The Ruling on Traveling to the Lands of Disbelievers and Acquiring Their Citizenship
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner:
The knights, Abu Tashbir, we know what this is on the ground and on the adornment.
The Shaykh:
It is forbidden for a person to go to the lands of the disbelievers, settle there, and take their citizenship. This is forbidden because traveling to the lands of the disbelievers is prohibited except in cases of dire necessity or pressing need. For example, a person seeks treatment and finds no cure except in the lands of the disbelievers, so he travels because this is a case of dire necessity or pressing need. A person travels for trade, for his business and wealth, or travels for studies that are not available except there and that people need; these are cases of excuse where it is permissible for a person to travel, provided he holds fast to his religion, displays his religion, and does not compromise on any part of his religion under these conditions. As for traveling to the lands of the disbelievers to settle, or for leisure and staying there, this is not permissible because of the danger it poses to the Muslim’s creed and the Muslim’s religion, unless dire necessity compels him. If dire necessity compels him to the lands of the disbelievers because he did not find a Muslim country, and there is a place in the lands of the disbelievers where he can feel safe for a period and then return to the lands of the Muslims—meaning his intention is not to settle and his intention is not to acquire their citizenship, but rather he went temporarily to preserve his religion because his country is a land of fitnah (trial, discord or temptation) and he does not find a Muslim country to go to, just as the Companions migrated to the lands of Abyssinia in the first migration to the Negus, who was a Christian at that time and did not oppress anyone under his protection—this is a case of dire necessity. The result is that in a case of dire necessity, there is no harm in traveling to the lands of the disbelievers to the extent of the necessity, either to stay there or for one of the purposes, and then return. As for going without necessity and staying there, this is forbidden, because the obligatory opposite is the obligation to migrate from the lands of the disbelievers to the lands of the Muslims to escape for the sake of his religion. And acquiring their citizenship is not permissible because it falls under their rule and their laws apply to him by virtue of the citizenship, making him one of them. This is more severe and is not permissible.
It is not permissible. This greed for the worldly life is not permissible. He should not take the citizenship of the disbelievers, because if he takes their citizenship, their system applies to him and he becomes one of their subjects. This is not permissible for the sake of greed for the worldly life.
Another questioner:
Thank you.
The Shaykh:
If it is not possible to learn the language except there, and he needs to learn the language, there is no harm.
Another questioner:
Some people tell you it is a need.
The Shaykh:
No, if he was not in need, it is not permissible. Or if he could have learned the language here, it is not permissible. It is not permissible for him to do so.
Another questioner:
How, O Shaykh? There is wealth for the Muslims there, and they do not fear.
The Shaykh:
No, this is an incorrect argument. The Muslims who are there are also in danger, so how can they go? No, this is not valid except for a need that cannot be achieved except by traveling, in which case he travels to the extent of that need and returns.
The questioner:
All of them are the questioner.
The Shaykh:
We have heard, or we hear often, that those who go to study the language there live with disbelieving families in their houses and mix with their women and daughters and live with them. They say that this is possible for the language, for communicating with them. For this reason, a great error has occurred, and corruption has happened from these people. Corruption has occurred with these disbelieving families because the disbelievers do not guard their honor, nor do they care about their honor. Rather, they intend to deceive the Muslims and corrupt the Muslims. Yes.
The knights, Abu Tashbir, we know what this is on the ground and on the adornment.
The Shaykh:
It is forbidden for a person to go to the lands of the disbelievers, settle there, and take their citizenship. This is forbidden because traveling to the lands of the disbelievers is prohibited except in cases of dire necessity or pressing need. For example, a person seeks treatment and finds no cure except in the lands of the disbelievers, so he travels because this is a case of dire necessity or pressing need. A person travels for trade, for his business and wealth, or travels for studies that are not available except there and that people need; these are cases of excuse where it is permissible for a person to travel, provided he holds fast to his religion, displays his religion, and does not compromise on any part of his religion under these conditions. As for traveling to the lands of the disbelievers to settle, or for leisure and staying there, this is not permissible because of the danger it poses to the Muslim’s creed and the Muslim’s religion, unless dire necessity compels him. If dire necessity compels him to the lands of the disbelievers because he did not find a Muslim country, and there is a place in the lands of the disbelievers where he can feel safe for a period and then return to the lands of the Muslims—meaning his intention is not to settle and his intention is not to acquire their citizenship, but rather he went temporarily to preserve his religion because his country is a land of fitnah (trial, discord or temptation) and he does not find a Muslim country to go to, just as the Companions migrated to the lands of Abyssinia in the first migration to the Negus, who was a Christian at that time and did not oppress anyone under his protection—this is a case of dire necessity. The result is that in a case of dire necessity, there is no harm in traveling to the lands of the disbelievers to the extent of the necessity, either to stay there or for one of the purposes, and then return. As for going without necessity and staying there, this is forbidden, because the obligatory opposite is the obligation to migrate from the lands of the disbelievers to the lands of the Muslims to escape for the sake of his religion. And acquiring their citizenship is not permissible because it falls under their rule and their laws apply to him by virtue of the citizenship, making him one of them. This is more severe and is not permissible.
It is not permissible. This greed for the worldly life is not permissible. He should not take the citizenship of the disbelievers, because if he takes their citizenship, their system applies to him and he becomes one of their subjects. This is not permissible for the sake of greed for the worldly life.
Another questioner:
Thank you.
The Shaykh:
If it is not possible to learn the language except there, and he needs to learn the language, there is no harm.
Another questioner:
Some people tell you it is a need.
The Shaykh:
No, if he was not in need, it is not permissible. Or if he could have learned the language here, it is not permissible. It is not permissible for him to do so.
Another questioner:
How, O Shaykh? There is wealth for the Muslims there, and they do not fear.
The Shaykh:
No, this is an incorrect argument. The Muslims who are there are also in danger, so how can they go? No, this is not valid except for a need that cannot be achieved except by traveling, in which case he travels to the extent of that need and returns.
The questioner:
All of them are the questioner.
The Shaykh:
We have heard, or we hear often, that those who go to study the language there live with disbelieving families in their houses and mix with their women and daughters and live with them. They say that this is possible for the language, for communicating with them. For this reason, a great error has occurred, and corruption has happened from these people. Corruption has occurred with these disbelieving families because the disbelievers do not guard their honor, nor do they care about their honor. Rather, they intend to deceive the Muslims and corrupt the Muslims. Yes.
Source
شرح بلوغ المرام من أدلة الأحكام [ صالح الفوزان ]، تتمة باب إزالة النجاسة وبيانها — islamhouse.com (51:26)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.