EMIGRATION TO A NON-MUSLIM COUNTRY
Shaykh Taqi Usmani
The issue of emigration to a non-Muslim country and of permanent settlement there, is one on which the ruling would differ according to the personal circumstances and the reasons for the emigration.
1. If a Muslim
is forced by his circumstances to emigrate, e.g. he is persecuted in his
country or imprisoned, or his property is confiscated etc., without his
having committed any crime, and he sees no way out for himself other than
to emigrate to a foreign country, then he would be permitted to do so in
such a case without any karahat (abhorrence) whatsoever as long as he resolves
to protect his faith, and keeps himself away from the widespread evil found
there.
2. Similarly, if a Muslim is forced to emigrate due to his financial situation,
i.e. he cannot find the necessary means of subsistence despite extensive
efforts and he sees no alternative other than immigrating to a non-Muslim
country, then he is permitted to emigrate subject to the above conditions.
Earning a livelihood through permissible means is also a duty for a Muslim,
and the Shariah has not specified a certain place for it. Allah Ta'ala says:
'He is the one who has made the earth manageable for you. So traverse you
through its tracts, and enjoy of the sustenance that He furnishes; and unto
Him is the resurrection.' (Qur'an 67:15)
3. If a Muslim adopts nationality of a non-Muslim country for the purpose
of calling its people towards Islam, or to convey Islamic laws to the Muslims
residing there, and to encourage them to stay firm on their faith, then
this is not only permissible, but also a source of reward. Many of the Sahabah
and Tabi'een settled in distant non-Muslim lands for this very purpose,
and this action of theirs is counted amongst their virtues and points of
merit.
4. If a person has enough means of livelihood available to him in his native
country to be able to live according to the (average) living standard, but
he emigrates in order to raise his standard of living and live a life of
luxury and comfort, then emigration for such a purpose has at least some
degree of karahat (abhorrence) in it, because such a person is throwing
himself into a storm of evil, and endangering his faith and moral character
without there being any necessity for it. Experience shows that the people
who settle in non-Muslim countries for luxury and comfort find their religious
restraint diminishing in the face of many temptations of evil.
5. Finally, if a person adopts a non-Muslim nationality solely for the purpose
of increasing his standing in society, and as a matter of pride, or in preference
to a Muslim nationality, or in imitation of the Kuffar then all such actions
are Haram [unlawful] without exception. There is no need to cite evidence
for this.
Courtesy: Albalagh, an Islamic E-Journal