What is the ruling on brotherhood of the homeland, and the argument for it using the saying of Allah the Exalted: “And to Madyan their brother Shu'ayb”?
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Question:
Honorable Shaykh! Some people say that a citizen is a brother to another citizen, whether he is a disbeliever, a Jew, or a Christian, as long as they are in the same homeland, because they are brothers of the homeland. They say this because Allah said about Shu'ayb (peace be upon him), “And to Madyan their brother Shu'ayb,” and they had not yet believed. They claim this is brotherhood of the homeland, and that this is common in the Qur'an. Is this statement correct?
Answer:
This is ignorant talk, may Allah protect us from it. A disbeliever is not a brother to a believer. A disbeliever is not a brother to a believer unless it is in terms of lineage; his brother in lineage. This is brotherhood of lineage, not brotherhood of religion. As for brotherhood of religion, it is only between believers:[Al-Hujurat 49:10]. As for the believer and the disbeliever, there is no brotherhood between them, but rather enmity. “Do not take as allies those who are my enemies and your enemies, offering them affection, while they have disbelieved in what has come to you of the truth” [Al-Ma'idah 5:51] [Al-Mujadila 58:22]. So brotherhood of affection is only between believers, and not between believers and disbelievers. If a disbeliever lives in the lands of the Muslims, and he has a dhimmah (protection), a safe conduct, or a covenant from the Muslims, then he has what the Muslims have, and he is bound by what binds the Muslims, by virtue of the covenant, safe conduct, and dhimmah. It is not permissible to transgress against him or oppress him, but he is not a brother to the believers; rather, he is a disbeliever. However, his covenant, his safe conduct, and his dhimmah are protected by fidelity: [An-Nahl 16:91]. Whoever kills a person under a covenant will not smell the fragrance of Paradise.
It is not permissible to transgress against them, but this does not mean that we love them. Rather, we do this out of fidelity to covenants, which are the dhimmah of the Muslims, because this is what the covenant, safe conduct, and dhimmah require. As for love, it is not permissible except between believers. Even if they live with us, we do not love them, but we do not transgress against them, yes. And we do not oppress them, because they entered our lands by virtue of the covenant, safe conduct, and dhimmah.
[At-Tawbah 9:6]. Inform him that he is safe as long as he remains in the lands of the Muslims; they will not transgress against him until he exits to the lands of the disbelievers. This is part of fidelity in Islam. As for religious brotherhood, it is only between the believers. As for His saying, the Exalted: [Al-A'raf 7:85] [Al-A'raf 7:65], the brotherhood referred to here is brotherhood by lineage, meaning he is from his tribe; it is brotherhood of kinship, not brotherhood of religion.
Honorable Shaykh! Some people say that a citizen is a brother to another citizen, whether he is a disbeliever, a Jew, or a Christian, as long as they are in the same homeland, because they are brothers of the homeland. They say this because Allah said about Shu'ayb (peace be upon him), “And to Madyan their brother Shu'ayb,” and they had not yet believed. They claim this is brotherhood of the homeland, and that this is common in the Qur'an. Is this statement correct?
Answer:
This is ignorant talk, may Allah protect us from it. A disbeliever is not a brother to a believer. A disbeliever is not a brother to a believer unless it is in terms of lineage; his brother in lineage. This is brotherhood of lineage, not brotherhood of religion. As for brotherhood of religion, it is only between believers:
The believers are but brothers, so make settlement between your brothers
إِنَّمَا الْمُؤْمِنُونَ إِخْوَةٌ فَأَصْلِحُوا بَيْنَ أَخَوَيْكُمْO you who have believed, do not take the Jews and the Christians as allies. They are [in fact] allies of one another. And whoever is an ally to them among you - then indeed, he is [one] of them. Indeed, Allah guides not the wrongdoing people.
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَتَّخِذُوا الْيَهُودَ وَالنَّصَارَىٰ أَوْلِيَاءَ بَعْضُهُمْ أَوْلِيَاءُ بَعْضٍ وَمَن يَتَوَلَّهُم مِّنكُمْ فَإِنَّهُ مِنْهُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الظَّالِمِينَYou will not find a people who believe in Allah and the Last Day having affection for those who oppose Allah and His Messenger, even if they were their fathers or their sons or their brothers or their kindred
لَّا تَجِدُ قَوْمًا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ يُوَادُّونَ مَنْ حَادَّ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ وَلَوْ كَانُوا آبَاءَهُمْ أَوْ أَبْنَاءَهُمْ أَوْ إِخْوَانَهُمْ أَوْ عَشِيرَتَهُمْAnd fulfill the covenant of Allah when you have taken it, [O believers], and do not break oaths after their confirmation
وَأَوْفُوا بِعَهْدِ اللَّهِ إِذَا عَاهَدتُّمْ وَلَا تَنقُضُوا الْأَيْمَانَ بَعْدَ تَوْكِيدِهَاIt is not permissible to transgress against them, but this does not mean that we love them. Rather, we do this out of fidelity to covenants, which are the dhimmah of the Muslims, because this is what the covenant, safe conduct, and dhimmah require. As for love, it is not permissible except between believers. Even if they live with us, we do not love them, but we do not transgress against them, yes. And we do not oppress them, because they entered our lands by virtue of the covenant, safe conduct, and dhimmah.
And if any one of the polytheists seeks your protection, then grant him protection so that he may hear the words of Allah. Then deliver him to his place of safety
وَإِنْ أَحَدٌ مِّنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ اسْتَجَارَكَ فَأَجِرْهُ حَتَّىٰ يَسْمَعَ كَلَامَ اللَّهِ ثُمَّ أَبْلِغْهُ مَأْمَنَهُAnd to [the people of] Madyan [We sent] their brother Shu'ayb.
وَإِلَىٰ مَدْيَنَ أَخَاهُمْ شُعَيْبًاAnd to the 'Aad [We sent] their brother Hud.
وَإِلَىٰ عَادٍ أَخَاهُمْ هُودًا
Source
قناة «العلامة الدكتور صالح الفوزان»، ما حكم أخوة الوطن، والاستدلال على ذلك بقوله تعالى ﴿وَإِلَى مَدْيَنَ أَخَاهُمْ شُعَيْباً﴾ ؟ — youtube.com
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.