Respect for Contract
\r\n Al-Anfal (The Spoils of War) - Chapter 8: Verse 172
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"Those who believed, who emigrated and struggled with their goods and themselves in the way of God, and those who gave them refuge and succor, they are allied with each other. And as for those who believed but who did not emigrate with you, you will not be bound to them as they did not emigrate. If they ask for your help in the name of religion, you must help them, except against people with whom you have concluded a treaty. God sees perfectly what you do."
if Muslims are treated unjustly or persecuted in a country with which another Muslim community has signed an agreement, it is impossible for the latter to intervene because respect for the contract overrides everything.
\r\nAlthough this verse refers to a situation in which two entities exist — for example, a Muslim state such as Medina and a non-Muslim neighbor — it is still possible to deduce at least three essential teachings:
\r\n1. Muslims are not responsible for those of the coreligionists who choose to live elsewhere and are bound to another state (by an explicit or tacit agreement).
\r\n2. It is the duty of Muslims to react when their brothers or sisters are exposed to persecution by reason of their religious beliefs.
\r\n3. However, the duty to help persecuted believers cannot be carried out if there is a treaty (of alliance or nonintervention), for such an intervention would mean a unilateral breach of the obligations of the agreement.
\r\nThese three observations are of prime importance in discussions of the notion of umma and what is implied by being connected to it. One part of Muslim identity is guided by the principle of justice, but this may be restricted in certain circumstances when there are pacts which may be signed by Muslims—in their capacity as individuals or a community.
\r\nCompiled From:
\r\n "Belonging to the Islamic Umma\" - Tariq Ramadan