It is absolutely forbidden for any individual, party, group or association to have relations with a foreign state. Relations with foreign countries are restricted to the State alone because the State has the sole right of governing the affairs of the Ummah practically. The Ummah can account the State regarding foreign relations.

Its evidence is the words of the Prophet :

.» الإِمَامُ رَاعٍ وَهُوَ وَمَسْؤُولٌ عَنْ رَعِيَّتِهِ «.

“The Imam (ruler) is a guardian and he is responsible for his subjects” (reported by Al-Bukhari from ‘Abd Allah (swt) b. Umar), and the Shari’ah gave the practical undertaking of the governing of the affairs which would be binding to the ruler alone, and so it is not permitted for the subjects to carry out the actions of the ruler and it is not permitted for any of the Muslims to carry out the actions of the ruler unless they were appointed to do that according to the Shari’ah, either through a pledge of allegiance from the people if he was the Khalifah, or by appointment from the Khalifah, or from one of his assistants or governors whom had given the right to make appointments. Anyone who had not been appointed through the pledge of allegiance, and had not been appointed by the Khalifah, is not permitted to undertake anything from the practical governing of the affairs of the Ummah, domestically or internationally.

It is imperative here that this rule is clarified from the angle of the evidence, and the reality upon which the evidence applies. As for the evidence, the authority has been given by the Shari’ah to the ruler alone and governing the people has been left to the ruler alone; the Messenger (pbuh) said:

. مَنْ كَرِهَ مِنْ أَمِيرِهِ شَيْئًا فَلْيَصْبِْْ عَلَيْهِ، فَإِنَّهُ لَيْسَ أَحَدٌ مِنْ النَّاسِ خَرَجَ مِنْ ال سلْطَانِ « » شِبْرًا فَمَاتَ عَلَيْهِ إِلاَّ مَاتَ مِيتَةً جَاهِلِيَّة .

“Whoever dislikes a thing done by his leader (Amir) should be patient over it, for anyone from the people who withdraws (his obedience) from the government, even to the extent of a handspan and died in that conditions, would die the death of one belonging to the days of Jahilliyya.” (agreed upon from the narration of Ibn ‘Abbas), and so it made rebellion against him rebellion against the authority, and consequently in that case he is the one who alone possesses the authority. The Messenger (pbuh) said: