Love of our homeland

“O Allah! Make us love Medina as we love Mecca or even more than that. O Allah! Give blessings in our Sa and our Mudd (measures symbolizing food) and make the climate of Medina suitable for us.”
(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith: 1889)

Dear brothers and sisters,
Among the Arabs is a famous proverb which is “Hubbul Watan Minal Iman” (Loving the homeland is part of faith). Some claim that the proverb is from the sayings of the Prophet. However, after careful analysis, many hadith scholars believe that it is not so. Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, a renowned hadith scholar who wrote voluminous commentaries of Sahih al-Bukhari in his book Fathul Bari, stated that although the phrase was not found in the source of the hadith collection of the Prophet, the meaning was valid as it was the practice of the Prophet during his lifetime.
In a hadith narrated by Imam Bukhari, the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) prayed, “O Allah, make us love Medina as much as we love Makkah, or exceed our love for Makkah.”. It is also narrated that when the Prophet returned to Medina from a trip or a pilgrimage, the Messenger would hasten his journey to Medina, due to his love and longing of his homeland and wanted to reach Medina the soonest possible. It is a sacred duty for all Muslims to love and defend their countries. It is a divine commandment to be prepared against the enemy for any kind of psychological, technological, or economic warfare.
We can stand against the oppressors and protect the oppressed only if we defend our land, nation, and sacred values altogether, and be powerful both materially and spiritually. No enemy hand will touch upon our land even if there is a single man is left standing. Upholding the unity and solidarity above any personal interest and working courageously and resolutely, our noble nation will never kneel down before any kind of derogation. Let us not give a chance to those who want to suppress our country.
Jobayer Al Mahmud, Student, Uludag University, Bursa, Turkey