1132 – ʿUmar (may Allah be pleased with him) related that he heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: “I shall certainly expel the Jews and the Christians from the Arabian Peninsula, leaving no one there but a Muslim.” Reported by Muslim (1).
What is drawn from the ḥadith:
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Living alongside and socialising with unbelievers is harmful and leads to major evils, for fear that simple-minded or uninformed Muslims may imitate them, admire their beliefs, or seek to follow their ways.
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Muslims, therefore, must maintain their own distinct identity and independence in their homeland, keeping away from close association with those who differ from them in creed.
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Hence Jews, Christians, Magians, and all other non-Muslim adherents of any religion are to be expelled from the Arabian Peninsula.
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From this we learn the error into which many Muslims have fallen by hiring non-Muslim drivers and domestic servants—women who rear their children, live in their homes, and mix with them. This is a serious mistake with grave consequences. Although such dealings may not be strictly unlawful, they are fraught with danger; the apprehension arising from this close, continuous contact and companionship is not at odds with what will be mentioned in paragraph (6).
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The Arabian Peninsula is theirs alone. The Arabs are the bearers of the Muḥammadan message, and their land is the place where revelation descended; therefore, under no circumstances is it permissible for non-Muslims to reside there.