Exchanging presents with people of other religions on account of business

Question

Question: Because I am in the brick business, I have to go to followers of other religions to take orders for bricks or to collect payment for bricks. Is it permissible according to the Shari‘a to take them some fruit or sweets out of respect, or to say “namaskar” (a Hindu greeting) to them, or to sit in the place where they sit, where puja (Hindu worship) or shirk takes place, and where pictures of their deities or objects of worship are hung — to sit in such a place — or not? (2)

Answer

Meeting them, dealing with them and giving them fruit and the like on account of the brick business is all correct; but whatever is worship in their religion, never do it, nor venerate those things; whatever dealings have to be done, do not do them in the place of Hindu worship. (2) Business, buying and selling dealings with them are also correct.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

Preview. The full text opens with JavaScript enabled.