Allah does not forbid that you be kind and just to those who did not fight against you on account of religion, nor drove you out of your homes. Surely Allah loves those who are equitable.1
Footnotes
[1]
Here a doubt may arise in the minds. It is all right to
treat the disbelievers, who are not hostile, kindly, but
should only they be treated unjustly? And should the
disbelievers, who arc hostile, be treated unjustly? The
answer is that in this context, the word justice, in fact, has
been used in a special sense. It means: Justice demands that
you should not be hostile to those who are not hostile to
you, for it is not justice to treat the enemy and the nonenemy
alike. You have every right to adopt a stern attitude
towards those who persecuted you for embracing Islam and
compelled you to leave your homes and pursued you even
after your expulsion. But as for those who were not
partners in persecuting you, you should treat them well and
should fulfill the right they have on you because of blood
and other relationships.