A new Muslim staying in his non-Muslim country
Fatwa No: 92517

Question

Selam Aleykum Werahmetula Werabakatuhu Elhamdullila I found this web site my questions goes as followes. I been a muslim for about three years now few months back I read a hadith where it says that when a kafir becomes a muslim and is in a non muslim land that his deeds will not be acceptet till he does hijra, now where things get little trick is that I have my family here in the west and my mother and sisters and not in the best finacail sistuation whats should I do I wish to make hijra but there was another hadith where a compania did hijra and left his parent crying so the Prophet Of Allah SubhanuWattala told him to go back and make his parents happy as he made them cry So please email me back and Inshalal I have some more ?s for you At the end I ask Allah SubhanuWattala to reward you greatly Eselamu Aleykum Werahmetula Werbakatuhu

Answer

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger. We ask Allaah to exalt his mention as well as that of his family and all his companions.

 

It is not correct to say that it is an obligation for a new Muslim who is originally from a non-Muslim country to migrate to Muslim countries. The ruling of migrating differs in his regard according to the different circumstances as clarified in Fatwa 86405.

Therefore, if you do not fear to be afflicted in your religion or possibly apostate, it is permissible for you to reside in your country. Hence, we advise you to be kind and dutiful to your parents, the best of which is to call them to Islam and show them the merits of this religion by dealing with them kindly, and Allaah may guide them thanks to you.

As regards the narration to which you referred in your question about those who do not migrate, then we are not aware of any narration in this meaning. However, if you refer to the verse of Allaah (which means): {And as to those who believed but did not migrate (to you O Muhammad), you owe no duty of protection to them until they migrate, but if they seek your help in religion, it is your duty to help them except against a people with whom you have a treaty of mutual alliance, and Allaah is the All-Seer of what you do.} [Quran 8:72]; then this refers to the migration from Makkah to Madeenah, and this migration was abrogated after the conquest of Makkah. Indeed, it is confirmed that the Prophet said: ''There is no migration after the conquest of Makkah.'' [Al-Bukhari & Muslim]. Abu Bakr Ibn Al-'Arabi interpreted the above verse saying: "This verse is general about support (protection) and inheritance, for instance the person who remained residing in Makkah even if he had firm belief, his belief was of no avail and he would not be rewarded for it unless he migrated, but this verse was abrogated by the conquest of Makkah, and the inheritance became by blood relations."

With regard to the other Prophetic narration which reads: "Go back to your parents and try to make them laugh as you made them cry." [Abu Daawood], then this applies to a person if he is not obliged to migrate, but if migration is an obligation on him to an extent that he fears about his religion if he does not migrate, then he is obliged to migrate even if his parents are not pleased with him to do so.

Allaah Knows best.

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