Standing for National Anthem and Secular Judges

 

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

الصلاة والسلام عليك يا سيدى يا رسول الله وعلى آلك واصحابك يا سيدى يا نور الله

In the Name of Allah, the Rahman, the Merciful

Prayers and peace be upon you, my Master, Apostle of Allah

And upon your Family and Companions, my Master, Light of Allah

Allah, Holy and Exalted is He, says:

حٰفِظُوۡا عَلَی الصَّلَوٰتِ وَالصَّلٰوۃِ الۡوُسۡطٰی ٭ وَقُوۡمُوۡا لِلّٰہِ قٰنِتِیۡنَ

Guard the Salawat and the middle Salah. And stand before Allah submissively

(Surah 2, Ayah 238)

Dr. Israr Ahmad famously declared that standing for the national anthem is forbidden as per the Shari’ah as it is a form of Salah or Namaz that one offers to the country or nation. I tend to agree with his assessment and personally do not stand for the national anthem of any country or state. This is a ridiculous ritual that the Muslims have mindlessly imported from the European unbelievers, for which we are not free of blame. This is not to say that standing out of respect for a Muslim ruler, judge, scholar, sage, elder one’s parents or a funeral bier that passes by is blameworthy let alone polytheistic. While one should not desire that others stand out of reverence for him, as that is a characteristic of arrogance which Allah hates, it is not wrong for Muslims to stand out of reverence of their own accord, without any social expectation or pressure. However, I believe Muslims should avoid standing out of respect for an unbeliever. It is a common and expected practice for the people to stand up out of respect for a judge in a courtroom. But I discourage Muslims from doing this. A secular judge, especially one who is an unbeliever, is not worthy of any respect. These judges judge according to a secular, manmade law that is at odds with the divine Shari’ah. They are a kind of taghut we are commanded to disbelieve in and to reject. Nor should Muslims voluntarily approach such secular courts for judgment unless there is no other means to obtain their lawful right.