Short answer
Many authentic hadith teach justice and kindness to peaceful non-Muslims. The Prophet ﷺ stood for the funeral of a Jewish man, visited a sick Jewish boy, told Asma to keep ties with her non-Muslim mother, refused to curse those who opposed him, and warned that killing a non-Muslim under a covenant of peace keeps a person from the scent of Paradise.
These hadith are the basis of the Hanafi rulings that kindness, gifts, visiting the sick, honest trade and family ties with non-Muslims are permitted and rewarded, and that harming a peaceful non-Muslim in life, property or honour is haram.
The four schools agree on this.
Explanation
The Quran sets the frame: Allah does not forbid you from being good and just to those who do not fight you over religion. The hadith show what that looked like in the Prophet's ﷺ own life:
- Respect in death: a funeral passed and he stood. When told it was a Jew's funeral, he said: is it not a soul?
- Visiting the sick: he visited a Jewish boy who used to serve him when the boy fell ill.
- Family ties: when Asma bint Abi Bakr's mother, who was not Muslim, came to visit hoping for help, he told Asma: keep ties with your mother.
- No cursing: asked to curse the polytheists, he said: I was not sent to curse; I was sent as a mercy.
- Safety: whoever kills a person under a covenant will not smell the fragrance of Paradise.
- Gentleness: when some people greeted him with a twisted phrase wishing him death, and Aisha answered harshly, he told her that Allah loves gentleness in all things.
Some hadith set limits, such as the instruction not to be the first to give the greeting of salam to Jews and Christians. Hanafi scholars apply it with balance: a Muslim may begin with another kind greeting such as good morning, and may say salam first where there is a need. See salam to non-Muslims.
For the rules built on these hadith, see the rights of non-Muslims, visiting a sick non-Muslim and hadith about kindness.
The evidence
Quran, Surah Al-Mumtahana 60:8
لَّا يَنْهَىٰكُمُ ٱللَّهُ عَنِ ٱلَّذِينَ لَمْ يُقَٰتِلُوكُمْ فِى ٱلدِّينِ وَلَمْ يُخْرِجُوكُم مِّن دِيَٰرِكُمْ أَن تَبَرُّوهُمْ وَتُقْسِطُوٓا۟ إِلَيْهِمْ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُحِبُّ ٱلْمُقْسِطِينَ ﴿٨﴾
Allah does not forbid you from those who do not fight you because of religion and do not expel you from your homes - from being righteous toward them and acting justly toward them. Indeed, Allah loves those who act justly.
Kindness and justice to peaceful non-Muslims are allowed and loved by Allah.
Quran, Surah Al-Anbiyaa 21:107
وَمَآ أَرْسَلْنَٰكَ إِلَّا رَحْمَةًۭ لِّلْعَٰلَمِينَ ﴿١٠٧﴾
And We have not sent you, [O Muhammad], except as a mercy to the worlds.
The Prophet ﷺ was sent as a mercy to all.
Sahih al-Bukhari 1312
Sahih... فقيل له إنها جنازة يهودي فقال أليست نفسا ...
"He was told it was the funeral of a Jew, and he said: Is it not a soul?"
Respect for every human life.
Sahih al-Bukhari 2620
Sahih... نعم صلي أمك ...
"Yes, keep ties with your mother."
Keeping family ties with non-Muslim relatives.
Sahih Muslim 2599
Sahih... إني لم أبعث لعانا وإنما بعثت رحمة ...
"I was not sent to curse; I was sent only as a mercy."
The Prophet ﷺ refused to curse his opponents.
Sahih al-Bukhari 3166
Sahih... من قتل معاهدا لم يرح رائحة الجنة ...
"Whoever kills a person under a covenant will not smell the fragrance of Paradise."
The life of a peaceful non-Muslim is sacred.
Sahih al-Bukhari 6024
Sahih... مهلا يا عائشة إن الله يحب الرفق في الأمر كله ...
"Gently, Aisha. Allah loves gentleness in every matter."
Gentleness even with those who are rude.
Where the ruling is recorded
- al-Hidaya, Kitab al-Karahiya, the miscellaneous section. Permits visiting a sick Jew or Christian.
Checked by our team. For a more accurate answer to your own situation, consult a scholar. Quran translation by Sahih International. Hadith Arabic from the standard editions of the six books and the Muwatta, with gradings as recorded there; the English is our own rendering. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.