Is the saying attributed to Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him: "Humiliate them, but do not wrong them..." authentic? And what is the interpretation of "humiliate them"? And how do we reconcile it with showing kindness to non-Muslims, the Prophet's visit (peace be upon him) to the sick Jew, and Umar's refusal to pray in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre? Does this contradict Allah's saying: (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)? And does the prohibition against employing a scribe from among them mean a complete prohibition of dealing with them?

Summary:

The aforementioned statement has a weak chain of transmission (is ضعيف الإسناد). The "humiliation" (الذلة) mentioned therein means that the People of the Book (Ahl al-Dhimma) must adhere to the rulings of Islam and be subject to God's judgment, while it is forbidden to oppress them. As for not employing a scribe who is enslaved, or who has been subjected to a legal punishment for slander (حد القذف), or whose testimony is not permissible, this applies specifically to Muslims. A scribe in the judiciary needs to possess justice, knowledge, and trustworthiness.

Umar ibn al-Khattab did not enter the church because of the images within it, but this did not prevent him from responding to the invitation of those who revered the Christians. Observing the Islamic legal rulings (الأحكام الشرعية) does not contradict kindness (البر), fairness (الإقساط), and good treatment (حسن المعاملة).