Acquiring the disbelievers nationality

The Question:

I am an Algerian young man; religiously upright (If Allah سبحانه wills). I have lived in Canada for a long time and I try to leave it as soon as possible. But I do not have a residence to settle down in my country.

So, is it permissible to get the Canadian passport (with some conditions I will mention later on) since it enables me to leave this country and enter the Gulf States and try to settle there?

And here are the conditions:

First: Indeed getting the Canadian passport will not invalidate my Algerian nationality but it will be the original one, this is confirmed by their laws and the Algerian country accepts plurality of nationalities.

Second: I am able to renounce this passport whenever I want, without having problems. This is also confirmed by their laws.

Third: I can avoid the oath of respecting the Queen, her children and the King as long as I sit in the back of the room without uttering a word.

May you be helpful for us (by your answer) and May Allah bless you.

The answer:

All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds. Peace and blessing be upon whom Allah sent as a mercy to the Worlds, upon his Family, his Companions and his Brothers till The Day of Resurrection.

It is not allowed to acquire the disbelievers’ nationality even with keeping the original one, because of the negative aspects which affect the Muslim’s religion and creed. It is enough to know what results from implicit contentment in applying the disbelievers’ customs and laws of that country, besides referring to them as judges and showing pride in being a Canadian citizen and all what engenders; in terms of allegiance and friendship toward them and imitating them in their words and deeds. This contradicts the completeness of faith or nullifies it, according to the situation. Allah تعالى said:

﴿لاَ تَجِدُ قوْمًا يُؤْمِنُوْنَ بِاللهِ وَاليَوْمِ الآخِرِ يُوَادُّونَ مَنْ حَادَّ اللهَ وَرَسُولَهُ وَلَوْ كَانُوا آباءَهُمْ أَوْ أَبْنَاءَهُمْ أَوْ إِخْوَانَهُمْ أَوْ عَشِيرَتَهُمْ…﴾ [المجادلة: 22].

Translation of the meaning of the verse:

﴾You (O Mohammad صلَّى الله عليه وسلَّم) will not find any people who believe in Allah and the Last Day, making friendship with those who oppose Allah and His Messenger (Mohammad صلَّى الله عليه وسلَّم), even though they were their fathers or their sons or their kindred (people)…﴿ [Al-Mujâdilah (The Woman Who Disputes): 22].

So, the Muslim is called to complete his religion and increase his faith in calling to Allah تعالى and showing Islam.

And among the conditions of traveling to the country of disbelief is to manifest the religion and reveal its rites in a complete way without any opposition to any of them; with the capacity of being loyal to the Muslims and disavowal to the disbelievers. And those who are not able to do so are obliged to go back to the place they came from and try hard to look for a job and get satisfied with littleness and ask Allah for success. He is the Best Helper and the Best Provider.

The perfect knowledge belongs to Allah. Our last prayer is all praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds. Peace and blessing be upon our Prophet, his Family, his Companions and Brothers till the Day of Resurrection.

Algiers. Muharram 24, 1424H
March 27^th, 2003