Tabarak Allaah great points made. Infact the scholars have agreed with you in the sense that those who are involved in Dawah in the West may stay there & propagate the deen and they have also allowed people to travel to such countries for education, and other reasons within certain guidelines. However, barring certain conditions like Dawah, studying etc they have advised Muslims to migrate to ‘more Islamic areas’ to the best of their ability. The issue is not black and white but the fatwa/rulings depend case by case. It can range from being recommended for a person to stay in the West (e.g.caller to the deen) to haram for another person. What I did not agree with brother Yusuf is the extent of negativity shown for practicing the deen in the East and the relative ease of it in the West. The truth is somewhere in between as per my own experience but it differs people to people.

Alhamdulillaah I feel my deen has improved after migrating here for studies and there are many factors in play I would say. One would be I aint a kid anymore!

Note: The scholars views I support/quoted are the ones I trust. I am aware, like most Fiqh issues, there are differing opinions out there which I respect.

Im not a scholar so I’m not qualified to comment on a fatwa. However as to the actual question as to whether one’s faith is increased by living in Muslim majority countries in the ‘East’ or by living in the ‘West’, I think it really depends on the person. I don’t believe generalizations can be made.

Myself, my faith is clearly stronger in the West, while it becomes sluggish and stagnates in the East. On the other hand, the faith of some of my family members increases in the East while it drops noticeably in the West.

My experience has been, while the West presents stronger challenges than the East (both in terms of pleasures such as sex and drugs, and in terms of intellectual and emotional hurdles), one is also more able to ‘get away’ in the West and really focus on the Deen.

Meanwhile, in the East, nearly everyone is conversant with Islam: adhan is heard every where, Islamic terms are used regularly in conversation, and certain moral codes are still mostly in place (respect for elders, stable marriages, caring for the ill and weak family, etc).

The stronger focus on family and community ties in the East is perhaps a double edge sword: On the one hand, expectations are clearer – one pretty much has to be a Muslim, and a the threat of shame generally keeps everyone toeing the line.

On the other hand, family/community can be quite stifling, especially if they don’t really practice the Deen, or practice it properly. Its much more difficult to study and practice the Deen in a ‘pure’ way.

And Allah knows best 🙂

May Allah help us all with our struggles wherever we are.

Salaam O H

You do say some valid things and I agree in part to what you say – but since this whole world is a musallah for the Muslims, we should go to the four corners of the world, and invite people to Islam. Islam could not have been established properly without the muslims who migrated to these Western countries…I have to say that it might have been difficult for the 1st and 2nd generation to carry out dawah etc due to cultural differences, but a transition is taking place where some of the 2nd and 3rd generation are opening up to the non-muslims and constructively inviting them to Islam. “Rome wasn’t built in one day” as they say…it might take time, but our job is to spread the Message. We are meant to be the representatives of Allah’s Faith in this world, therefore we should do attempt to do that. If we stay in the East, how is our imaan tested? Yes we may go to Jummah, and fast during Ramadan, and enjoy the festivals of Eid, but are we doing that because our forefathers were doing that? I guess what I am trying to say is that if a citizen of a muslim country migrates to the West, can they communicate to those people about Islam, understanding their cultural traits? If not then maybe their children might in the future, and as more people become muslims, from the Western cultures, they can help invite their non-muslim national brethren more easily (although the acceptance is with the Will of Allah). In the East, what muslims can do is improve on the welfare of the living creatures, because you have the capacity and ability to carry out such fundamentals – it is not uncommon for a non-muslim to look at muslim countries and feel uneasy to accept Islam based on what is happening in the East. They do have a point.
May I ask O H when you migrated to Australia, did your deen increase then than it did whilst you lived in a muslim country before?

Having lived in a Muslim country for nearly 2 decades and now in Australia for the last few years, I would say this is true for some countries but for the most part Muslims in the East are more empowered to carry out their obligations & in some cases the difference is HUGE! In AUS there are many things Muslims are deprived of which are fundamentals of the deen but which one can avail from in Muslim countries.

This seems to be a red herring for me…

I was speaking to someone about this issue, and I have to say that continuing on from my previous message…The East is a place where opportunities to practice Islam is more accessible than the West. I mean if a muslim can survive the temptations of the West, then power to them. Unfortunately there are muslims who are just muslims by face, and many are sucked into the Western lifestyle – some may try to return back, but others don’t. That is a problem for the Muslims in the West. Also some countries, practising Islam can be difficult and one can be discriminated – which is sad and upsetting. In the East, the muslims there do not know how grateful they should be for having things that are halal for them in every sense – from marriage to food to listening to Adhans etc. But when we have such things provided for us, we do not appreciate it as much than the foreign Muslim westerner who yearns for such. As said earlier if Muslims can improve the welfare of their own, animals, plants etc, then positivity and confidence can return to them very lands. Through justice and fairness for everyone can Allah’s Mercy be on us all.
Ameen

Looking back at what I said, I may have been a bit harsh regarding my views of the East. I do love the East..i miss the calls of the Adhan, eating freely without having to worry if its halal or not, but Islam is more than just praying and eating halal food – it is also about the social welfare of fellow Muslims/muslimah as well as non-muslims, animals and plants. I have to say regarding the welfare of humans, animals and plants is not as active or advanced as we are meant to make it. That is my only problem.

Salaam
Sorry but I am a bit confused about the statement
*Whoever settles amongst the Mushrikeen, Allah absolves Himself from their protection.* – who is exactly protecting who? If someone can clarify for me as I am getting the impression that the saying states Allah frees Himself from their protection?? which is clearly wrong.

Furthermore what about the hadith

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.

How can one explain that?

Kind regards
Adam

Allah Knows Best

Agree,
Most Imams in North America are old school, not familiar with North American society…
For years I went to the Jumaa prayers and heard boring Khutbas by Imams who can hardly speak English or who would talk about things that are not even relevant or not as important in North American Muslim society.
Over the last few years I have noticed an improvements in the Imams being recruited as well as the styles of the Khutbas.
Al Hamdoulillah I am seing more and more Imams who are born and/or raised in North America and therefore very familiar with the challenges faced by Muslims and especially youth.