The Shaykh’s Note: It is not permissible to travel to the lands of disbelief except under three conditions.
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The Shaykh : Because it is not permissible for anyone to travel to such countries except under three conditions. The first condition is that he must have knowledge with which to repel doubts. The second condition is that he must have religion with which to repel desires. The third condition is that he must be in dire necessity to travel, such that the specializations available abroad are not available in his country, and such that the country needs these specializations. So, how many conditions are there?
The questioner : That he has knowledge with which to repel doubts. That he has the strength of religion with which to repel desires. That he is compelled to leave for those countries.
The Shaykh : Now, he must have knowledge, but if he is naive and knows nothing about knowledge, he is in danger. For there is a malicious nation that introduces doubts to Muslims, either regarding Allah (Mighty and Majestic), or regarding the Qur'an, or regarding the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). They bring forth things that cause one who has no knowledge to doubt, and this is a great danger. The leaders of these Christians, may the curses of Allah be upon them until the Day of Resurrection, their leaders say that it does not matter to us if the Muslim becomes a Christian, because that is far off. But it matters to us that the Muslim strips himself of his religion, and let him be on whatever religion he wants. The important thing is that he exits this religion, either through denial, rejection, and arrogance, or through doubt and falling into disbelief, may Allah protect us. Now, he must have religion with which to repel desires. How is this? As you know, there are lands of disbelief that have strongholds of intoxicants, houses of prostitution, and all manner of moral corruption. The one who does not have religion to repel desires is tempted by his soul and falls into the shirk of these people. The third is the dire necessity to travel, such that the country needs the specializations for which one travels, and there is nothing of these specializations in the country. And in this report of mine, I am not belittling the status of some of the students sent abroad. In fact, some of the students sent abroad, and especially, praise be to Allah, in this recent period, were callers to good, enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong. Some of them even formed groups and purchased places where the call to Islam is held through sermons, writing small pamphlets, and magazines like al-Bayan, which recently appeared, and others. Among them, praise be to Allah, is good, and especially in the recent time, there is much good among them, and a large group of Christians, or non-Christians as well, have guided themselves through their efforts.
The questioner : That he has knowledge with which to repel doubts. That he has the strength of religion with which to repel desires. That he is compelled to leave for those countries.
The Shaykh : Now, he must have knowledge, but if he is naive and knows nothing about knowledge, he is in danger. For there is a malicious nation that introduces doubts to Muslims, either regarding Allah (Mighty and Majestic), or regarding the Qur'an, or regarding the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). They bring forth things that cause one who has no knowledge to doubt, and this is a great danger. The leaders of these Christians, may the curses of Allah be upon them until the Day of Resurrection, their leaders say that it does not matter to us if the Muslim becomes a Christian, because that is far off. But it matters to us that the Muslim strips himself of his religion, and let him be on whatever religion he wants. The important thing is that he exits this religion, either through denial, rejection, and arrogance, or through doubt and falling into disbelief, may Allah protect us. Now, he must have religion with which to repel desires. How is this? As you know, there are lands of disbelief that have strongholds of intoxicants, houses of prostitution, and all manner of moral corruption. The one who does not have religion to repel desires is tempted by his soul and falls into the shirk of these people. The third is the dire necessity to travel, such that the country needs the specializations for which one travels, and there is nothing of these specializations in the country. And in this report of mine, I am not belittling the status of some of the students sent abroad. In fact, some of the students sent abroad, and especially, praise be to Allah, in this recent period, were callers to good, enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong. Some of them even formed groups and purchased places where the call to Islam is held through sermons, writing small pamphlets, and magazines like al-Bayan, which recently appeared, and others. Among them, praise be to Allah, is good, and especially in the recent time, there is much good among them, and a large group of Christians, or non-Christians as well, have guided themselves through their efforts.