Question:

May Allah be good to you, Your Eminence. A questioner asks: There are those who issue religious verdicts (fatwas) permitting the killing of non-Muslims residing in the Arabian Peninsula, justifying this by claiming that they do not possess a treaty of protection (mu‘āhadīn) because their home countries kill Muslims under the pretext of combating terrorism. Is this fatwa correct?

Answer:

This is also among the rulings issued by the ignorant and ‘those who merely pretend to possess knowledge’ (al-muta‘ālimīn). It is impermissible to kill non-Muslims who have arrived under a covenant and security agreement. They have entered the lands of the Muslims under a covenant and security agreement guaranteed by the Muslims; thus, [harming them] constitutes treachery and betrayal, which is completely impermissible, even if they are within the Arabian Peninsula.

It is permissible for them to enter the Arabian Peninsula to serve the interests of the Muslims—whether as diplomats, merchants, or laborers performing tasks that others cannot execute proficiently; this is permissible. What is prohibited is permanent residency —namely, enabling non-Muslims to settle permanently in the Peninsula. As for entering the Peninsula for business and transactions and then departing, there is no objection to this.