The Qur’an commands us to show affection and compassion to devout Jews and Christians

Muslims believe in all the Prophets sent by Allah before our Prophet
(saas), and love and respect them all equally. Similarly,they also
harbor a profound love and respectfor those people who were genuinely
devoted to these true Prophets and who defended the truth with them.
Verses from the Qur'an referring to the peoples of the Prophets read
as follows:
You who believe! Be helpers of Allah as Jesus son of Maryam said to
the Disciples, 'Who will be my helpers to Allah?' The Disciples said,
'We will be the helpers of Allah.' One faction of thetribe of Israel
believed and the other disbelieved. So We supported those who believed
against their enemy and they becamevictorious. (Surat as-Saff,14)
... There is a community among the People of the Book who are upright.
They recite Allah's signs throughoutthe night, and they prostrate.
They believe in Allah and the Last Day, and enjoin the right and
forbid the wrong, and compete in doing good. They are among the
righteous. You will not be denied the reward for any goodthing you do.
Allah knows those who have taqwa [fear of Allah]. (Surah Al 'Imran,
113-115)
Because Muslims behave according to the Qur'an and the Sunna of our
Prophet (saas), they also love the People of the Book. They feel
affection for those who remained loyal to Allah's Prophets and the
mission imparted to them. It is for these reasons that there can be no
question of a Muslim who has faith in Allah andHis Book ever adopting
ananti-Semitic line. That is because it is wrong to be anti-Semitic,
in other words to harbor enmity toward devout Jews who obeyed the
Prophet Moses (as) and his mission. It is unlawful, according to the
Qur'an, to feel anger toward the People of Israel because they live by
the Torah sent down by Allah to them through the Prophet Moses (as).
Such amoral conception is unbecoming of Muslims.
What matters for us is theattitude of our Prophet (saas), who always
treated Jews believing in Allah in his own day with great
understanding and justice. The People of the Book were treated with
great compassion in the time of our Prophet (saas)and the four Caliphs
who followed. These people were watched over and protected, and their
rightspreserved with justice. Our Prophet (saas) both called on them
to convert to Islam but also treated them well and allowed them to
live by their own faith.
If according to the Qur'an, the attitude to be adopted toward the
People of the Book were one of hostility, then the first person to do
that would obviously have been our Prophet (saas) himself. The fact
is, however, that historic documents make it clear that in the time of
our Prophet (saas) and the Caliphs who came after him, devout Jews and
other People of the Book who sought shelter with Muslims, asked for
protection and did not fight against them were always treated in a
lovingand protective manner. (You can read more details from here. )
Allah clarifies this in these verses:
Allah does not forbid you from being good to those who have not fought
you in the religion or driven you from your homes, or from being just
towardsthem. Allah loves those who are just. (Surat al-Mumtahana, 8)
Those who believe and those who are Jews and the Sabaeans and the
Christians, all who believe in Allah and the Last Day and act rightly
will feel no fear and will know no sorrow. (Surat al-Ma'ida, 69)
It is for these reasons that, according to the verses of the Qur'an,
it is atheists, associaters that Muslims need to wage an intellectual
struggle against, both in the time of our Prophet (saas) and in the
present day, and not devout believers. Our Prophet (saas) never fought
devout Jews or Christians who believed inthe Oneness of Allah. The
Prophet (saas) and his companions only fought against atheists and
thosepagans and hypocrites who did all they could, physically and
psychologically, to harm Muslims and prevent the spread of the
religion and stop Muslims preaching.
Looking at the battles fought by our Prophet (saas), these were always
fought for defensive purposes. In other words, the Prophet (saas)
never embarked on war against those who did not declarewar on him, and
never continued fighting againstthose who wished to put a stop to it
or asked for terms. Our Prophet (saas) remained completely loyal to
the conditions regarding war revealed by Allah in the Qur'an. Allah
reveals this in the Qur'an on the subject:
Permission to fight is given to those who are fought against because
they have been wronged – truly Allah has the power to come to their
support – (Surat al-Hajj, 69)
But if they cease, Allah isEver-Forgiving, Most Merciful. (Surat al-Baqara, 192)
... Do not fight them in the Masjid al-Haram until they fight you
there. But if they do fight you, then kill them... (Surat al-Baqara,
191)

Mullah Nasruddin

A neighbor who Nasruddin didn't like very much cameover to his
compound one day. The neighbor asked Nasruddin if he could borrow his
donkey. Nasruddin not wanting to lend his donkey to the neighbor he
didn't like told him, "I would love to loan you my donkey but only
yesterday my brother came from the next townto use it to carry his
wheat to the mill to be grounded. The donkey sadly is not here."
The neighbor was disappointed. But he thanked Nasruddin and began to walk away.
Just as he got a few steps away, Mullah Nasruddin's donkey, which was
in the back ofhis compound all the time, let out a big bray.
The neighbor turned to Nasruddin and said,"Mullah Sahib, I thought you
told me that your donkey was not here.
Mullah Nasruddin turned to the neighbor and said, "My friend, who are
you going to believe? Meor the donkey?
One day Nasruddin repaired tiles on theroof of his house. While
Nasruddin was working on the roof, a stranger knocked the door.
- What do you want? Nasruddin shouted out.
- Come down, replied stranger So I can tell it.
Nasruddin unwilling andslowly climbed down theladder.
- Well! replied Nasruddin,what was the important thing?
- Could you give little money to this poor old man? begged stranger.
Tired Nasruddin started to climb up the ladder and said,
- Follow me up to the roof.
When both Nasruddin and beggar were upside,on the roof, Nasruddin said,
- The answer is no!
Nasruddin opened abooth with a sign above it: Two Questions On Any
Subject Answered For Only 100 Silver Coins
A man who had two veryurgent questions handed over his money, saying:
- A hundred silver coins is rather expensive for two questions, isn't it?
- Yes, said Nasruddin, and the next question, please?

How is the fast of Dawood (peace be uponhim) observed, and howcan that be reconciled with the prohibition on fasting on Fridays?

I would like to know how to observe the fast of the Prophet of Allaah Dawood(peace be upon him). If hisfast – as is well known – means fasting one day and not the next, as the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) told us, but it is forbidden to single out Fridays for fasting, then how can we fast alternate days? Is it that singling out a Friday for fasting was not forbidden at the time of Dawood (peace be upon him)?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly: It is narrated in al-Saheehayn from ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Amr (mayAllaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The best fasting is the fast of Dawood: he used to fast one day and not the next.” This statement does not contradict the fact that it is not allowed to fast on Fridays, becausethe prohibition on fasting on Fridays applies to one who singles out a Friday rather than any other day.But the one who observesthe fast of Dawood – fasting alternate days – is not singling out a Friday for fasting.
Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
The hadeeth of ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Amr (mayAllaah be pleased with him) indicates that if fasting on a Friday or Saturday coincides with a day one usually fasts, without intending to single that day out for fasting, then there is nothing wrong with it, because if he fasts alternate days, then that will coincide with some Fridays and Saturdays. Thus it becomes clear thatfasting on these days is not haraam. Otherwise the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) would have said: Fast one day and notthe next, so long as that (fasting) does not coincidewith a Friday or Saturday.
Al-Sharh al-Mumti’, 6/476.
Secondly: With regard to your question about the ruling on singling out Friday for fasting in the law of Dawood (peace be upon him):
We do not know anythingabout the practical rulingsof the law of Dawood (peace be upon him) with regard to whether it was forbidden to fast on Fridays or other days. What we do know is that every Prophet has a law and a way, but their beliefwas one and the same, although their laws differed.
Allaah says (interpretationof the meaning):
“To each among you, We have prescribed a law anda clear way”
[al-Maa'idah 5:48]
It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say: “The Prophets are paternal brothers; their mothers are different, but their religion is the same.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 3259; Muslim, 2365.
What this hadeeth means is that the religion of the Prophets is one, which is Tawheed or belief in the Oneness of Allaah and that He alone is entitled to worship, even though their laws may differ. This is like brothers who have the same father but different mothers (which is what is meant by paternal brothers)./ - - - :-> Transtors: 1.http://free-translation.imtranslator.net/lowres.asp 2.http://translate.google.com/m?twu=1&hl=en&vi=m&sl=auto&tl=en

The Peacock and the Tortoise

ONCE upon a time a peacock and a tortoise became great friends. The peacock lived on a tree on the banks of the stream in which the tortoise had his home; and daily the peacock after he had a drink of water danced nearthe stream and displayed his gay plumage for the amusement of his friend. One unfortunate day, a bird-catcher who was on the prowl caught the peacock and was about taking him away to the market. The unhappy bird begged of his captor to allow him to bid his friend the tortoise good-bye, as itwould be the last time he would see him. The bird-catcher allowed him his prayer and took him tothe tortoise, who was greatly moved to see his friend a captive. The tortoise asked the bird-catcher to let the peacock go; but he laughed at the request, saying that was his means of livelihood. The tortoise then said, "If I make you a handsome present, will you let my friend go?""Certainly," answered the bird-catcher, that is all I want." Whereupon the tortoise dived into the water and in a few seconds came up with a handsome pearl, which, to the great astonishment of the bird-catcher, he handed to him. This was beyond his expectabons, and he let the peacock go immediately. A short time after, the avaricious man came back and told the tortoise that he thought he had not paid enough for the release of his friend, and threatened that, unless a match to that pearl was obtained for him, he would again catch the peacock. The tortoise, who had already advised his friend to betake himself to a distantjungle on being set free, was greatly enraged at thegreed of this man. "Well," said the tortoise, "if you insist on having another pearl like it, give it to me and I will fish you out an exact match for it." The cupidity of the bird-catcherprevented his reasoning that "one in the hand was equal to two in the bed of the stream," and he speedily gave the pearl to the wily tortoise, who swam out with it saying, "Iam no fool to take one and give two!" and forthwith disappeared, leaving the bird-catcher to be sorry ever after for his covetousness./ - - - :-> Transtors: 1.http://free-translation.imtranslator.net/lowres.asp 2.http://translate.google.com/m?twu=1&hl=en&vi=m&sl=auto&tl=en