Is It Permissible to Fly or Wear a National Flag That Bears a Cross, Such as the English or Australian Flag?

Answered by Shaykh Irshaad Sedick

Question

Is it permissible to fly the flag of, or wear clothing carrying the flag of, a country whose flag contains a cross, such as Australia or England? These crosses are not usually understood as Christian symbols.

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate.

May Allah alleviate our difficulties and guide us to what pleases Him. Amin.

Yes, it is permissible to fly such a flag or to wear clothing carrying it. The crosses on national flags, such as the English or Australian flag, are no longer recognized as Christian crucifixes and have lost their religious significance. Displaying them is therefore not the blameworthy imitation (tashabbuh) the Sacred Law warns against. The ruling applies only where a cross stands alone as a clearly recognizable crucifix, or where one intends, by it, to venerate the symbol or identify with the religion.

The Default Is Permissibility

The starting point in all such matters is permissibility until proof establishes otherwise. There is nothing in flying a national flag or wearing a country’s colors that contravenes the Sacred Law in itself.

When Imitation Becomes Blameworthy

The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “Whoever imitates a people is one of them.” [Abu Dawud]

This does not apply to every shared act. The controlling principle (dabit) is that the imitation must be in something that is a clearly distinguishing religious sign of non-Muslims, undertaken with the intention to imitate them, and in a matter religiously idiosyncratic to them rather than one of common or universal benefit. Imitation in the blameworthy sense is the imitation of religious practices and symbols, not the ordinary acts of life that members of a society happen to share.

A National Flag Is Not a Religious Symbol

Countries like England and Australia are not manifestations of a particular religion, and their flags are not now immediately recognized as religious symbols. Even the crosses on the English and British flags do not bring the Christian crucifix to mind, because they have lost their religious significance and now read as national emblems.

This is unlike the Saudi flag, which will always represent Islam because of the Shahada upon it, regardless of what occurs in the country. So flying or wearing the English or Australian flag falls outside the prohibition.

A Standalone Crucifix Is a Different Matter

The distinction to keep in view is between a cross embedded within a larger design and a clear, standalone crucifix. A small cross worked into a pattern, not distinguishable on its own as a crucifix, is unproblematic. But an item bearing a clear Christian cross as a recognizable religious symbol should be avoided, and one should not pray in such a garment.

‘Aisha (Allah be pleased with her) reported that the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) did not leave anything in his house carrying images or crosses without obliterating it. [Bukhari]

A national flag, where the cross is one element of a composite emblem and is not understood as a devotional symbol, does not fall under this.

Intention and Context

Wearing a country’s flag or jersey out of national belonging, sport, or simple custom, with no veneration of the cross and no intention to be identified with the religion, is permissible. One should only be wary of a setting in which the cross is presented or understood as a religious symbol of worship.

Principle and Practical Guidance

You can fly the flag or wear clothing from countries like England and Australia. The cross in these flags is a national symbol, not a religious one. Make sure your intention is good. Only avoid items where the cross is by itself as a clear crucifix or where wearing it would show religious identity, and do not pray in such clothing.

And Allah (Most High) knows best.

[Shaykh] Irshaad Sedick
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

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Shaykh Irshaad Sedick was raised in South Africa in a traditional Muslim family. He graduated from Dar al-Ulum al-Arabiyyah al-Islamiyyah in Strand, Western Cape, under the guidance of the late world-renowned scholar Shaykh Taha Karaan (Allah have mercy on him), who taught there.

Shaykh Irshaad received Ijaza from many luminaries of the Islamic world, including Shaykh Taha Karaan, Shaykh Muhammad Awama, Shaykh Muhammad Hasan Hitu, and Mawlana Abdul Hafeez Makki, among others.

He is the author of the text “The Musnad of Ahmad ibn Hanbal: A Hujjah or not?” He has been the Director of the Discover Islam Center and, for 6 years, the Khatib of Masjid Ar-Rashideen in Mowbray, Cape Town.

Shaykh Irshaad has 15 years of teaching experience at some of Cape Town’s leading Islamic institutes. He is currently building an Islamic podcast, education, and media platform called ‘Isnad Academy’ and has completed his Master’s degree in the study of Islam at the University of Johannesburg. He has a keen interest in healthy Prophetic living and fitness.