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| Question: If the law and order situation in a
Muslim state is awful, like it was in Iraq or in Karachi, do you think
a Muslim can migrate to a non-Muslim country to seek protection? Needless
to mention is the fact that in many of the western countries a Muslim can
lead his life according to the will of Allah - nobody is concerned there
with your personal matters and they consider religion to be a personal
matter. In fact, if you allow me to say, the situation in some non-Muslim
countries is more conducive for living according to the teachings of Islam
than quite a few Muslim countries. To give you an example, countries like
Libya, Syria, and Turkey are severe even on issues like growing your beard.
On the other hand, I know of many people who started practicing Islam after
they migrated to the USA. I have also spent a year in the USA, and I think
I was a better Muslim there than in Pakistan. I know that there are many
problems associated with the western society and it is very hard for a
person living there to safeguard him/herself against them, but then you
have to make a decision. If you move around in a circle of good Muslims,
you can protect yourself as well as your family from the effects of western
culture to a certain extent. Please clarify me on this issue keeping in
view the current scenario in Muslim and non-Muslim states. Is there any
instruction in Qur’a#n which
restricts Muslims to keep living in a Muslim country even if they find
that they are not contributing in a positive sense to humanity and that
they can do it in a better way by migrating to a non-Muslim country?
Answer: The Shari#‘ah has not stopped Muslims from settling anywhere in the world whether in Muslim countries or in non-Muslim ones. It is entirely a person’s choice and decision. The only thing which perhaps he should care about, if he is a practicing Muslim, is that the place he is going to settle in be conducive to his faith and religion. Consequently, so important is the place a Muslim settles in as far as his faith is concerned that the Qur’a#n emphatically directs Muslims to migrate from societies or countries where they are persecuted because of their religion, and which as a result they are unable to follow. If they do not, they will be dearly held responsible for this indifference and be consigned to Hell. The Qur’a#n says:
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