In a Pashtu-language booklet, the Islamic State Khurasan Province (ISKP) argues that all citizens of non-Muslim countries are unbelievers, and Muslims should fight them instead of seeking their citizenship. It cites the Quran and Sunnah (traditions of Muhammad) to argue that obtaining citizenship of non-Muslim nations contradicts the shari'a.
However, the booklet says Muslims can live in non-Muslim nations for temporary periods only for specific aims such as spying and trading but not to make non-Muslim countries stronger.
The 48-page Pashtu-language booklet is titled "Clear Rulings About Those Who Seek Citizenship In Non-Muslim Countries" and is published by The Al-Azaim Media Foundation, a media outlet linked to the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP), which defines itself as a supporting entity for the Islamic State (ISIS). The title of the book is also written in Arabic on the cover, though it is not clear whether the book was originally written in Arabic. A PDF copy of the booklet was shared on a Telegram channel.
The booklet's cover is in Arabic and Pashtu
In Islam, a fatwa (religious decree) is issued in response to a question. The booklet, therefore, starts with a question, and the rest of the book is the answer to this question. The summary of the question is as follows: "What does Islam say about those who call themselves Muslims, and then choose to live in non-Muslim countries? Each country has its own conditions: Sweden has set the condition of accepting Christianity for citizenship, and Germany has set the condition of recognizing Israel for citizenship. Does Islam allow the acceptance of these conditions and principles? Please answer this question in the light of Quran and Sunnah."
At the beginning of the answer, it is reiterated that as stated, in the question living in unbeliever countries is an act against shari'a, and all Islamic religious scholars agree that this is unbelief and apostasy.
According to the unidentified author of the booklet, when a Muslim can express his religion in non-Islamic countries, he does not have to migrate to Islamic lands, but when he cannot declare and display his Islam, then he must migrate to Islamic lands, and this is a shari'a principle. He refers to Quranic verses and the sayings of Islamic religious scholars to prove this claim and argues that the display of religion means that one who calls himself a Muslim must consider residents of non-Muslim countries to be unbelievers and enemies.
The booklet later discusses going from the Islamic land to the lands of unbelievers. The author says that a Muslim can go to a non-Islamic land for trade, but cannot trade there in such a way strengthens the unbelievers, notably he must not sell them weapons.
Going to a non-Muslim land for treatment, going as a messenger or as a person who invites people to embrace Islam, going to spy and gather information, etc., are mentioned as other permissible ways, but the author sets conditions for all of these, saying that when the goal is reached, a Muslim should not remain in a non-Islamic land unnecessarily.
According to shari'a, the booklet forbids going to unbeliever countries for labor and work, saying that this is seeking worldly benefit, for which a Muslim should not go to an infidel country. According to the author, whenever a Muslim goes to a non-Islamic land, he must accept the laws of that country, which contradict Islam.
In this section, the author presents many Quranic verses and hadiths (sayings and deeds of Prophet Muhammad), as well as religious scholars. For example, he brings Quran 2:86 in which Allah says: "These are the ones who trade the Hereafter for the life of this world. So, their punishment will not be reduced, nor will they be helped."
The booklet was shared by Al-Azaim on its Telegram channel
The booklet addresses Muslims, asking why, when Allah has declared enmity with unbelievers, should a Muslim be friends with those who mock Allah's commandments and shari'a and wage war with Muslims in Iraq, Khurasan, Africa, and the Philippines? So, there is no permission to go there, it says.
In general, the author concludes that going to a country of unbelievers and gaining citizenship is against the shari'a, but in very rare cases, in which the laws of the country do not apply to Muslims, the Muslim considers the unbelievers there to be his enemies, and they have free relations with the mujahideen, it is permissible.
The booklet presents reasons and evidence to support his argument. He mentions that Iran gave citizenship to Afghans in order to send them to Iraq to fight. Also, the booklet says that refugees in Sweden accept many conditions to obtain citizenship and are forced to change their religion. The booklet says that the number of Afghans in Sweden who have changed their religion has increased.
The booklet states absolutely that whoever takes the citizenship of an unbeliever country accepts all the laws of that country, that it is known that the laws of these countries are unbelief, and that even if this Muslim were to claim his faith in Islam, he cannot reject a law of that country on the grounds that it is un-Islamic.
A page from the booklet
Presenting another reason, the author says that if Muslims attack an unbeliever country, then Muslims living there will also have to defend their country, which is an act against the Islamic faith. Writing under a subtitle "The Whole Land Of The Unbelievers Is Dar Al-Harb [Land of War]," he says that all the countries under the control of the unbelievers are now Dar Al-Harb, and all the people living there are unbelievers and idolaters, and war should be waged against them. It is obligatory on Muslims to attack them, therefore Muslims should not live there, he says.
The author writes that Muslims should migrate from these non-Muslim countries, and the migration is for the purpose of fighting against them.
The booklet features the English text of the British Oath of Allegiance in a section about British citizenship and rules that Muslims must not take citizenship in unbeliever nations.
At the end of the book, the author says that people who live in unbeliever countries permanently, but love the mujahideen, help them, and try to make Islam prevail, such people are ignorant and must be invited to Islamic lands where they should learn the true meaning of Islam.
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