Islam requires a Muslim’s loyalty and obedience to their respective country of residence and laws. The Holy Quran states, “O ye who believe, obey Allah and obey the Prophet and obey those in authority from among you” (4:60).

This verse demonstrates that a Muslim’s obedience and loyalty to the government is required, regardless of the faith of those in power. In this respect, the Holy Prophet Muhammad^sa declared, “You should listen to and obey your ruler, even if you [despise him]” (Bukhari). Likewise, the Holy Prophet Muhammad^sa instructed that obedience to the government is a religious duty:

Whoso obeys the ruler obeys me, and whoso disobeys the ruler disobeys me. (Muslim)

The Holy Prophet Muhammad’s^sa life reflected this teaching. Despite enduring bitter persecution for more than 12 years in Mecca, the Holy Prophet Muhammad^sa and his followers did not defy the Meccan government. Rather, the Muslims peacefully left Mecca, abstaining from sowing any seed of dissension—exemplifying the Quranic teaching, “Create not disorder in the earth” (7:57).

Islam teaches that Muslims are not only obligated to obey their government, they must also be grateful for the rights and freedoms their governments provide. Indeed, the Holy Quran reminds Muslims, “Is the reward of goodness anything but goodness?” (55:61). Because American Muslims benefit from this country’s freedoms, they are duty-bound to repay the government with their loyalty. The Holy Prophet Muhammad^sa declared, “He who is not grateful to his people can never be truly grateful to God.”

Loyalty and gratitude to America do not forbid dissent. Dissent must be expressed, however, within the confines of the law—no Muslim can take the law into his own hands. The Holy Quran states that creating disorder and threatening the stability of a society is a path to damnation, not salvation (2:12-16).

Therefore, Islam advocates loyalty to one’s own country as a fundamental tenet.