What are the conditions that permit staying in the lands of disbelievers temporarily, for example for treatment or study?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : And what are the conditions through which a Muslim can, I mean, not say that he resides there, but spends a certain period there, like for study, or for example goes for treatment, and what is your opinion and guidance?
The Shaykh : First, we say that it is permissible to go there out of necessity. We believe that, in general and not in detail, acquiring certain modern sciences that are not found in Islamic lands, or for which there is no one in Islamic lands who teaches them, is a necessity. To fulfill this collective obligation, we see it necessary for the Muslim to travel to acquire such knowledge. However, if it is a common, widespread science, and he goes to acquire it for his own benefit, to make it a means of obtaining his livelihood, then this is not a necessity among the necessities that permit forbidden things. Therefore, it is not permissible for him to travel in this case. And based on what we know from early Islamic history, it is permissible for Muslim merchants to go to the lands of disbelievers to trade, by bringing them the goods available to Muslims, and returning from these disbelievers with their goods to the lands of Islam, not that they reside there for years. And with that, it is necessary to remind those who go there, whether for trade or to acquire that necessary knowledge, that they must be protected, meaning married and protected by Islamic morals.
The questioner : Is this a condition, O Shaykh?
The Shaykh : It is a condition.
The questioner : Many...
The Shaykh : Many, many!
The questioner : Now it has appeared that... to France, now the Algerian youth have headed to England, London is full of Algerians there, the Algerian youth are there.
The Shaykh : Strange.
Al-Halabi : They built a tunnel under the sea between France and Britain, under the sea.
The Shaykh : In the sea.
Al-Halabi : They announced that they completed it a few days ago.
Another questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : They go to work, just as they went to France before, so now they are heading to Britain.
The Shaykh : First, we say that it is permissible to go there out of necessity. We believe that, in general and not in detail, acquiring certain modern sciences that are not found in Islamic lands, or for which there is no one in Islamic lands who teaches them, is a necessity. To fulfill this collective obligation, we see it necessary for the Muslim to travel to acquire such knowledge. However, if it is a common, widespread science, and he goes to acquire it for his own benefit, to make it a means of obtaining his livelihood, then this is not a necessity among the necessities that permit forbidden things. Therefore, it is not permissible for him to travel in this case. And based on what we know from early Islamic history, it is permissible for Muslim merchants to go to the lands of disbelievers to trade, by bringing them the goods available to Muslims, and returning from these disbelievers with their goods to the lands of Islam, not that they reside there for years. And with that, it is necessary to remind those who go there, whether for trade or to acquire that necessary knowledge, that they must be protected, meaning married and protected by Islamic morals.
The questioner : Is this a condition, O Shaykh?
The Shaykh : It is a condition.
The questioner : Many...
The Shaykh : Many, many!
The questioner : Now it has appeared that... to France, now the Algerian youth have headed to England, London is full of Algerians there, the Algerian youth are there.
The Shaykh : Strange.
Al-Halabi : They built a tunnel under the sea between France and Britain, under the sea.
The Shaykh : In the sea.
Al-Halabi : They announced that they completed it a few days ago.
Another questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : They go to work, just as they went to France before, so now they are heading to Britain.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.