Before we explain the ruling of Islam regarding nationalism and acknowledge the problems and troubles it causes, we must answer an important question: Is patriotism, like nationalism, impermissible and wrong in Islam? What is the ruling on patriotism in Islam, and to what extent can a person love their homeland?
There is no problem with friendship and love for the homeland when it is free from excesses. When we carefully study Islamic narrations, we find that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) expresses friendship and love for the homeland with unlimited passion. He says in one of his hadiths: «والله إنك لخير أرض الله وأحب أرض إليّ، ولولا أن أهلك أخرجوني منك ما خرجت منك» Translation: “By Allah, you are in the best of Allah’s lands and the most beloved and lovable to me. If your people (the people of Makkah and the polytheists) had not expelled me from here, I would never have left here.”
The Sahaba also expressed their longing and affection for their homeland, Makkah; its mountains, valleys, hills, and trees, because love for the homeland, serving it, and defending it are inherent aspects of human nature. Hazrat Bilal’s great longing and passion for Makkah is very well-known.
Patriotism and love for the homeland are not reprehensible if they do not lead to nationalism; they should not cause a person to harm or hurt others for the sake of the interests of their nation, race, or tribe, nor should they foster a sense of superiority based on prejudice and racism. Such actions are impermissible and forbidden in Islamic law. Bigotry, racism, arrogance, and the preference of oneself over others are among the things that Islam prohibits.
Patriotism—not nationalism—meaning the natural and innate love for one’s homeland, soil, nation, past honors, and heritage, is natural and not only unobjectionable but also praiseworthy. In contrast, nationalism—which involves giving excessive authenticity to one’s soil and exaggerating to elevate a nation—creates a spirit of self-aggrandizement and justifies conflict with other tribes and nations. From the perspectives of reason and Sharia, this is objectionable and against human nature.
Patriotism and national feelings—if they remain within their proper boundaries and have only a positive and corrective impact—stimulate, pave the way for, and encourage development. They can be sources of positive change in human life, leading to greater solidarity, better relationships, kindness, and enhanced service to fellow citizens and those with whom we share our society. In this case, it is compatible with reason and logic and is also praiseworthy and acceptable from an Islamic perspective.
Goals and Foundations of Nationalism
An important point to mention here is that the greatest goal of colonialism after occupying Islamic lands was to divide and separate Islamic countries from each other. Through their poisonous propaganda, the enemies succeeded in both separating Islamic countries and spreading the spirit of arrogance, nationalism, self-sacrifice, and racism among Muslims. Nationalism, boasting about the homeland, praising ancient history, and xenophobia, etc., are among the most important ideological foundations of nationalism and nationalists.
Nationalism is one of the slogans of ignorance raised by the West that has spread to Islamic countries. Today, Muslims are significantly affected by these slogans due to excessive propaganda from the West, to the extent that nationalism has caused numerous conflicts among themselves. Many similarities can be found between the people of this era and the time of ignorance: devastating ethnic and tribal wars, conflicts over trivial matters, and mockery of tribes and groups are some of the issues that have troubled the lives of Muslims.
Nationalism is a tool created to undermine the unity of the Islamic Ummah and prevent cohesion and integrity among Muslim nations. The religion of Islam, irrespective of color, ethnicity, race, or language, calls everyone to monotheism and gathers all under one flag— the flag of «لا إله إلا الله محمد رسول الله» Translation: “There is none worthy of worship except Allah, and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.” It does not differentiate between black and white or Arab and non-Arab.
The author of the book Nationalism from the Perspective of Islam addresses this issue as follows: “By the hands of corrupt governments [the puppet and mercenary governments of the West whose leaders are their descendants], racism and sectarianism grew among Muslims. They pitted Arabs against non-Arabs, Turks against non-Arabs, and all races against one another.”
The first step towards the disintegration and destruction of a vibrant and active society is the spread of prejudice, ethnocentrism, and nationalism in that society. “The first unfortunate consequence of ethnocentrism is fragmentation. If a society or organization consists of disparate ethnicities and groups among which prejudice prevails, they will never accept each other, and consequently, cohesion and unity will not occur.” It should not be overlooked that prejudice and discrimination are among the most significant unfortunate consequences of nationalism in society.
Sheikh Bakr Abu Zeyd, may Allah bless him, writes: “The terms nationalism have been used [by the enemies] instead of Islam, and the purpose of using these terms is to destroy the unity of Muslims and divide them into tribes and groups that will clash with each other, enabling colonialists to achieve their goals more quickly.”
Nationalism signifies a return to the pre-Islamic era or the era of ignorance and discrimination. Islam condemns any linguistic, racial, kinship-based, or materialistic interests outside the Quranic framework as relics of ignorance and considers them illegitimate.
One of the most significant problems caused by nationalism and ethnocentrism is prejudice and discrimination—concepts that are explicitly denounced in Islam. Numerous verses and hadiths highlight that Muslims should avoid ethnic, racial, linguistic, and tribal biases in every possible way. In the next section, we will endeavor to explain this issue in more detail in light of Quranic verses, Prophetic hadiths, and the sayings of scholars and thinkers, if Allah wills.
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