What is the ruling on naturalizing in a Western country while retaining one's original citizenship, and is there definitive evidence of its prohibition, especially given the availability of freedom of religions and Islamic practices in those countries?
Source: FtawySummary from Ftawy's records · added here Sep 2, 2026
Nationality is a modern political term that was not known to early jurists. It signifies a political and legal bond between an individual and a specific state, entailing rights and duties, such as abiding by the state's laws and defending it. The original ruling on acquiring the nationality of disbelieving states is prohibition, due to the implications of submitting to man-made laws that contradict Islamic law, and defending a disbelieving state even if the combatant is a Muslim, which falls under prohibited loyalty (al-muwalat al-muharramah).
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/148954
Where this answer came from
- Source platform
- Ftawy
- Original fatwa ID
- 148954
- Added here
- . This is when the answer was added to El Fatwa, not the fatwa's date.
- Text
- Summary from Ftawy's records, reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
- Read the full ruling
- Read the full answer on Ftawy