Muslims not allowed to take citizenship of ‘kafir’ countries: Sheikh Assim Alhakeem

Prominent Saudi cleric of Indonesian descent Sheikh Assim bin Luqman al-Hakeem has declared it forbidden for a Muslim to seek citizenship of a non-Muslim country. 

As per the details, the cleric took to X (formerly Twitter) to respond to a follower’s query regarding why under Islamic principles was it a problem to get Australian citizenship.

“A Muslim is not allowed to take the citizenship of a kafir country when he already is a citizen of a Muslim country and has a Muslim passport,” the cleric wrote in a post that has since gone viral.

While Sheikh Assim’s statement has triggered a debate on social media, the cleric himself is yet to respond to hundreds of follow-up questions being asked by netizens. 

“How do you define a Muslim country, Sheikh?” asked one user.

Another asked what it meant for Muslims born in a kafir country. “How about Muslims born in a kafir country? Should they migrate?”

“So what qualifies a country as a kaafir? And if it wants to revert, how will it do the shahada? And how does the country follow the pillars of Islam??? [sic]” asked a third user.

Who is Sheikh Assim Alhakeem?

Based primarily in the Saudi city of Jeddah, Sheikh Assim hosts programmes dealing with Islam. He quickly rose to fame on social media due to his witty sarcasm and humorous approach.

He has been an imam in Jeddah for the past 20 years, where he delivers weekly sermons before Friday prayer and lectures on various Islamic sciences. 

Sheikh Assim mostly preaches in English, delivering Islamic programmes on social media channels, including Questions and Answers (ASK HUDA), Umdatul Ahkaam, Youth Talk and Mercy to the Worlds.

He also preaches on television and radio channels, such as Huda TV, Zad TV, Peace TV, Iqraa, and Saudi 2.

The cleric, deemed controversial by many, had earlier this year made headlines when a Montreal theatre denied him the use of its venue for having described Jews as “enemies of Islam”.

Sheikh Assim was scheduled to speak at the Théâtre Rialto as part of a charity event organised by Penny Appeal Canada. However, following concerns raised by the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA) and B’nai Brith Canada, the theatre informed the groups that it would not be hosting the event.

The event was part of the Saudi cleric’s speaking tour across Canada, which sparked outrage from politicians and Jewish organisations.