To migrate to a non-Muslim country for a better life — An evidence-based insight from Dr. SMA Logics

15 min readOct 30, 2022

Millions of Muslims migrate from their Muslim land to a non-Muslim land for a better life. They claim they are practicing better Islam without any destitution or extortion. It is a matter which is often underestimated by Muslims without realising the graveness of the moderate-long term consequences of such vital decisions in ours’s and especially our generation’s lives.

This article is an evidence based review of the insights of some highly knowledgeable and well-known scholars to see what Quran & Sunnah say and warn Muslims about the uninformed choices that we make.

1- Shaykh Assim al-Hakeem, 2-Dr. Haitham al-Haddad, 3-Dr. Zakir Naik, 4-Dr. Israr Ahmed, 5-Javed Ahmad Ghamidi, 6-Dr. Muhammad Salah, 7-Mufti Muhammad Akmal, 8-Maulana Tariq Masood, 9-Shaykh Dr. Yasir Qadhi, 10-Dr. SMA Logics critical analysis, 11-References, 12-Acknowledgments

1-Shaykh Assim al-Hakeem

According to Shaykh Assim al-Hakeem it is a no because in the name of liberalisation and modernisation, our kids will be manipulated in an un-Islamic fashion. For example, if a Muslim parent is setting some important rules in installing core Islamic foundations like consistency in daily SALAT, avoidance of opposite gender mixing, dangers of late night meet-ups or mingling in pub bars & drugs awareness etc., then children have so much freedom within their system that they could easily misuse. Under difficult circumstances, social services can even remove a child from their family and a parent could get into a series of unnecessary troubles and this can also be considered as some form of oppression.

Then Shaykh Assim al-Hakeem mentions Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) Hadith: “I have nothing to do with that person who lives among the disbelievers where both of their fires can be seen from one another,” entailing that they are living so close to the disbelievers that the fire is discernible. He further emphasises that our environment has a massive influence in our lives as living among the disbelievers fades your Faith-EMAAN, threatens our DEEN and hence logically it is not acceptable.

Shaykh Assim al-Hakeem declared some legitimate reasons of living in a non-Mulsim land. He said that when there is a risk of life’s safety concerns in one’s own Islamic land and when no other Muslim land is willing to accept the vulnerable person, then sheltering in a non-Muslim land for some time is ok.

He especially stated “Pakistan” where many Muslims depart because of its feeble & corrupt political system, lack of stability and hardships. He clearly said that these are not the legitimate grounds. However, if a Muslim Pakistani leave for a while and go to a non-Muslim country to accumulate some money to withstand future decent living & go with the intention of returning to its Muslim land as soon as possible, then it is ok.

2-Dr. Haitham al-Haddad

He starts by giving example that if a person is dying out of hunger and has no means to eat, then he is allowed to eat haram. Similarly, if there is no option than to live in a non-Muslim country and mentioned the limitation of our Muslim world where most Arab countries don’t accept refugees, and they don’t give citizen ship. So, this can be considered as one helpless situation.

However, if unable to practise the religion or most of their religion, and if they had other options to go and didn’t go then the Quran Ayat (Surah NISA, Ayat 97) is applicable. He further says that in MUSHRIKEEN land we are not oppressed to the level that we cannot practise our DEEN, and that when we do not have that many alternatives or options then you can live.

3-Dr. Zakir Naik

He categorised this question into two groups:

Group 1: Muslims who migrate from a Muslim country to a non-Muslim country
Group 2: A Muslim who is born in a non-Muslim country

He clearly said that migrating is out of the question if one migrates from a Muslim country to a non-Muslim country for better standards of living. Dr. Zakir Naik stated that going briefly for education purpose or other essential reasons, with the intention of returning to their Muslim homeland is alright. Also, if the purpose is to spread Islam as a DAEE then this is also ok.

Dr. Zakir emphasised that millions of Muslims migrate from Bangladesh, Pakistan to western countries like Canada, UK, USA, or other European countries only for a better living, though they claim it is about education or give other excuses; but they never return to a Muslim land, and this is totally prohibited in Islam.

He clearly said it is haram and according to the Quran Surat NISA 4, verse no:97, their destination would be hellfire. He also mentioned that it is nonsensical if one argues that they transform as a better Muslim in the West, compared to their previous Muslim land. Dr. Zakir gave many logical reasons why this argument is preposterous or irrational which is discussed later in the article.

To sum up, for a Muslim to migrate from a Muslim land to a non-Muslim land is not permitted, unless it is temporarily for an education or other important purpose, for a particular time frame, or being a full time DAEE.

Now only if you are born in a non-Muslim land, then there is a question or option to migrate or not, and it is best if you migrate. Three Islamic rulings could be applied depending on your situation if you are born in a non-Muslim land:

· FARD or (Mandatory) to migrate: Born there and cannot practise or follow DEEN freely (not hiddenly) it becomes FARD and compulsory to migrate.

· MUSTAHAB (liked or encouraged — no penalty or sin for not doing them): Can follow DEEN freely, stay away from HARAM, no force or oppression then it becomes MUSTAHAB.

· If weak or oppressed (especially oppressed women and children) or no means, then it is permitted to stay there & Allah is the most Forgiving.

He also mentions the best of the worst western countries. What is the logical reason why God asked you to migrate? Hadith of Abou Dawood word no: 3, hadith no: 2645, also mention is SAEEBALBANI Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) says, “I disown those Muslims who live among the MUSHRIKEEN and idolators.” The rationale behind this is two:

1-A Muslim may not be able to practise Islam entirety totally, he may be able to obey certain aspects of DEEN. 2-The concomitant factors of that environment are such that they may prevent you from the sunnah and the FARAID and take you closer to the haram activity. There is alcoholism, obscenity, drug addiction, prostitution, and another big related factor is RIBA. To date, there is no specific Muslim country as similar in obscenity as in the west. The Muslim’s majority or dominance could be observed in certain areas in the West, but not throughout the country. The level of such Fitnah or factors may be evident in a Muslim country, but the severity is relatively quite low.

Muslims who are born and raised in a western country could opt out for other options:

For example, India is like Muslim countries, have Muslims personal law which can be followed. In other western countries however, Muslims are allowed to follow certain aspects of Islam: like they can worship, fast, etc; but they cannot marry according to the Islamic law, they cannot have more than one wife, & the NIKKAH is not valid. Even the divorce is not according to the Islamic SHARIYAH and neither you can openly practise your DEEN.

Surat NISA chapter no:4, verse no: 97 meaning of that ayah what is your state? Living under persecution on the earth. This verse was revealed in the context of Muslims living in non- Muslims country. Dr Zakir says if there is oppression, shirk, or too many un-Islamic activities then you must migrate and if you do not, God Says your destination is hell fire. The only exemption according to Surat NISA chapter no:4, verse no: 98 are given to powerless people who are feeble and who have no means, and God is the most Forgiving.

Some overseas Muslims claim that they became far better Muslims in the west than in their Muslim land and that could be a factual reality, but that’s a small probability and the chance of a Muslim going away from its DEEN is statistically more. According to the Pew Research report, about a quarter (25%) of raised Muslims born in the USA, leave their religion. Now considering 25% of young Muslims leaving their religion every year? That means we are playing with fire! Many scholars’ kids have gone into drug addiction and other problems in the west and their system support their kids which sadly a parent cannot stop. Kids often manipulate and involve legal social services and parents feel helpless or oppressed.

These problems are also common in Pakistan & Bangladesh and other Muslim countries, but Dr. Zakir Naik says that despite all its shortcomings, Pakistan is thousand times better than Canada — which is considered as one of the best western countries for Muslims. The “developed non-Muslim countries” are better in terms of their stable system, they offer more luxuries or money etc. However, what we Muslims underestimate (like a weak businessman) is the span of these short worldly enjoyments. These luxuries would last for only a few years, (statistically for an average of 70–75 human age years) in this world or DUNYA. But what will happen on the day of Judgement or akhirah? It is not a big deal taking pains in this world & sacrificing worldly luxuries to qualify for Jannat which is an ultimate success.

4-Dr. Israr Ahmed

Dr. Israr Ahmed begins by asking “what is your no:1 priority?” He also categorises this question into two components: if born there versus going by choice.

He says logically that moving away from where there is a bigger chunk of religion towards where there is lesser chunk of religion for the sake of better comfort, money, better standards of living, more enjoyments are a series of questions that you need to ask yourself?

He accepts that Pakistan has lots of issues and problems, but according to him levels and grades are less, and the person will follow and implement DEEN more in Pakistan than in the other parts of the non-Muslim world.

He also highlighted two realms of Sharia. In the West, he says that you may be able to follow DEEN at an individual level, but you will never be able to implement DEEN system at a much bigger level.

But then he also mentions the short coming of living under Pakistan’s partial-Islamic styled System. What to do? Dr. Israr Ahmad 2012: Full Islamic system implementation is a big challenge. So, if you are practising religion fully at an individual level, but sadly you are part of a system at a national level which follows the elements of kufr then what to do?

1-Do not accept this system from within your heart or mind

2-Do not serve the system

3-Don’t reconcile with it and don’t support it

4- Don’t flourish under this system and reject it

He further accentuated to shrink your lives and your needs and set yourself free from all the worldly desires. Save your precious time and energy. Use your time and energy to fight against the flawed system, a struggle to impose the right principles of DEEN Islam in your Muslim homeland.

If you follow these steps with all your heart and soul, then you will be compensated for living under such wrong KAFIR styled system. You may have considered yourself a better Muslim at an individual level, but the bigger system is all kufr. If you keep flourishing under such kufr system with a greed of increasing your assets and worldly treasures, then you are part of its abettor and equally as sinful as the system.

5-Javed Ahmad Ghamidi

Scholar Javed Ahmad Ghamidi Says live wherever you want. This earth belongs to God, spread the message of God, you have the Book of Allah, spread it, show your best character. However, if you experience persecution and the system of that place goes against Islam for example not letting Muslims pray their SALATS, fasting, EMAN or faith then you must leave the persecution.

6-Dr. Muhammad Salah

It is not suitable for a Muslim to live in a non-Muslim country except for three reasons:

1-Knowledge or education purpose not available in a Muslim country

2-Treatment which is not available

3-Giving Dawah

He emphasised the real danger is exposing our children to the fitnah which are countless and going to attain passport is something that God does not authorise and saving our generations is much more important.

7-Mufti Muhammad Akmal

Yes, you can live, but represent Islamic way and not face oppression. He finds it encouraging and says living among Muslim community is essential and do your kid’s upbringing up to the Islamic standards.

8-Maulana Tariq Masood

Obtaining nationality of western country is allowed however if you think that your kids will get carried away by that system; then living there is not allowed. So, first thing is protecting EMAN, and upbringing of kids up to Islamic standards then live anywhere. If not, then you cannot reside in a non-Muslim country; but obtaining nationality is allowed and ok.

9-Shaykh Dr. Yasir Qadhi

He starts by saying the preponderance of American Muslims are children of immigrants and the Islam that we were taught was influenced by the culture of people that came.

He also talked about the person who converted far away in a tribe where his whole tribe was non-Muslim.Initially this person was told that his DEEN-e-Islam was not valid as he was living among the KUFARS (nonbelievers), so he travelled all the way to MEDINA. The Prophet (PBUH) said to him to establish prayer, give zakat and live with your people. So from this Shaykh Dr.Yasir Qadhi explicitly derives that as long as a Muslim is not forced to commit shirk or kufr, able to practise the rituals of faith and temptations, he can stay anywhere in the world.

If you are not forced to compromise your values, it is permissible to live with non-Muslims and it is entirely your choice. You are free to weigh the pros and cons and choose where you want to live and from an Islamic perspective there is no prohibition of living in a non-Muslim land and further extends that there is no “land of Islam” anymore. There is no country in this world that represents Islam in its purer form anymore. No country is judging by the laws of Islam any ways. We live in a very different world, post KHILAFA world and because of this we need to rethink our lives. Even though some rulings that might have been found many centuries ago, and therefore in our times, most scholars who understand the modern dynamics that we live in, they say that a Muslim may live wherever they have the freedom to practice their religion.

He further gave the example of the Muslims who migrated from Mecca to Abyssinia even though it was a land of Christians and because the prophet SAWS said in it is a king that will allow you to worship Allah.

However, if cannot pray, or fast and you are forced to worship false gods then if you are able to migrate then you must migrate and if you are not able to migrate then in such situation you are forgiven.

He concluded by saying that the kind of freedom that we have in America to practise our DEEN, then we thank God for those freedoms, and we have every right to live here if we chose to do so.

10-Dr. SMA Logics critical analysis

The logical interpretation after reviewing the useful insights & robust references from these well-known & qualified scholars is that if you are born in a Muslim land, then it is Haram for you to migrate to a non- Muslim country for a better life or luxury reasons, except temporarily for trade, study, DAWAH, or other vital reasons which if fulfilled to be returned to the Muslim land as soon as possible.

Only if your own country is in a War-like situation, and you have no other Muslim land options, then you can migrate to a non-Muslim land. In addition, you should be vigilant and keep exploring other Muslim land alternatives whenever circumstances allow you to take actions.

Otherwise migrating just to earn more money or for a better quality of life is Haram. Dr. Haitham al-Haddad indirectly answers this question that if you have no other Muslim land option except to be murdered or killed, then you can migrate to a non-Muslim country. He related this situation to a general scenario that if you run out of food, and you don’t have any other option except to eat Haram food or otherwise you would die out of hunger, then temporarily it becomes permissible upon you to eat Haram Food. You need to ask yourself, is it worth opting haram option in my life or not?

Dr. Zakir Naik and Dr. Israr split this question into two distinct categories and warn that migrating from a “Muslim land” to a “non-Muslim land” is out of question for a person who is already born in a Muslim land. It is alright to go temporarily due to valid reasons as discussed above, but it becomes mandatory (FARD) upon the person to return to the Muslim land as soon as he or she possibly can.

Besides so many downsides of living in the west as mentioned by the scholars, one area of threat is the world’s increasingly unprecedented problems and the hatred elements and the likelihood of terrorism against the Muslims.

It is true that our Muslim land is also intoxicated with the grime of todays problems, but what is considered norms in the West is an exception in the Muslim land. We have fewer temptations, we hear adhan on daily basis, we don’t get discriminated or oppressed by the non-believers. Most important, we can offer salah wherever & whenever we want.

Two scholars: Javed Ahmad Ghamidi and Dr.Yasir Qadhi, say it is fine to reside in the non-Muslim land if you can practise DEEN freely and face no oppression. The interpretation of Dr.Yasir Qadhi is fuzzy & confusing. He quoted the example of a convert man who continued living among the non-believers after the approval of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). This man was born and raised in that environment, so it becomes MUSTAHAB & not FARD for him to migrate. The second example that Dr.Yasir Qadhi gave was about the king of Abyssinia. To my knowledge, the King later became Muslim, and the intention of Muslim migrants was not to live there permanently. So, both examples that he quoted do not justify his reasoning of permanently residing in the West.

It is utterly sad that the majority of the Muslim migrants have kids born and raised in the west. This scenario has become a shackle and will hinder with the relocation process back to the Muslim land. It gets further convoluted because the Islamic ruling of migration for someone born in a non-Muslim land becomes MUSTAHAB in our children’s case. Sorrowfully, we are raising confused and lost generations and if this continues to thrive, there is a likely chance that we will lose our culture, traditions and most importantly our religion in the subsequent generations. Wretchedly, this thorny situation is the outcome of our own shortcomings and lack of knowledge. We relocated from our existing Muslim land to a non-Muslim land for a better life or attaining nationality without realising the severity of its long-term consequences…

Imagine for a second, God Who is so Keen about Protecting us (parents), Giving us clear rulings and guidelines of returning to our Muslim land once our targets achieved, why would God let our future generations suffer or indulge into this danger for the rest of their lives? We parents will be answerable to God for making this massive error, taking this matter so casually and putting our generations suffer endlessly among the non-believers.

We humans came into this world with a bigger vision of life. Despite our Muslim land’s shortcomings, it is our job to sacrifice and dedicate our time, skills, knowledge, and energies to make things better than before. Only then we will be able to face God on the day of Resurrection and do justice with the mission that we have sadly forgotten.

The Quran reference (Surat Nisa — verse 97) is very intense and heavy, sufficient to shake up a believer. When God Says that without genuine disability, if we stay behind with the non-believers, the destination would be Hellfire which is indeed a nightmare for every Muslim. This in conjunction with the Hadith of our beloved Prophet SAWS further clarifies the confusion.

It is our free will or choice to live a worldly life with a blend of some Islamic and the preponderance of un-Islamic components in the West, or to relocate somewhere where a bigger chunk is predominantly Islamic, have like-minded people or environment and where we have our roots? With this kind of system or attitude, there is good chance that we will be able to make the best of both the worlds for ourselves and our children. May God Guid us and He Knows the Best!