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Is it forbidden to shelter or assist non-Muslim family members based on the Hadith: "May Allah curse whoever shelters an innovator (muhdith)"?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

The Hadith, "May Allah curse whoever gives refuge to a muhdith," was narrated by Muslim. The word "muhdith" (with a kasra on the dal) refers to someone who has introduced an evil innovation, such as committing a crime. Giving him refuge means supporting him and protecting him from retribution. "Muhdath" (with a fat-ha on the dal) refers to the innovation itself, and giving it refuge means being pleased with it. Therefore, providing housing for a non-Muslim and showing kindness to him does not fall under giving refuge to a muhdith; rather, it is a form of permissible righteousness and benevolence.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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