format_quote Originally Posted by
Tariqa
What is the excuse that there is no where to go?? Of all states there is no where on the spacious earth to leave to.. ???
Tariqa, Quite respectfully, I will ask you......which Muslim country will allow an American muslim woman to enter in and live? As soon as you can give me the answer, I'll be booking a flight.
You see, I've already done the research.....alot of it. And I keep on researching every year. And instead of finding a country which will welcome foreign Muslims with open arms, I find that the rules and regulations are becoming more and more strict. It is now virtually impossible for a foreigner to enter most Muslim countries to even visit, much less, to take up permanent residence there. The reason being is that since 9-11 and this so-called "war on terror", the violence in the Middle East has escalated to the point where almost all Muslim countries are on the State Department's list of countries which harbor terrorists and access to American (and other) citizens is denied.
So again, I pose the question, which Muslim country will welcome us with open arms?
format_quote Originally Posted by
Tariqa
So what you plan to just wait until the Mahdi comes???
O.K. That was a joke.
format_quote Originally Posted by
Tariqa
When will that be?? We do not know so how can anyone just say there is no hope on our parts.. This lazy mentality is the reason Muslims today are behind indeed..They give up and put trust in Allah before even tieing the camel...You cant say theres no real hope you must say that i will continue to struggle even if my money keeps running out... Deal with the hardships of the corrupt Muslim countries because it is easier than living in a non Muslim country the struggles are allot harder... You cannot give up you must continue to strive and find ways to enter these countries..
Well, you have a valid point here. While I don't see myself as a "lazy" Muslim, I will concede that I have become quite complacent in the continued search to find a way to enter those countries. As I said, about the only other way I know how is to marry a Muslim from that country. If I am not in that country to begin with, how is that possible? Can you offer any viable suggestions besides just telling someone not to give up? Not that that isn't a good start, but I welcome any others that you may have because I've wracked my brain over this for a long time and, to date, have found no viable solutions.
Which brings up another issue. I look forward to the day when Allah (SWT), inshallah, will bring a husband to me. On that day, I hope that he will want to marry me because I am a good Muslim women (among other virtues and qualitites) and NOT because I live in America. So how much worse would a good God-fearing Brother feel if he felt the only reason someone else wanted to marry him was to move to his country? There should be more to the sacred marriage union between two people than that. This is one of the reasons why I have not sought this option out. Having an alterior motive for marriage somehow feels dishonest.
So, like I said.....for me, there is no easy answer here. The one thing I know is that if I remain steadfast in my desire to move, and if my intentions are pure, Allah, (SWT) will help me find a way. I endeavor to have patience until that day arrives.
Now, I hope it doesn't sound as if I am being contentous with you because really I am not. You bring up some important points:
1 – If you live in a non-Muslim land, you should consider leaving because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) disavowed himself of anyone who settles among the mushrikeen. Hence it is haraam for you to stay in the land of kufr, especially those that have moved to them for the sake of work, since that is not one of the legitimate excuses for which you may be allowed to move or stay there.
2 – When choosing a Muslim land to live in, if possible, stive to choose the Muslim land where people adhere most closely to modesty, chastity and commitment to Islam. It is well known that the Muslim lands vary in these matters, and not every country is a place where you could settle, unfortunately, rather that depends on your nationality and the laws of the land.
3 – If you cannot move to that country, then you must fear Allah, may He be exalted, and adhere to His commands in all your affairs, foremost among which must be guarding your families against disintegration and assimilation. You must pay attention to your children, both males and females, give them a good Islamic upbringing and a sense of connection to Islamic history, teach them the rulings of Islam, and teach them Arabic well. While not impossible in America, it's not a walk in the park either......especially since 911.
4 - Whoever stays in the non-Muslim lands must realize that Allah will ask him about his flock on the Day of Resurrection, so let him prepare an answer.
Along with those points are some other things to consider:
One member said he wasn't sure why you posted this topic. I believe the basic underlying principle to this thread is that it is not permissible for the Muslim to settle among the mushrikeen. This is indicated by evidence from the Qur’aan and Sunnah:
In the Qur’aan, Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Verily, as for those whom the angels take (in death) while they are wronging themselves (as they stayed among the disbelievers even though emigration was obligatory for them), they (angels) say (to them): “In what (condition) were you?” They reply: “We were weak and oppressed on the earth.” They (angels) say: “Was not the earth of Allaah spacious enough for you to emigrate therein?” Such men will find their abode in Hell — what an evil destination!”
[al-Nisa’ 4:97]
In the Sunnah, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “I disown every Muslim who settles among the mushrikeen.” Narrated by Abu Dawood, 2645; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood.
As you pointed out throughout your posts, the Muslim who settles among the mushrikeen cannot carry out many of the rituals and visible acts of worship of Islam, in addition to the fact that he is exposing himself to temptation because of the permissiveness in those countries that is protected by their laws. The Muslim should not expose himself to temptations and trials. Now, there are other schools of thought that allow this if the Muslim attempts to keep himself free from those temptations. While this is all well and good, and does provide a loophole of sorts, haven't we all been a moth dancing too close to the flame at times? Why invite temptation if one doesn't have to? Why choose to live in lands which abound with temptation on all sides if it isn't absolutely necessary?
If you look at the evidence of the Qur’aan and Sunnah without paying attention to what is really happening in Muslim and kaafir countries, it's hard to place judgments on those living in a non-Muslim lands. To do so is to make a gross generalization of a subject that is very complex. The Muslim countries are not all the same with regard to how closely or otherwise they adhere to the laws of Islam. Rather they vary in that, and even within one country, regions and cities may vary in that regard.
Similarly the non-Muslim countries are not all the same with regard to their permissiveness and moral laxity; they also vary in that regard.
So given that the Muslim countries vary, as do the non-Muslim countries, and given that the Muslims, male or female, cannot just up and go to any Muslim country and settle there because of visa and strict settlement laws etc, and that a Muslim may not be able to practice his religion in some Muslim countries, when he may be able to do so in whole or at least in part in some non-Muslim countries – for all these reasons it is impossible to issue a general blanket statement, such as has been done in this thread, that will cover all countries and all individuals.
Rather, wouldn't it be best to say that each Muslim has his own unique set of circumstances and his own ruling that applies to him, and each person is accountable for himself. If he is able to practise his religion in the Muslim country in which he lives more than he can in a non-Muslim country, then it is not permissible for him to settle in a kaafir country. But if it is the other way round, then it is permissible for him to settle in a kaafir country, subject to the condition that he is confident that he can resist the desires and temptations to be found there by taking the precautionary measures prescribed in sharee’ah and will continue to endeavor to migrate if possible.
Here are some comments of Islamic scholars which support this whole topic of Muslims who live in non-Muslim lands:
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked about this matter and he said: This is one of the most difficult issues nowadays because countries vary, as stated above, and because for some Muslims, if they go back to their homelands they will be persecuted for their religion whereas they are safe from that in the kaafir countries. But if we say that it is haraam for them to settle among the kuffaar, then where is the Islamic state that will accept them and allow them to settle there?! This is the meaning of what he said, may Allaah have mercy on him.
Zakariya al-Ansaari al-Shaafa’i said in his book Asna al-Mataalib (4/207):
It is obligatory to migrate from the kaafir lands to the Muslim lands for those who are able to do that, if they are unable to practise their religion openly.
Ibn al-‘Arabi al-Maaliki said: Hijrah (migration) means leaving dar al-harb [non-Muslim lands] and going to dar al-islam [Muslim lands]. This was obligatory at the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and remains so after his time for those who fear for their lives. From Nayl al-Awtaar, 8/33, by al-Shawkaani.
Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar said concerning the hadeeth, “I disown every Muslim who settles among the mushrikeen”:
This is to be understood as referring to those who are not safe to practise their religion there.
In al-Mawsoo’ah al-Fiqhiyyah (20/206) it says:
Dar al-harb refers to every place in which the rule of kufr prevails. One of the rulings that have to do with dar al-harb is hijrah (migration). With regard to migration from dar al-harb, the fuqaha’ divided people into three categories:
(a) Those who are obliged to migrate: they are those who are able to migrate and who cannot practise their religion openly in dar al-harb. It is obligatory upon a female even if she does not have a mahram, if she thinks she will be safe when travelling, or if the risk of travelling is less than the risk of staying in dar al-harb…
(b) Those who are not obliged to migrate: they are those who are unable to do so, either because of sickness or because they are forced to stay in the kaafir land, or those who are weak, such as woman and children, because Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Except the weak ones among men, women and children who cannot devise a plan, nor are they able to direct their way”
[al-Nisa’ 4:98]
(c) Those for whom migration is mustahabb but not obligatory: they include those who are able to migrate but are also able to practise their religion openly in dar al-harb. It is mustahabb for such a person to migrate so that he can participate in jihad and increase the numbers of the Muslims.
In a fatwa issued by the Standing Committee (12/50):
One may also migrate from a mushrik land to another mushrik land that is less evil and where there is less danger to the Muslim, as some of the Muslims migrated from Makkah at the Prophet’s command to Abyssinia.
I pray and ask Allah to make a path for those of us who wish to migrate to Muslim lands to give us strength and make us steadfast in adhering to Islam and His true guidance until that day, inshallah, arrives. Ameen.