Faraz Rabbani – Weekly Q&A Should Laws in a Foreign Country Be Followed Even If It Goes against Islam

Is every law in the country needed to

be followed

if it goes against Islamic teachings?

That's a very general question. So there's 2

things.

Having to follow the law of the land

does not mean that you'll be punished in

the hereafter for not following it. There's 2

things. There's a worldly requirement. Right?

So if you have to wear seat belts

but you didn't,

you got in a taxi, didn't wear a

seat belt, now as a Muslim, you should

wear your seat belt if that's the law

that in the back seat you need to

wear a seat belt. You do so.

But will you be punished in the hereafter

for not doing so? That's a separate matter.

And there there's there's nuance as to which

like, when does not following the law,

entails sin? This is not a simple question.

I consulted one of the senior scholars he

who passed away,

late last year. May Allah have mercy on

him. I asked him this question.

He smiled and said, you know, we I've

been

reflecting on this, and

you mentioned a group of scholars. We've been

discussing and researching this for the last

30

plus years,

and we don't have definitive conclusions yet.

So there are some some parameters of the

issue that are clear

and there are others, he said, that we

are looking at

and reflecting deeply upon.

Right? That's the nature of religion.

That's the nature of religion. This is

the command of us. So, you know, broadly,

we we obey the law of the land,

a Muslim

upholds their conditions.

Right?

But

what are the parameters of that with respect

to all kinds of

laws? Let's say you're you know,

it's best, however, if you want to pursue

the way of caution,

is that before

any

sensitive step, one consults.

Right? One consults. And but the idea of

yeah. So one doesn't just say, okay. This

is civil disobedience, so I'm going to speed.

No. Because there's some laws that have obviously

that are obviously there to safeguard the public

harm.

There's no case for you not to uphold

those laws. Right?

Such as,

traffic laws, for example.

But there's other laws that

could be seen as being overbearing,

difficult.

So

what does one do in those kind of

situations?

You don't give yourself

a fatwad rather.

Ask the people remembrance if you do not

know, if you know not, as Allah Subhanahu

Wa Ta'ala tells in