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:

Dear Brother Burhan,

I appreciate your co-operation & dedication towards encouraging & guiding people all over the world on the right path in the light of hadees & quran. I honestly want to meet you in personal & greet you for your sincere contribution towards Islam & muslims.May Allah grant you Jannat.Ameen .

My question is very much complicated , specially in my group of friends we use to have lots of debate on this serious issue. Everybody gives his own reasons to prove the other wrong. Also we r not great scholars so that we can sort it out calmly by debating in peaceful manner using the verse & hadeeth. My question is that I am staying in a country where muslims r in minority & the ruling government is non-muslim. One of my cousin is in the army of my country. Suppose if any war takes place between my country & a muslim nation is it permitted for me to fight for my country against our own muslim brothers.Secondly I want know that as I am in a non-muslim country can should I give importance to the muslim brothers staying in the other country or should I put my country in front whether it may be matter of war , games or any other thing. What comes first? I hope u would have understand my question & I request you to reply it in detail with as many as possible verses of quran & hadees attached so that I can solve this issue between the group of our friends.Your earliest & urgent reply in this matter will be highly appreciated.

(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:

Join non-muslim army loyalty

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.

Your Question: My question is that I am staying in a country where muslims r in minority & the ruling government is non-muslim. One of my cousin is in the army of my country. Suppose if any war takes place between my country & a muslim nation is it permitted for me to fight for my country against our own muslim brothers.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 60 Surah Mumtahina verses 8-9:

8 Allah forbids you not with regard to those who fight you not for (your) Faith, nor drive you out of your homes, from dealing kindly and justly with them: for Allah loveth those who are just.

9 Allah only forbids you with regard to those who fight you for (your) Faith, and drive you out of your homes, and support (others) in driving you out, from turning to them (for friendship and protection). It is such as turn to them that do wrong.

There is nothing wrong in joining the army of a pagan-nation one lives in or as a job and a means of livelihood; but when the situation arises where that pagan nation declares war or attacks a nation of believers, the believer in the pagan army would in effect would have to fight against brothers from his own faith, and thus put himself and his faith in a very big trial.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 58 Surah Mujadila verse 22:

22 Thou wilt not find any people who believe in Allah and the Last Day loving those who resist Allah and His Messenger, even though they were their fathers or their sons or their brothers or their kindred. For such He has written Faith in their hearts and strengthened them with a spirit from Himself. And He will admit them to Gardens beneath which Rivers flow to dwell therein (for ever). Allah will be well pleased with them and they with Him. They are the Party of Allah. Truly it is the Party of Allah that will achieve Felicity.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 4 Surah Nisaa verse 76:

76 Those who believe fight in the Cause of Allah; and those who reject faith fight in the Cause of Evil: so fight ye against the friends of the Shaytaan: feeble indeed is the cunning of the Shaytaan!

In light of the above absolutely clear guidance of the Quran, it would not be permissible or lawful in the least for a believer to join or support an army which is at war with a nation of believers, regardless of whether the believers happens to reside in the pagan nation or not!

Your Question: Secondly I want know that as I am in a non-muslim country can should I give importance to the muslim brothers staying in the other country or should I put my country in front whether it may be matter of war , games or any other thing. What comes first?

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, His Messenger (saws), and the deen of al-Islam will supercede all his other ‘loves’, and his loyalty unto Allah Subhanah, His Messenger (saws), and al-Islam will supercede all his other ‘loyalties’!

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, His Messenger (saws), and al-Islam 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