Question : A question was asked regarding [the religious validity of] saluting a flag.

Fatwa in Brief: Saluting a flag is illegal; it is a recent [and reprehensible] innovation.

The Permanent Committee, 1/150

Response:

Saluting the flag during the [playing of the national] anthem, or merely by making a signal with the hand, is a sign of loyalty to the homeland, legitimizing its authority and ensuring its safety. This is not a form of worship, or an act of religious innovation, and it does not attribute power to something other than God.

Commentary:

The flag is a symbol for the homeland in the modern era; yet, the Arabs once possessed a symbol for each tribe or group. All those who belong to the tribe or the group walked behind and protected the flag: [according to this tradition] the higher the flag, the nobler its people, and when the flags dropped, this was taken as a sign of contempt. To the Arabs, the flag is known as “a banner” (raiya).

It was reported that, in the Tabuk raid (ghazwa), Zaid ibn Haritha first carried the flag; and when he was killed, Ga’far ibn Abi Talib took it and fought until he too was slain. Then ‘Abd Allah ibn Rawaha picked it up; and then Thabit ibn Akram al-Ajalani [each one falling in jihad]. Eventually, the flag was carried by Khalid ibn al-Walid. In the same report, it was also mentioned that, when Jafar’s right hand was cut off, he carried the banner with his left hand; and when the other hand was cut off, he carried it with the stump of his arm until he died. The Prophet (upon him be peace) called upon God to replace Jafar’s arms with two wings in heaven; and that is why he is called “Jafar the flier”.

If the Companions and the pious ancestors (salaf al-salah) respected their flags, there can be nothing wrong with now saluting a flag. Such an act may not be described as a religious innovation, unless explicitly singled out by a text in the Qur’an or in the Sunna [which it is not], as has been mentioned before.

Dr. Yassir ‘Abd al-‘Azim