Assalaamu alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuhu,

I have noticed that some Muslim brothers who come from abroad to study here in the UK also bring some bad habits with them.  Then the non Muslims see them and instantly will associate that person with Islam or whatever country they are from.  Many people will always remember the bad things about someone and most will forget a lot of the good things someone has done.  We have to remember that by living amongst non-Muslim people, we are showing them what a Muslim is really like.  We can do dawah in many ways.  Not just by talking with people, but also in our actions.

We have a lot to show the non Muslims.  We have the problem in that a lot of Muslims are on two extremes.  One will take the habit of "As in Rome, do as the Romans do" thinking that we should copy the non Muslims completely in everything.  Some even go as far as if a non-Muslim friend invites him to a party, then he will not want to disappoint the friend, so he goes with them to the party.  Then, we get the other extreme where there are some youths who say we should do Jihad this and Jihad that against the non-Muslims, and treat them badly. By having this attitude, they have started to alienate themselves and making the non-Muslims to hate the Muslims.  Islam is on the middle ground, we should do neither.  You should show Islam in your actions.  For example, if there is a lot of crime in your street, then try to get a "neighbourhood watch" scheme started.  This way, you will be forbidding evil and enforcing the good and helping the local community in the same time.  Insha Allah, they will realise that this "stranger" in the community is a helpful member of the local community.

To the Muslim business people, implement Islam in your business by not cheating anyone at all. Do good in your business actions and keep it Halal.  Remember, if you make money from Halal, then your food (from that money) will be Halal and so you will have Halal inside you.  Even if everyone has been cheating the customers, they will be caught, so do not copy them by cheating.  Remember that Allah is watching you.  Due to the media's natural xenophobic (against foreigners) attitudes, they will always try and see if you do any mistakes and probably splash it out on the news, even if there are others doing it as well.  There was this programme on the British TV called "Britain's Worst Restaurants" and they showed four restaurants/takeaways with three of them belonging to people with either a Muslim name or Indian subcontinent.  The other one was a Vietnamese.  Even though there are a few other takeaways and restaurants that are really grotty which do not belong to Muslims, the media will not mention them at all.  You should remember that these kind of things will always give the Muslims a bad press.

We Muslims must remember our manners as well, I have noticed that there are many Muslims who seem to have a short temper and sometimes end up with a police record for being violent.  We Muslims should not be fighting each other or anyone else.  We will do ourselves a lot of harm in this life and in the Hereafter.  If we have been wronged against, then tell the police.  Unfortunately, in some countries they seem to have made it an offence to protect oneself.  There was the case of a farmer in the UK who shot a thief with his shotgun.  He has ended up in prison for protecting himself.  We MUST control our temper and behaviour and remember that we should care about the neighbours.  There is a Hadith in Sahih Bukhari (Volume 8, Book 73, Number 45)  Narrated Abu Shuraih: The Prophet said, "By Allah, he does not believe! By Allah, he does not believe! By Allah, he does not believe!" It was said, "Who is that, O Allah's Apostle?" He said, "That person whose neighbour does not feel safe from his evil."

We should introduce people to Islam in our actions.  Be kind to them and have patience.  If they do fight you, then you have the choice of telling the police and seeing what action they take or leaving the area.  Remember, if you do something like shoot any of the non-Muslims, then you will have all this nonsense about "Islamic terrorist" on the TV and newspaper.  They will watch you like a hawk and any mistake you do, they will go on about it all the time!

I urge myself and the Muslims to remember Allah in everything you do.  By seeing our behaviour, the non-Muslims can see us in our true light.

We have our duty to present Islam in a good way, so I would say we can have non-Muslim friends, but it is within a limit.  Insha Allah, I have helped someone in understanding some aspects of the duties we have by living amongst non-Muslims as being "Ambassadors of Islam."

Whatever I have said that is wrong is from the Shaitan and whatever I have said that is correct is from Allah (swt). The truth is from Allah (swt). May Allah (swt) give us the love, fear, awe, respect and reverance for Him (swt), open our hearts and guide our deeds to the best for this life and the next, make us followers of the Sunnah of His Noble Prophet Muhammad (saw), make us live in Islam and die in a state of iman. Ameen. Jazakumallahu khairan.

Wa'alaikum assalaam warahmatullahi wabarakatuh,