The Shaykh’s warning about the weakness of the hadith: “Love of the homeland is part of faith,” and is its meaning correct?

The Shaykh : You all probably know that there is a phrase common on people’s tongues, which is “love of the homeland.”

Another questioner : “Is part of faith.”

The Shaykh : What is it?

Another questioner : Part of faith.

The Shaykh : Stay with me, Abu Fares. “Love of the homeland is part of faith”—they say the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said this. “Love of the homeland is part of faith”—this is a lie about the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him).

Another questioner : Strange.

The Shaykh : Yes?

Another questioner : Strange.

The Shaykh : It is amazing, by Allah.

The questioner : … He stopped at Mecca on the day he emigrated and said: .

The Shaykh : Listen, may Allah guide you.

The questioner: Go ahead.

The Shaykh : It is not permissible to seize the words. I want to connect you to this hadith.

The questioner : May Allah reward you.

The Shaykh : I am not saying that love of the homeland is bad or not permissible. First, I am drawing your attention to the fact that this phrase, which is widespread among people, that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Love of the homeland is part of faith”—this is a statement for which Allah has not sent down any authority. So, it is not authentic that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Love of the homeland is part of faith.” Let us return and ask a fiqh question. After we have purified our minds from the idea that the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Love of the homeland is part of faith,” is it true that love of the homeland is part of faith, or is it permissible to love the homeland? There is a difference. One thing is permissible, and another thing is related to faith. Anything related to faith is recommended, and you keep rising until it becomes obligatory, right? But a permissible matter is the same for you whether you do it or leave it. Love of the homeland is an instinctive matter. Love of the homeland is an instinctive matter, like love of life and like hatred of death. A person loves life, and he is not praised or blamed for that, but he is praised and blamed based on what is related to his life, as he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: . So, love of the homeland is an instinctive matter in the soul. Therefore, Allah the Exalted said regarding the Jews: . Why? Because a person attaches himself to his homeland. Attachment to the homeland is an instinctive, natural matter. Love of the homeland is not for its own sake. It is not because your land is Palestine that you love Palestine religiously. No. The voices of the Islamic preachers have become hoarse boasting that the perfection and greatness of Islam is that all Islamic lands are one homeland. Right?

The questioner: Yes.

The Shaykh : From the Islamic perspective, yes. But from the instinctive, natural, innate perspective, a person loves not just Palestine, but the town where he was born, the neighborhood where he was born. This has nothing to do, my brother, with faith. It has to do with human nature. Therefore, we must distinguish between something being an instinctive, natural, innate love, and something being part of faith. Do you see the difference now? Ah, I am not finished yet. I want to return to your hadith. It is true that when the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) resolved to emigrate from Mecca to Medina, he turned toward Mecca and said: . Pay attention to how the hadith differs from the meaning that wrongly went through your mind. The hadith has nothing to do with love of the homeland, whatever homeland it is. It has to do with love of the best of Allah’s lands. Keep that in mind. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: . Why? Not because it was his homeland, but because it is the best of Allah’s lands, and because this Mecca is the most beloved of lands to Allah, and consequently the most beloved of Allah’s lands to the Messenger of Allah. So, this statement does not apply to all the lands of the world. For example, it is not permissible for a Muslim—let us take, as they say, an Alawi—who was forced out of Egypt to turn around and say: “You are the most beloved of Allah’s lands to Allah and the most beloved of Allah’s lands to me, and if not for your people driving me out of you, I would not have left.” This statement is not permissible. Do you understand, my brother? May Allah bless you. Knowledge is light, and it is not permissible for a Muslim to speak without knowledge, because Allah the Mighty and Majestic says: . In the name of Allah.