As A Citizen of a Non-Muslim Country, Can I Spy for a Muslim Country?

Answered by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Question

Is it allowed for a Muslim person who is a citizen of a non-muslim country to spy for a Muslim government against his own country? A citizen, when acquiring a passport, gives an oath of allegiance. If the answer is yes, then I would like to share a snippet of the oath of allegiance of the Indian Passport, “I owe allegiance to the sovereignty, unity & integrity of  …”.  

Answer

Walaikum Assalam,

I hope you’re doing well, insha’Allah. 

Doing so would be from treachery and deceit, both of which the believer can never be characterized by.

The Messenger of Allah (peace & blessings be upon him) said, “Whoever cheats is not of us.” [Muslim, others]

And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “There is no faith in one who doesn’t fulfill their trusts; and no religious in one who doesn’t uphold their covenants.” [ِAhmad, sound]

And Allah knows best.

And Allah is the giver of success and facilitation. 

[Shaykh] Faraz Rabbani 

Shaykh Faraz Rabbani spent ten years studying with some of the leading scholars of recent times, first in Damascus and Amman, Jordan. His teachers include the foremost theologian of recent times in Damascus, the late Shaykh Adib al-Kallas (may Allah have mercy on him), and his student Shaykh Hassan al-Hindi, one of the leading Hanafi fuqaha of the present age. He returned to Canada in 2007, where he founded SeekersGuidance to meet the urgent need to spread Islamic knowledge–both online and on the ground–in a reliable, relevant, inspiring, and accessible manner. He is the author of Absolute Essentials of Islam: Faith, Prayer, and the Path of Salvation According to the Hanafi School (White Thread Press, 2004.) Since 2011, Shaykh Faraz has been named one of the 500 most influential Muslims by the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Center.