Nationalism In Islam: The Quran And Sunnah Both Support Patriotism
By
Muhammad Iqbal Chishti
Translated
into English by Ghulam Ghaus Siddiqi, New Age Islam
1 February
2024
Love For
The Homeland Is A Part Of Faith, Emphasized In The Quran And Sunnah, And Is
Considered A Key Factor In A Country's Progress And A Reflection Of Moral
Character. Both Patriotism And Islam Share A Close Relationship, As Both
Ideologies Are Inherently Human.
Main
Points
1. Islam and
patriotism share a close relationship, as patriotism is inherently human and
Islam is the religion of nature.
2. The Qur'an
and Sunnah contain numerous passages that demonstrate love for the homeland,
with some instances proving it legally permissible.
3. Imam Raghib
Isfahani argues that the love for one's homeland is the only thing that can
create and advance a country.
4. Love for
one's homeland is an indication of a person's moral character and instincts,
indicating that those of a lofty and noble temperament work tirelessly to
ensure the country's existence and security.
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Loving
one's home country is another requirement of faith. Humans naturally develop a
deep love for the places where they were born and live. This love for one's
homeland is demonstrated by the expression of deep love for the Holy Makkah, as
mentioned in the beautiful hadiths of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon
him). Pure love requires realistic
priority determination. Your preferences
and priorities change when you fall in love with something in a desired
location.
All people
have an innate affection for their country.
Islam has never contained instructions that call for denying one's
affection for one's home country.
Conversely, the Qur'an and Sunnah contain numerous passages that
demonstrate love for the homeland. There
are certain precedents and instances of love for the homeland in the blessed
sayings and deeds of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him). Additionally, with several examples like
this, jurists have proclaimed love for one's homeland to be legally
permissible.
The experts
of the Quran and Hadith have mentioned numerous stories on the love and
devotion of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) to his home and birthplace,
Makkah. Imam Suhaili wrote, "Hubb-al-Rasul Watanahu," which
means "the love of the Prophet (peace be upon him) for his homeland,"
in his book, "Al-Rawd Al-Anaf." Under this title, Imam Suhaili
states that the Prophet said nothing when Warqa bin Nawfal told him that his
people would not accept him. Second, the
Prophet said nothing at all when he was told that his people would bring him
sorrow and anguish. Thirdly, the Prophet
(peace be upon him) asked angrily, "Will they expel me from my
homeland?!" when he was told that he would be expelled from his hometown.
(Suhaili, Al-Rauz al-Anaf, Vol. 2)
This saying
discusses the Prophet's (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) deep love
for his native country and how difficult it was for him to be apart from it.
Upon learning
of his expulsion from his native land, the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him)
said, "Will my enemies expel me from here?" The question posed by the Prophet is very
eloquent. This question with exclamation states that he became upset upon
hearing of his expulsion from his homeland.
This resulted from the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)'s deep
love for his country. That is why the
Prophet said while addressing his homeland Makkah while migrating:
“O Makkah!
I know you are the most blessed (Khayr) of the land of God and how much
I love you. If your people did not force me to leave I would never have left
you.” (Hazrat Abdullah bin Abbas narrated this hadith, as mentioned in
Tirmidhi)
The Prophet
Muhammad (peace be upon him) made it quite evident in this hadith how much he
loved Makkah, the site of his birth and residence. Similarly, one of the greatest displays of
affection for his country is his lightning-fast ride to his home, Madinah
Munawwarah, upon his return from his travels.
It appears as though the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) rushed to
enter his country out of a deep love for it.
Hazrat Anas
narrates: Whenever the Prophet returned from a journey and observed the walls
of Medina, he would make his Mount go fast, and if he was on an animal (i.e. a
horse), he would make it gallop because of his love for Medina. (Sahih Bukhari)
This
beautiful hadith makes it quite evident that the Holy Prophet (peace be upon
him) loved his city, Medina so much that he would speed up his horseback rides.
This hadith
demonstrates the magnificence of the blessed Madinah as well as the validity
and reason for love and longing for the homeland, according to Hafiz Ibn Hajar
Asqalani's description and writing in Fath al-Baari, a commentary book of Sahih
Bukhari.
Similarly,
numerous blessed hadiths elucidate the love that the Holy Prophet (peace be
upon him) felt for his city, Medina.
According to Hazrat Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him), people
would bring the first fruit to the Holy Prophet (spotted)'s service as they
spotted it. After accepting it, the
Prophet (peace be upon him) would pray, saying, "O Allah, bless our fruits
and our (city) Madinah."
And he
would additionally say to Allah Almighty:
“O Allah,
make Al-Madinah as beloved to us as you made Makkah beloved or more than that.
Make it conducive to health, and bless us in its Sa’ and Mudd’
(units of weight and measurement) and transfer its fever to Juhfa.”
(Sahih Bukhari)
He also
prayed, saying, “O Allah! Bestow on Al-Madinah twice the blessings You bestowed
on Makkah,” (Sahih Bukhari)
The Prophet
(peace be upon him) also said, “O Allah, Ibrahim was Your servant, Your friend,
and Your apostle; and I am Your servant and Your apostle. Ibrahim made
supplication to You for the showering of blessings upon Makkah, and I am making
supplication to You for Madinah just as he made supplication to You for Makkah,
and the like of it in addition.” (Sahih Muslim)
For this
reason, according to Mulla Al-Qari, affection for one's homeland does not
contradict faith. (Al-Asraar al-Marfuaa fi al-Akhbaar al-Mauduaa)
In one of
his works, Imam Raghib Isfahani discusses "the love of country,"
stating that the only thing that may create and advance a country is a person's
love for their homeland. Had the people not loved their country, they would
have fled and abandoned their own, causing them to collapse.
Imam Raghib
Isfahani writes in his book about love of country: ‘Without love for one's
country, the countries would have been destroyed, with people fleeing to other
countries and their own becoming desolate. For this reason, it is stated that a
person's love for their country is the only thing that keeps it developing.’
Additionally,
Imam Raghib Isfahani states that love for one's homeland is an indication of a
person's moral character and instincts. This statement means that people of a
lofty and noble temperament not only have an intense love for their country,
but they also work tirelessly day and night to see it developed. They have an obligation to put their lives to
work to ensure the existence and security of the country. Instead of buying
notoriety and casting a stain on their country, these people contribute to
their country's good name, growth and development.
Given that
patriotism is inherently human and Islam is the religion of nature, it is
evident that the two ideologies get along. There is a close relationship
between Islam and patriotism.
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Urdu
Article: The Quran and
Sunnah Both Support Patriotism قرآن و سنّت سے حب الوطنی کی تائید
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-ideology/nationalism-quran-sunnah-patriotism/d/131632
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