Asalamu Alaykum, My question is about disliking whole races of people. I used to work for an organisation where many workers from a specific country and they were rude, arrogant and racist to people not of their background. I have since found it hard to like anyone from that background because of my experiences with a few of them. Is it permissible to not like a whole race of people based on my experience with a few of them? They are not Muslims, and the country they originate from has no Muslims. Jezek Allah Khair

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

There is no race or country that does not have both good/bad-mannered people. To make generalizations based on certain situations is not fair. What is obligatory is that a Muslim does not wrong anyone in his dealings.

As regards the natural love and inclination, a Muslim is not obliged to love the people of a particular country and he is not sinful if he does not love them.

What is obligatory in Islam is to achieve an Islamic love; meaning that a Muslim loves his fellow Muslim according to the extent of the latter's faith and righteousness, and that he hates a non-Muslim according to the extent of his disbelief and disobedience.

For information on Islam's stance on racism, kindly refer to Fataawa 84769 and 86205.

Allaah Knows best.