Is Love for One's Homeland a Part of Faith?
Sheikh Maqbool Ahmad Salafi Hafizahullah / Jeddah Dawah Center
Sheikh Maqbool Ahmad Salafi Hafizahullah / Jeddah Dawah Center
It is commonly believed among people that love for one's homeland is a part of faith, so faith requires that one loves their homeland, and those who do not love their homeland are considered opposers of their homeland. In reality, this belief is based on a hadith that goes: "Love of the homeland is a part of faith." This means that loving one’s homeland is a part of faith.
This hadith is widely spread among the public, who regard it as authentic, although this hadith is not proven from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. I will mention some rulings by hadith scholars on this hadith to give an idea of whether it is authentic or fabricated:
1. Al-Saghani said that this hadith is fabricated. (Mawdu'at al-Saghani: 53)
2. Al-Sakhawi said that he is not aware of this hadith. (Al-Maqasid al-Hasanah: 218)
3. Al-Suyuti said the same as al-Sakhawi. (Al-Durar al-Muntathira: 65)
4. Mulla Ali Qari said that it is said that it has no basis or its basis is fabricated. (Al-Asrar al-Marfu'ah: 189)
5. Muhammad bin Muhammad al-Ghazi said this hadith does not exist. (Ittqan Ma Yuhsan: 1/222)
6. Al-Zurqani said that he does not know this hadith. (Mukhtasar al-Maqasid: 361)
7. Al-Wadi’i said that this is not proven from the Prophet ﷺ. (Al-Fatawa al-Hadithiyyah: 1/56)
8. Muhammad Jar Allah al-Sa’di said that no such hadith has come. (Al-Nawafiḥ al-‘Aṭirah: 120)
9. Sheikh Ibn Uthaymeen said that it is famous but has no basis. (Sharh al-Nuzhah li Ibn Uthaymeen: 55)
10. Sheikh Albani رحمه الله also ruled that this hadith is fabricated. (Al-Silsilah al-Da'ifah: 36)
The purpose of writing such a long discussion on this hadith is to make people aware that loving one's homeland is not a part of faith. If someone sacrifices their life for their homeland, they do so for the homeland itself and not for faith or Islam; hence, those who sacrifice themselves for their homeland are referred to as sacrificing for their homeland but not as martyrs.
Indeed, love for one's homeland is a natural thing; one naturally loves the place where they are born and settle, and this love is permissible. The Prophet ﷺ also loved his homeland and expressed this love. He used to pray:
اللهمَّ حَبِبْ إلينَا المدينةَ كحُبِّنَا مكةَ أو أَشَدَّ(صحيح البخاري:5654)
Translation: "O Allah, make us love Madinah as we love Makkah or even more."
This indicates the Prophet ﷺ’s love for Makkah:
قالَ رسولُ اللَّهِ صلَّى اللَّهُ عليهِ وسلَّمَ لمكَّةَ ما أطيبَكِ من بلدٍ وأحبَّكِ إليَّ، ولولا أنَّ قومي أخرجوني منكِ ما سَكَنتُ غيرَكِ(صحيح الترمذي:3926)
Translation: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to Makkah: "How pure you are as a city and how much I love you. If my people had not expelled me, I would have stayed in no other place but you."
Similarly, the Prophet ﷺ had immense love for Madinah. In Sahih al-Bukhari, it is mentioned that when he returned from a journey and saw Madinah, he would hasten his mount out of love for Madinah. Anas bin Malik رضي الله عنه said:
كان رسولُ اللهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم إذا قَدِمَ مِن سفرٍ ، فأَبْصَرَ درجاتِ المدينةِ ، أَوْضَعَ ناقتَه ، وإن كانت دابَّةً حرَّكَها .(صحيح البخاري:1802)
Translation: "When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ returned from a journey and saw the heights of Madinah, he would hasten his camel, and if it were another animal, he would urge it on."
Further, Abu Abdullah Imam Bukhari mentioned that Harith bin Umair added these words from Humaid: he would hasten his mount out of love for Madinah.
Hafiz Ibn Hajar رحمه الله, explaining this hadith, wrote at the end:
"And in the hadith, there is an indication of the virtue of Madinah and the permissibility of loving one's homeland and longing for it." (Fath al-Bari)
Translation: This hadith indicates the virtue of Madinah and similarly the permissibility of loving one's homeland. Thus, it becomes clear that the Prophet ﷺ had immense love for Makkah and Madinah. Sheikh Albani رحمه الله wrote that the Prophet ﷺ loved Makkah because Makkah is beloved to Allah, not because it was his homeland. It can be said that the Prophet ﷺ loved Makkah both as a homeland and because of Allah’s love for it, as evidence shows both types of love. Just as a person loves their life and wealth, they also love the place where they are born and reside. There is no legal objection to this natural love, as it is related to nature. However, if this natural love overrides the love for Allah and His Messenger or their commands, then there is a severe warning against it.
This hadith is widely spread among the public, who regard it as authentic, although this hadith is not proven from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. I will mention some rulings by hadith scholars on this hadith to give an idea of whether it is authentic or fabricated:
1. Al-Saghani said that this hadith is fabricated. (Mawdu'at al-Saghani: 53)
2. Al-Sakhawi said that he is not aware of this hadith. (Al-Maqasid al-Hasanah: 218)
3. Al-Suyuti said the same as al-Sakhawi. (Al-Durar al-Muntathira: 65)
4. Mulla Ali Qari said that it is said that it has no basis or its basis is fabricated. (Al-Asrar al-Marfu'ah: 189)
5. Muhammad bin Muhammad al-Ghazi said this hadith does not exist. (Ittqan Ma Yuhsan: 1/222)
6. Al-Zurqani said that he does not know this hadith. (Mukhtasar al-Maqasid: 361)
7. Al-Wadi’i said that this is not proven from the Prophet ﷺ. (Al-Fatawa al-Hadithiyyah: 1/56)
8. Muhammad Jar Allah al-Sa’di said that no such hadith has come. (Al-Nawafiḥ al-‘Aṭirah: 120)
9. Sheikh Ibn Uthaymeen said that it is famous but has no basis. (Sharh al-Nuzhah li Ibn Uthaymeen: 55)
10. Sheikh Albani رحمه الله also ruled that this hadith is fabricated. (Al-Silsilah al-Da'ifah: 36)
The purpose of writing such a long discussion on this hadith is to make people aware that loving one's homeland is not a part of faith. If someone sacrifices their life for their homeland, they do so for the homeland itself and not for faith or Islam; hence, those who sacrifice themselves for their homeland are referred to as sacrificing for their homeland but not as martyrs.
Indeed, love for one's homeland is a natural thing; one naturally loves the place where they are born and settle, and this love is permissible. The Prophet ﷺ also loved his homeland and expressed this love. He used to pray:
اللهمَّ حَبِبْ إلينَا المدينةَ كحُبِّنَا مكةَ أو أَشَدَّ(صحيح البخاري:5654)
Translation: "O Allah, make us love Madinah as we love Makkah or even more."
This indicates the Prophet ﷺ’s love for Makkah:
قالَ رسولُ اللَّهِ صلَّى اللَّهُ عليهِ وسلَّمَ لمكَّةَ ما أطيبَكِ من بلدٍ وأحبَّكِ إليَّ، ولولا أنَّ قومي أخرجوني منكِ ما سَكَنتُ غيرَكِ(صحيح الترمذي:3926)
Translation: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to Makkah: "How pure you are as a city and how much I love you. If my people had not expelled me, I would have stayed in no other place but you."
Similarly, the Prophet ﷺ had immense love for Madinah. In Sahih al-Bukhari, it is mentioned that when he returned from a journey and saw Madinah, he would hasten his mount out of love for Madinah. Anas bin Malik رضي الله عنه said:
كان رسولُ اللهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم إذا قَدِمَ مِن سفرٍ ، فأَبْصَرَ درجاتِ المدينةِ ، أَوْضَعَ ناقتَه ، وإن كانت دابَّةً حرَّكَها .(صحيح البخاري:1802)
Translation: "When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ returned from a journey and saw the heights of Madinah, he would hasten his camel, and if it were another animal, he would urge it on."
Further, Abu Abdullah Imam Bukhari mentioned that Harith bin Umair added these words from Humaid: he would hasten his mount out of love for Madinah.
Hafiz Ibn Hajar رحمه الله, explaining this hadith, wrote at the end:
"And in the hadith, there is an indication of the virtue of Madinah and the permissibility of loving one's homeland and longing for it." (Fath al-Bari)
Translation: This hadith indicates the virtue of Madinah and similarly the permissibility of loving one's homeland. Thus, it becomes clear that the Prophet ﷺ had immense love for Makkah and Madinah. Sheikh Albani رحمه الله wrote that the Prophet ﷺ loved Makkah because Makkah is beloved to Allah, not because it was his homeland. It can be said that the Prophet ﷺ loved Makkah both as a homeland and because of Allah’s love for it, as evidence shows both types of love. Just as a person loves their life and wealth, they also love the place where they are born and reside. There is no legal objection to this natural love, as it is related to nature. However, if this natural love overrides the love for Allah and His Messenger or their commands, then there is a severe warning against it.
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