Answer
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.
In this fatwa:
In Islam, true faith means loving what Allah commands and disliking what He forbids. Preferring man-made laws over Sharia shows a weakness in faith and can lead to disbelief if one believes man-made laws are superior. However, repentance and turning back to Allah restore belief.
Responding to your question, Sheikh Ahmad Kutty, a senior lecturer and an Islamic scholar at the Islamic Institute of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, states:
Faith in Islam Is Rooted in Love for Allah and His Commands
Faith in Islam is built on a deep love for Allah, His messenger, and everything that brings us closer to Him. True faith involves not only loving what Allah has commanded but also disliking and avoiding what He has forbidden. This is a fundamental aspect of sound faith.
Allah Himself instructs us to make faith beloved to our hearts, as seen in the supplication: {O Allah, make faith dear to our hearts and adorn our hearts with it; and make us despise disbelief, transgressions, and disobedience.} (Al-Hujurat 49:7)
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) further emphasized this in a Hadith, saying: “Whoever loves for the sake of Allah, and hates for the sake of Allah, gives for the sake of Allah, and withholds for the sake of Allah, they have perfected the traits of faith.” (Abu Dawud)
Preferring Man-Made Laws over Shari`ah Contradicts True Faith
With this in mind, it is impossible for a Muslim to claim love for things that oppose Islamic values, such as bars or un-Islamic laws, especially when they know that the Shari`ah is the best. Such contradictions indicate a misalignment in one’s faith.
Therefore, I encourage you to seek repentance and ask Allah to make faith more beloved to you, to endear the things He has commanded, and to help you dislike the things He has forbidden. Allah is all-wise, and even though our desires may push us otherwise, He knows what is truly good for us and what harms us. Trust in His guidance.
Additional clarifications are available in the fatwas below:
- Should Muslims in the West Call for Implementing Shariah?
- Abiding by Laws in the West: A Must?
- Calling In-Laws Mom and Dad in Islam
- Following Laws in Non-Muslim Countries: OK?
Almighty Allah knows best.