Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

If i stay in a non islamic country and if the country where i stay goes to war with a islamic country should i support the country where i stay or the islamic country. Secondly if i am a soldier of a country which is again no muslim country can i fight with an islamic country.

Under Islamic shariah is a Muslim citizen of America or Britain allowed to plan or help in attacking non- military targets,or undermining the legitimate interests of the country of his cizenship?

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Support Islamic country or Non-Islamic country during war?

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad(saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

The believers’, who sincerely believe in Allah and the Last Day, first loyalty should always be to the Truth; not to his tribe or nation. The principle in Islam, regardless of what faith, nationality or what tribe one comes from, is to always stand on the side of the Truth, and to help the oppressed against the oppressors.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 4 Surah Nisaa verse 135:O you have believed! You be the standard-bearers of justice and witnesses for the sake of Allah; even though your justice and your evidence might be harmful to yourselves, or to your parents, or to your relatives. It does not matter whether the party concerned is rich or poor: Allah is their greater well-wisher than you. Therefore, do not follow your own desire lest you should deviate from doing justice. If you distort your evidence or refrain from the Truth, know it well that Allah is fully aware of what you do.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 5 Surah Maidah verse 8:O you who have believed! Be steadfast in righteousness and just in giving witnesses for the sake of Allah. The enmity of any people should not so provoke you as to turn you away from Justice. Do Justice; for it is akin to piety. Fear Allah (in all your affairs). Indeed, He is fully aware of what you do.

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 3.624 Narrated by Anas

Allah's Messenger (saws) said, "Help your brother, whether he is an oppressor or he is an oppressed one." People asked, "O Messenger of Allah (saws)! It is all right to help him if he is oppressed, but how should we help him if he is an oppressor?" The Prophet (saws) said, "By preventing him from oppressing others."

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 4 Surah Nisa verses 74-76:Those alone, who barter away this worldly life for that of the Hereafter, should fight in the way of Allah. Then We will bestow a great reward upon him who fights in the way of Allah, whether he be slain or be victorious. Why should you, then, not fight in the way of Allah for the sake of those helpless men, women and children who, being weak, have been oppressed, and are crying out, “Our Lord, deliver us from this habitation whose inhabitants are unjust oppressors, and raise a protector for us by Your Grace, and a helper from Yourself.” Those, who follow the way of Faith, fight in the way of Allah; and those who follow the way of disbelief, fight in the way of ‘taghut’ (Shaitaan). So fight against the helpers of Shaitaan with this conviction that Shaitaan’s crafty schemes are in fact very weak.

Thus, whether a believer lives in a muslim nation or a non-muslim nation, his first duty and loyalty is always towards the Truth and Justice. And the believer must realize that Truth and Justice is not what the leaders of the New World Order desire; but Truth and Justice is what Allah and His Messenger (saws) have declared. It does not behove a believer to stand on the side of Oppression and Injustice, whether the tyrant is a believer or a non-believer.

Your Question: Under Islamic shariah is a Muslim citizen of America or Britain allowed to plan or help in attacking non- military targets

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah Baqarah verse 190-191:And fight in the way of Allah with those who fight against you, but do not commit aggression; because Allah does not like the aggressors. Fight against them wherever they confront you in combat, and drive them out from where they drove you out. Though killing is bad; persecution is worse than killing!

Islam does not allow the killing of civilians, even when in a proper state of war. The Prophet of Allah (saws) prohibited the killing of women, the elderly, the children, and the civilians who did not take part in the war. Islam only allows the believers to fight those who fight against them in an actual state of war. Under no circumstances does Islam allow the believers to kill anyone who is not directly involved in the war, like civilians, women, the elderly, children, etc.

Thus, in conclusion, battles should not be fought because of one’s loyalty towards his people, tribe, nation, or country; but rather battles should be fought only against the tyrants that have forcefully suppressed Truth and Justice; regardless if the tyrant is a muslim or non-muslim.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your Brother in Islam,

Burhan