Nowadays mawdoo’ (fabricated) ahaadeeth, false reports and made-up stories have become widespread. Many people have become used to repeating these reports without checking whether they are saheeh and without examining their real nature.

This is haraam according to sharee’ah and is an insult to common sense.

These three ahaadeeth are falsely attributed to the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). It is not permissible to narrate them or quote them without clearly stating that they are false.

Regarding the hadeeth: حُبُّ الْوَطَنِ مِنَ الإِيمَانِ (Hubbul-Watan Min al-Eemaan)

Translation: “Love of one’s homeland (country) is from faith”

Source: Kashf al-Khafa’ wa Muzil al-Ilbas (1102), al-Silsilah al-Hadeeth ad-Da’eefah (36) and reported by al-Saghaanee in his al-Mawdhoo’at (81)

The above hadeeth is not the saying of Prophet Muhammad (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam) and is a very good example of fabrication and falsehood which are attributed to the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam). It is mentioned by the scholars in their books as an example of Hadeeth fabrication and lies.

● The Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta’ was asked regarding the hadeeth, they replied:

“The phrases you mentioned are not Hadith reported from the Prophet (peace be upon him); they are just sayings that people have become accustomed to using.

May Allaah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad his family, and Companions!”

Members: ’Abdullah ibn Qa`ud, ‘Abdullah ibn Ghudayyan, Deputy Chairman: ’Abdul-Razzaq `Afify, Chairman: ’Abdul-’Aziz ibn ‘Abdullah ibn Baz

Source: Third question from fatawa number 5729, Volume 4 page 465.

● Shaykh Abdul Azeez ibn Abdullaah bin Abdur Rahmaan ar-Raajhee said in his explanation of Shaykh Ibn Taymiyyah’s “al-Waseeah al-Kubra” under the heading “Categories of Fabricated and False ahadeeth”:

“It may be that the hadeeth which is attributed to the Prophet, peace be upon him, be sayings of some of the salafs, or sayings of some scholars, such as the saying of some people (love of the homeland is from Faith).”

Source: “Sharh al-Waseeah al-Kubra li-Ibn Taymiyyah”, Volume 5, page 7.

● Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-Uthaymeen (rahimahullaah) said:

“Furthermore, it ought not to be mentioned that ‘Love for one’s homeland is from faith’, nor that this is a narration from the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam), for this is a fabrication.
We are obliged to love our country if it is an Islamic nation, there being no distinction between an individual’s country of birth or a country distant from the lands of the Muslims, both are deemed Islamic lands and dictate that they are protected.”

Source: Sharh Riyadh as-Saaliheen, Volume 1 page 66.

● al-Mulla ‘Ali Qaari (may Allaah have mercy on him) mentioned regarding the hadeeth:

az-Zarkashi said: “I am not aware of it.”
as-Saeed Ma’een uddin as-Safawiyyu said: “It is not proven”
And it was said that it is from the sayings of some salafs.

Source: “Al-Asrar Al-Marfoo’a fee Al-Akhbaar Al-Mawdoo’at” by al-Mulla ‘Ali Qaari (may Allaah have mercy on him), page 180 under hadeeth number 164.
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Regarding whether the meaning of the phrase is correct or not, the scholars have clarified that it’s meaning is strange and wrong.

● Shaykh al-Albaani (rahimahullaah), mentioned about this hadeeth in “al-Silsilah al-Hadeeth ad-Da’eefah” (Volume 1, page 110 number 36), and classed it as being Mawdoo’ (fabricated).

He said:

“This hadeeth is Mawdoo’ (fabricated) and it was said by al-Saghaanee (page 7) and other than him.
And the meaning of the hadeeth is not correct, because love of homeland is like love of oneself, money, and the like. All of these are inborn in humans. There is no praise for this love and neither is it from Eemaan (faith). Do you not think that all of the people involved in this love (i.e love of ones homeland), there is no difference in that between the believers and kaafir alike? !”

● Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-Uthaymeen (rahimahullaah) said:

“Like for example ‘Love for one’s homeland is from faith’. It is famous near the general people, that this is a saheeh hadeeth, (but) this hadeeth is fabricated and false. It’s meaning is also not correct, rather, love of one’s homeland is from prejudice.”

Source: “Sharh al-Manzuma al-Bayquniyya fee Mustalah al-Hadeeth” page 70

● Shaykh Ismail ibn Muhammad al-’ Ajaloonee mentioned this hadeeth as Mawdoo’ in his book “Kashf al-Khafa’ wa Muzil al-Ilbas” (1102), Volume 1 pages 398-399 and said:

al-Saghaani said: Mawdoo’ (fabricated). And he said in al-Maqaasid: I am not aware of it, and its meaning is correct. Al-Qaari replied to his saying that its meaning is not saheeh and that It is strange.

al-Mulla ‘Ali Qaari (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: As there is no correlation between the love of Country and the matters of Eemaan (faith) and this view (i.e. the view of those who consider the meaning of the hadeeth to be correct) could be refuted by what Allaah Said :

“And if We had ordered them (saying), “Kill yourselves (i.e. the innnocent ones kill the guilty ones) or leave your homes,” very few of them would have done it; but if they had done what they were told, it would have been better for them, and would have strengthened their (Faith)” [Qur'an Surah an-Nisa' 4:66]

So this is an evidence of their (the hypocrite’s) love to the Homeland/Country without mixing it with the matters of Eemaan, as the pronoun (alayhim/upon them) is for the hypocrites.

And some (scholars) also said that there is nothing in his mentioned words that proves that no one can love his country except a Believer. But rather, it shows that there is no contradiction between Love of the homeland/Country and the matters of Eemaan.” [i.e. even the hypocrites who have no faith, also love their country/homeland. So love of one's homeland cannot be considered to be from Faith and hence this saying is not true.]

End quote from Shaykh Ismail ibn Muhammad al-’Ajaloonee’s book “Kashf al-Khafa’ wa Muzil al-Ilbas”

[Note: al-Mulla 'Ali Qaari (may Allaah have mercy on him) mentioned the above in his book “Al-Asrar Al-Marfoo'a fee Al-Akhbaar Al-Mawdoo'at", pages 180-181 under hadeeth number 164]

And Allaah Knows the Best.