, this includes strangers, migrants and refugees all of whom are considered innocent and hence must be protected. A further religious duty of those who are financially able to do so is to give shelter to those in need. Refugees, in turn, are bound by certain rules and laws. Classical Islamic jurists elaborated on some of these cases. For instance, al-Sarakhsi (d. 1090), a famous Hanafi jurist, said to protect travels/foreigners (al-Sarakhsi vol. 2, 215). Similarly, Akmal al-Din al-Babarti (d. 1384) said: “When Muslims enter a foreign abode, as traders, it is not permissible for them to harm their property or lives because they guaranteed that they will not do them any harm. Attacking after this contract is treachery and treachery is haram [forbidden]” (al-Babarti vol. 7, 17). Such legal pronouncements provide important guardrails for both parties and show how the care for strangers and one’s conduct as a stranger are integral parts of Islamic jurisprudence.
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