Analysis of the Situation of Assimilating Oneself to the Infidels in Sunni & Shi'ite Jurisprudence

Assimilating oneself to the infidels, i.e. conforming oneself to a Non-Muslim is totally abominable and there is almost no disagreement in this regard. However, there is no agreement about the situation of the matter in terms of obligatory judgment as well as its generality, specifically about the intension and the knowledge of the assimilated person. And despite the necessity of reporting the disagreements between the Sunni and Shi'ite jurists and their judgments to determine the duties of Islamic Governments when trading with Non-Muslim governments, there is no comprehensive and detailed comparative compiled written text. Accordingly, the author intends to fill in the gap through describing and evaluating different Fatwas of different jurists and to criticize the dominant theory among the Sunnis and believes that assimilating oneself to Non-Muslims in terms of their behaviors and specific beliefs, provided that they are proven to be proprietary, is unlawful only with the aim of promotion of infidelity and undermining Islam and they are not forbidden by themselves. It should be also mentioned that instances of assimilation are not worship-related and are submissive to the customary opinion and consequently depends upon time and place.