Loving Your Country

Loving your Country – حب الوطن

It is allowed to love your country and your people:

كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم إِذَا قَدِمَ مِنْ سَفَرٍ، فَأَبْصَرَ دَرَجَاتِ الْمَدِينَةِ أَوْضَعَ نَاقَتَهُ
زَادَ الْحَارِثُ بْنُ عُمَيْرٍ عَنْ حُمَيْدٍ حَرَّكَهَا مِنْ حُبِّهَا‏.‏
“Whenever God’s Messenger (ﷺ) returned from a journey, he, on seeing the high places of Medina, would make his she-camel proceed faster;
Humaid said that the Prophet (ﷺ) used to make it proceed faster out of his love for Medina.”

[“Sahih Bukhari”, 1802].
https://sunnah.com/bukhari/26/28

1- Ibn Hajar al-‘Asqalani said in “Fath al-Baari”, (3/621):

وَفِي الْحَدِيثِ دَلَالَةٌ عَلَى فَضْلِ الْمَدِينَةِ وَعَلَى مَشْرُوعِيَّةِ حُبِّ الْوَطَنِ وَالْحَنِينِ إِلَيْهِ
“This Hadith shows the excellence of Madinah AND IT SHOWS THE PERMISIBILITY OF LOVING YOUR COUNTRY/LAND (WATAN) AND LONGING FOR IT.”

2- Ibn Battal also confirmed this (4/555):

وتعجيل سيره صلى الله عليه إذا نظر إليها من أجل أن قرب الدار يجدد الشوق للأحبة والأهل ، ويؤكد الحنين إلى الوطن ، وفى رسول الله الأسوة الحسنة
“… it emphasizes longing for the Country/Land (WATAN), and in the Prophet we have a good example to follow.”

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There is a narration that says: ” حُبُّ الْوَطَنِ مِنَ الْإِيمَانِ ” i.e. ‘Loving your country is part of Faith.’

But those are not the words of the Prophet.

However, Imam al-Sakhawi commented on that, saying:

حديث مرفوع) حَدِيثُ : ” حُبُّ الْوَطَنِ مِنَ الْإِيمَانِ
وَقَالَ السَّخَاوِيُّ : لَمْ أَقِفْ عَلَيْهِ ، وَمَعْنَاهُ صَحِيحٌ
“I could not find [its source], BUT ITS MEANING IS CORRECT.”

Mulla Ali Qari also said the meaning is correct.

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Loving your own country and your own people is a natural thing.

The forbidden forms of nationalism, patriotism and tribalism are:

– When you feel superior to others
– When you feel other nations are inferior to yours
– When it creates disunity and enmity between people
– When you defend your nation in good AND IN BAD

Someone asked the Prophet:

سَأَلْتُ النَّبِيَّ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ فَقُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَمِنَ الْعَصَبِيَّةِ أَنْ يُحِبَّ الرَّجُلُ قَوْمَهُ قَالَ ‏ “‏ لاَ وَلَكِنْ مِنَ الْعَصَبِيَّةِ أَنْ يُعِينَ الرَّجُلُ قَوْمَهُ عَلَى الظُّلْمِ
‘O Messenger of God, is it tribalism if a man loves his people?’
He said: ‘No, rather tribalism is when a man helps his [tribal] people [in] wrong.’

[“Ibn Majah”, 3949 – shu’aib arnout said: حسن].
https://sunnah.com/ibnmajah/36/24

Allaahu A’alam