Are non-Muslims evil according to Islamic belief?
The question of whether non-Muslims are considered evil in Islamic belief is nuanced and cannot be answered with a simple yes or no. The Qur'an and various interpretations provide clarity on this matter.
In Surah Al-Baqarah, it is stated: Evil is that for which they sell their souls: that they should disbelieve in that which Allah hath revealed, grudging that Allah should reveal of His bounty unto whom He will of His slaves. They have incurred anger upon anger. For disbelievers is a shameful doom.
2:90. This verse highlights that disbelievers—those who reject faith and the messages revealed by Allah—are in a state of grave misjudgment and are subject to divine anger.
Additionally, in Surah Al-Maaida, it is said: If they believed in Allah and the Prophet and that which is revealed unto him, they would not choose them for their friends. But many of them are of evil conduct.
5:81. This verse suggests that those who do not believe may engage in conduct that is deemed evil, particularly in the context of rejecting faith.
However, this does not translate to a blanket condemnation of all non-Muslims as inherently evil. Islamic teachings emphasize the distinction between individuals and their beliefs. Notably, Majma al-Bayan explains that the Qur'an recognizes that among the People of the Scripture (Jews and Christians), there are believers who acknowledge the truth of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and the revelations he brought. The commentary states that "among them are believers" while acknowledging that most of them are rebellious,
indicating a spectrum of belief and conduct among non-Muslims 3:110.
In summary, while the Qur'an does criticize disbelief and associates it with evil conduct, it also acknowledges the existence of righteous individuals among non-Muslims and emphasizes the importance of actions over labels. Thus, the perception of non-Muslims in Islam varies based on their beliefs and actions rather than a wholesale classification of evil.
Sources
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2:90 · Al-Baqara
2:90 · Muhammad Marmaduke Pickthall
بِئْسَمَا ٱشْتَرَوْا۟ بِهِۦٓ أَنفُسَهُمْ أَن يَكْفُرُوا۟ بِمَآ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ بَغْيًا أَن يُنَزِّلَ ٱللَّهُ مِن فَضْلِهِۦ عَلَىٰ مَن يَشَآءُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِۦ ۖ فَبَآءُو بِغَضَبٍ عَلَىٰ غَضَبٍۢ ۚ وَلِلْكَٰفِرِينَ عَذَابٌۭ مُّهِينٌۭ
Evil is that for which they sell their souls: that they should disbelieve in that which Allah hath revealed, grudging that Allah should reveal of His bounty unto whom He will of His slaves. They have incurred anger upon anger. For disbelievers is a shameful doom.
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5:81 · Al-Maaida
5:81 · Muhammad Marmaduke Pickthall
وَلَوْ كَانُوا۟ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِٱللَّهِ وَٱلنَّبِىِّ وَمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْهِ مَا ٱتَّخَذُوهُمْ أَوْلِيَآءَ وَلَٰكِنَّ كَثِيرًۭا مِّنْهُمْ فَٰسِقُونَ
If they believed in Allah and the Prophet and that which is revealed unto him, they would not choose them for their friends. But many of them are of evil conduct.
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3:110 · Aal-i-Imraan
3:110 · Muhammad Marmaduke Pickthall
كُنتُمْ خَيْرَ أُمَّةٍ أُخْرِجَتْ لِلنَّاسِ تَأْمُرُونَ بِٱلْمَعْرُوفِ وَتَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ ٱلْمُنكَرِ وَتُؤْمِنُونَ بِٱللَّهِ ۗ وَلَوْ ءَامَنَ أَهْلُ ٱلْكِتَٰبِ لَكَانَ خَيْرًۭا لَّهُم ۚ مِّنْهُمُ ٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ وَأَكْثَرُهُمُ ٱلْفَٰسِقُونَ
Ye are the best community that hath been raised up for mankind. Ye enjoin right conduct and forbid indecency; and ye believe in Allah. And if the People of the Scripture had believed it had been better for them. Some of them are believers; but most of them are evil-livers.
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Majma al-Bayan fi Tafsir al-Qur'an on 5:81
Majma al-Bayan fi Tafsir al-Qur'an · 5:81
(And if they had believed in Allah and the Prophet and what was revealed to him, they would not have taken them as allies, but many of them are rebellious.) Meaning: If they truly believed in Allah, that is, they believed in and trusted Allah's words, and also believed in the Prophet Muhammad (may blessings and peace be upon him and his family), and in what was revealed to him from the Qur'an — truly and sincerely, as they profess outwardly — then they would not have taken as allies the disbelievers. This interpretation is supported by Ibn Abbas, Al-Hasan, and Mujahid. Others say that the 'Prophet' here refers to Moses, and 'what was revealed to him' is the Torah, thus referring to the Jews, who displayed explicit hostility toward the Messenger of Allah and allied themselves with the polytheists. The term 'allies' in this context means mutual support and assistance in opposing and fighting against the Prophet Muhammad (may blessings and peace be upon him and his family) and enmity toward him. It is also possible that 'allies' is meant in the literal sense of close friendship and loyalty. (But many of them are rebellious) describes them as sinful and disobedient. Although disbelief ('kufr') is generally more severe in terms of blame, there are two reasons for describing them as rebellious ('fasq'): first, it implies their rebellion and transgression beyond mere disbelief, which is not fully captured by simply calling them disbelievers; second, one who is rebellious in his disbelief is one who resists and turns away from it continually. The text indicates that they are rebellious in their disbelief, meaning they persistently defy it. (Indeed, you will find the most intense of the people in enmity toward the believers to be the Jews and those who associate others with Allah. And you will find the nearest of them in affection to the believers are those who say, "We are Christians.") This is because among them are priests and monks who are humble, and when they hear what has been revealed to the Messenger, you see their eyes overflow with tears because of recognizing the truth. They say, "Our Lord, we have believed; so record us among the witnesses."
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