what is patriotism?
Patriotism does not mean loving a country's geographical shape, landscape, rivers, flag etc. but loving the people of the country with sincere heart. To work and struggle for the welfare of the people, for relieving them from their poverty and distress, for uplifting their social status and for peaceful and harmonious living of the various communities living in the country can be named as some of the acts of true patriotism.
But today the vested interests have created an illusion among the people of the country and projecting them as acts of patriotism. Hoisting the national flag, singing some poems written by some poets, kissing the land, saluting the flag or some imaginary objects, uttering some slogans are projected as the expressions of patriotism by the politicians and the biased media. We all know how much sincerity could be there in such expressions by these power mongering politicians.
When the country faces extreme calamities, famine or dangers from enemies the true patriot will not run away from the country, but will stay back there and work to save the people from danger even if it costs him his own life. It is hardly possible for a person to achieve such a level of patriotism without a strong belief in God and belief in the life hereafter.
Islam and Patriotism
To live in obedience to the Creator of the world is called as Islam in Arabic. Those who have accepted Islam and adopted it as their way of life are called as Muslims (Obedient ones to God). The fact is that they cannot live without loving the people of their country irrespective of their race, color, language, religion etc. God Almighty tells us about our relationship with fellow human being thus in the Qur'an:
= O men! Fear your Lord Who created you from a single being and out of it created its mate; and out of the two spread many men and women. Fear Allah in Whose name you plead for rights, and heed the ties of kinship. Surely, Allah is ever watchful over you.(Qur'an 4:1)
Sincerely loving the people around us and serving them is treated as an act of worship in Islam:
= True piety does not consist in turning your faces towards the east or the west — but truly pious is he who believes in God, and the Last Day; and the angels, and revelation, and the prophets; and spends his substance — however much he himself may cherish — it — upon his near of kin, and the orphans, and the needy, and the wayfarer, and the beggars, and for the freeing of human beings from bondage; and is constant in prayer, and renders the purifying dues; and [truly pious are] they who keep their promises whenever they promise, and are patient in misfortune and hardship and in time of peril: it is they that have proved themselves true, and it is they, they who are conscious of God. (Qur'an 2:177)
The last Messenger of God, Muhammad (pbuh) has said, “Those who are merciful will be shown mercy by the Most Merciful. Be merciful to those on the earth and the One in the heavens will have mercy upon you.”
Source: Sunan al-Tirmidhī 1924
The belief in oneness of God and in oneness of mankind creates a sense of equality and universal brotherhood with fellow human beings. The belief in the Day of Judgement and in the life hereafter as taught by Islam, makes one aware of the accountability of one's deeds and retribution by the Creator. This awareness stops man from harming fellow human being and from sinning. Further it imbibes in us a strong confidence that any effort put in the activities of enjoining good and forbidding bad on earth does not go futile. The belief that God rewards them with eternal blessings in the hereafter motivates Muslims to sacrifice their time, wealth, effort and even soul in such activities. Islam does not stops at just preaching the above beliefs but keeps its followers continuously alert about them by its day-to-day practices enjoined upon Muslims. Performance of five-times-prayer daily, praying them in congregation, reading of Qur'an, giving poor man's due called zakath, Friday sermons etc. are some such practices.
Islam preaches that the present life is a test and temporary one, whereas the life hereafter is the real one and everlasting. All the good deeds are rewarded with bounties of Paradise:
= Every soul shall taste death. You shall receive your full reward for everything which you have striven for, on the Day of Resurrection. Whoever is spared from the fire and is admitted into paradise will have attained the objective of this worldly life; for the life of this world is nothing but an illusory enjoyment. (Qur'an 3:185)
This gives Muslims an extraordinary motivation and courage to involve themselves wholeheartedly in serving the people in distress, rescuing the people when any calamities occur them, protecting them from oppression and danger from external forces. This makes them to sacrifice even their life in such activities.
