Dear Sir;
Thank you very much for giving the opportunity for people to ask Imam about personal affair. I was wondering if you could give me some advice about a situation that annoys me and keeps me thinking of it. I got the Canadian Citizenship 4 years ago that is resulted from incorrect information I provided in the Citizenship application. In fact, I didn’t completed the required residency time in Canada before I applied for citizenship. This was due to several personnel circumstances. Right now, I am in UAE with my wife and kids and so far, I have stabled job.
I have never made use of my Canadian Passport since I received it. I have not traveled with it or never mention it in my professional CV or not even applied for a Canadian Passport for my 2 years son who was born after.
Since I received the passport, I have been feeling guilty that I gave incorrect information in my citizenship application. Currently, I thinking to move permanently to Canada and apply to sponsor my wife and daughter and son (6 years and 2 years) who do not possess Canadian Citizenship.
I have been paying taxes since I have landed in Canada. My family and I have Syrian Passports and because of the war state in Syria, very limited countries will entertain us in case we left UAE.
In 2017, Syrian people who lived outside Syria had the chance to apply for refugee status to Canada and thousands of them have applied for immigration and moved there. If I did have the passport; I would have applied for it with my family.
Kindly advise me in this situation. Do I have to give-up the Canadian Citizenship and start thinking of moving to other country?
In the Name of Allaah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salaamu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullaahi wa-barakaatuh.
Brother in Islaam,
You do not have to give up your Canadian citizenship. You may move to Canada and make use of all the benefits offered to a Canadian citizen.
Your regret for providing incorrect information is praiseworthy. Make istighfaar for that and avoid that sin in the future[1].
And Allaah Ta’aala Knows Best.
Muajul I. Chowdhury
Student, Darul Iftaa
Astoria, New York, USA
Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.
______
[1] [سورة النساء: 97 – 100]
{إِنَّ الَّذِينَ تَوَفَّاهُمُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ ظَالِمِي أَنْفُسِهِمْ قَالُوا فِيمَ كُنْتُمْ قَالُوا كُنَّا مُسْتَضْعَفِينَ فِي الْأَرْضِ قَالُوا أَلَمْ تَكُنْ أَرْضُ اللَّهِ وَاسِعَةً فَتُهَاجِرُوا فِيهَا فَأُولَئِكَ مَأْوَاهُمْ جَهَنَّمُ وَسَاءَتْ مَصِيرًا (97) إِلَّا الْمُسْتَضْعَفِينَ مِنَ الرِّجَالِ وَالنِّسَاءِ وَالْوِلْدَانِ لَا يَسْتَطِيعُونَ حِيلَةً وَلَا يَهْتَدُونَ سَبِيلًا (98) فَأُولَئِكَ عَسَى اللَّهُ أَنْ يَعْفُوَ عَنْهُمْ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ عَفُوًّا غَفُورًا (99) وَمَنْ يُهَاجِرْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ يَجِدْ فِي الْأَرْضِ مُرَاغَمًا كَثِيرًا وَسَعَةً}
[سورة الملك: 15]
{هُوَ الَّذِي جَعَلَ لَكُمُ الْأَرْضَ ذَلُولًا فَامْشُوا فِي مَنَاكِبِهَا وَكُلُوا مِنْ رِزْقِهِ وَإِلَيْهِ النُّشُورُ}