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:

Assalam alai kum

First of all let me thank this website for doing a wonderful job of enlghting people i hope and pray to almighty allah that u keep doin this to awaken Islam in out brothers and sisiters inshallah.

My question is if a momin has any duties towards his country? Am a Indian Muslim and and i love my country very much am very patriotic but i have seen lot of Indian muslims who do not love thier country and always bad mouth and support other countries in every matter of life from sports, politics to everythin.

please let me know and guide under the light of quran or hadith if being a muslim and a country men if we we have any duties towards the Country.

Allah hafeez

(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:

Loyalty towards country or islam

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 none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

May Allah Subhanah reward you with the best of this world and the Hereafter for your kind comments of encouragement for our humble efforts in the propagation of the Truth. If our humble and modest efforts have helped even one brother or sister get closer to Allah and His Deen of Truth, then we would consider ourselves indeed fortunate to have been given this opportunity by the Lord Most Merciful to serve in His Cause. We hope, beg, and pray the Merciful Lord accepts our humble and weak efforts, forgives us our shortcomings, and saves you, us, and all the believers from the torment of the Hell Fire. Ameen.

It is only natural that one loves and is loyal to one’s family, one’s friends, or the neighborhood one was born or grew up in, or the country one resides in, etc…..and there is absolutely no harm and no sin if one builds such love and loyalties in their life of this world.

But when one reaches the age of understanding, and with total and absolute conviction believes in Allah Subhanah as their Lord, Creator, and Sustainer….and believes in the advent and the reality of the Last Day….then it would be only a manifestation and sign of one’s sincere faith that their eternal and everlasting loyalty would always be aligned to Allah Subhanah, the Lord and Creator of everything in existence!

For one who sincerely believes in Allah and the Last Day, his love for Allah Subhanah will supercede all his other ‘loves’, and his loyalty for Allah Subhanah will supercede all his other ‘loyalties’!

Your Question: please let me know and guide under the light of quran or hadith if being a muslim and a country men if we we have any duties towards the Country.

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 1.15 Narrated by Anas

The Prophet (saws) said, "Whoever possesses the following three qualities will have the ‘sweetness of faith’:

1. The one to whom Allah and Messenger (saws) becomes dearer than anything else.

2. Who loves a person and he loves him only for Allah's Sake.

3. Who hates to revert to disbelief just as he hates to be thrown into the fire."

Dear and beloved brother in Islam, it is only natural that one might ‘love’ or develop ‘loyalties’ with many things in their given context; and one may and should strive to fulfill each ‘love’ and each ‘loyalty’ according to its prescribed hierarchy; thus there is absolutely no harm if one fulfills more than one loyalty.

But when one finds oneself in a situation that their loyalty to a thing clashes or is in contrast with one’s loyalty to their own Creator….then belief and faith commands that the person disregard all such ‘loyalties’ which clash or even come close to compromising their ‘loyalty’ with The One Who Creates and Sustains all things!

It is only a manifestation of one’s true belief and faith that one manifests and maintains unconditional ‘loyalty’ to Allah and His Messenger (saws) above all things in creation.

Thus if one is fortunate enough to live or dwell in a land which one sincerely loves and is patriotic or loyal to….there is absolutely no harm; and it would be their duty as a good citizen of that land to obey and follow all the laws of the land. But if at any point in their lives they find themselves in a situation where the laws of the land, or their love or loyalty for their land happens to clash with the Laws of Allah Subhanah, or clashes with their love or loyalty to Allah Subhanah….then those who sincerely believe in Allah and the Last Day should know with absolute conviction that it is only to Allah Subhanah and His Messenger to whom their unconditional loyalty is due.

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

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan