Advice for those who travel abroad for tourism
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner:
He says: Honorable Shaykh, may Allah grant you success, what is your advice for those who go abroad for tourism? He says: This question is timely given the approaching summer vacation and the prevalence of such travel. He says: They go to Islamic countries, but there is much fitnah (trial, discord or temptation) and desire there, under the pretext that tourism is expensive in our country and cheap abroad. Is such a thing permissible?
The Shaykh:
Tourism that leads to forbidden matters is not permissible. Tourism is permissible if it does not lead to forbidden matters. As for tourism that leads to forbidden matters, even in Islamic countries, it is not permissible. How much more so if it is in disbeliever lands? The matter is more severe. And is tourism necessary, my brother? Sit in your house, eat, drink, pray in the mosque, and praise be to Allah. This is tourism. Yes.
But tourism has now become obligatory, and people have started taking on debt. The poor are now borrowing money, buying new cars for tourism, just to please the women and children. The burdens on Muslims are increased because of this tourism. This is an unnecessary expense that one must not undertake. It is not permissible to borrow and obligate oneself with debts for the sake of tourism.
The presenter:
Honorable Shaykh, may Allah grant you success, this is a woman asking from the land of Sweden.
The Shaykh:
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) says: with what is lawful therein. Praise be to Allah, your house is tourism, if Allah has kept you safe and your provision is in your house, and you are safe, not fearing for your self or your wealth, and you have means of cooling, the air conditioner. You say, "I will go look for the air conditioner," but the air conditioner is in your house. Praise be to Allah, and you rest from danger, from accidents, and from evils. Yes. Yes. There is no god but Allah. Yes.
He says: Honorable Shaykh, may Allah grant you success, what is your advice for those who go abroad for tourism? He says: This question is timely given the approaching summer vacation and the prevalence of such travel. He says: They go to Islamic countries, but there is much fitnah (trial, discord or temptation) and desire there, under the pretext that tourism is expensive in our country and cheap abroad. Is such a thing permissible?
The Shaykh:
Tourism that leads to forbidden matters is not permissible. Tourism is permissible if it does not lead to forbidden matters. As for tourism that leads to forbidden matters, even in Islamic countries, it is not permissible. How much more so if it is in disbeliever lands? The matter is more severe. And is tourism necessary, my brother? Sit in your house, eat, drink, pray in the mosque, and praise be to Allah. This is tourism. Yes.
But tourism has now become obligatory, and people have started taking on debt. The poor are now borrowing money, buying new cars for tourism, just to please the women and children. The burdens on Muslims are increased because of this tourism. This is an unnecessary expense that one must not undertake. It is not permissible to borrow and obligate oneself with debts for the sake of tourism.
The presenter:
Honorable Shaykh, may Allah grant you success, this is a woman asking from the land of Sweden.
The Shaykh:
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) says:
He who sleeps in the morning with his private parts safe, his body free from illness, and having the food of the day, is as if the world had been gathered for him.
امنا في سره معافى في بدنه عنده قوت يومه فكانما فقد حيزت له الدنيا
Source
قناة «العلامة الدكتور صالح الفوزان»، 116 من 123 / شرح كتاب زاد المستقنع / القضاء / صالح الفوزان / الفقه / كبار العلماء — youtube.com (1:03:29)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.