What is the ruling on traveling to the lands of disbelief?

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The Shaykh : Now, between a city-dweller and a Bedouin, I will give you an example that is much more important than this, which I mentioned earlier, but now I will mention it in detail. It is not permissible for a Muslim, as is unfortunately the case today, to travel from the abode of Islam to the abode of disbelief, such as America, Britain, and Germany. There are many Muslims living there. Why?
Because the environment in which they live affects them; it is a disbelieving environment, a sinful environment, an environment of licentiousness, and so on. One must inevitably be affected by some of the diseases present in those environments. On the contrary, one who may become a Muslim in those lands of disbelief is commanded to live in the lands of Islam. Why? Because of the effect of the environment, as we have mentioned. If the environment is good, its effect is good, and that is the environment of Islam. If the environment is not good, and it is the environment of the disbelievers, its effect is bad. Therefore, he (peace and blessings be upon him) said:

Whoever mixes with the polytheist is like him

من جامع المشرك فهو مثله

And he said:

The Muslim and the polytheist do not see each other's fire.

المسلم والمشرك لا تتراءا نارهما

And he said:

I am innocent of every Muslim who resides or stays among the polytheists.

أنا بريء من كل مسلم أقام أو يقيم بين ظهراني المشركين

So the opposite is the correct path. If a polytheist becomes a Muslim, he must migrate from the land of disbelief to the lands of Islam.
And he said:

The Muslim and the polytheist do not see each other's fire.

المسلم والمشرك لا تتراءا نارهما

And he said:

I am innocent of every Muslim who resides or stays among the polytheists.

أنا بريء من كل مسلم أقام أو يقيم بين ظهراني المشركين

So the opposite is the correct path. If a polytheist becomes a Muslim, he must migrate from the land of disbelief to the lands of Islam. As for a Muslim traveling from the land of Islam to the land of disbelief, this is not permissible in Islam. Some of the narrated hadiths confirm to us the meaning of this sweet Shari'ah in this matter. You must have heard one day the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):

The example of the good companion is like the example of a seller of musk: either he gives you some (meaning he gives it to you for free, and I am hoping for the opportunity as you did with me, may Allah reward you with good, because I may not have been able to reward you with good at that time), or the example of the good companion is like the example of a seller of musk: either he gives you some (meaning he gives it to you for free, as you did not take the price of the perfume), or you buy from him, or you smell a pleasant scent from him.

مثل الجليس الصالح كمثل بائع المسك إما أن يحذيك - أي يعطيك مجانا وأنا أهتبلمها فرصة كما فعلت معي جزاك الله خيرا لأني يمكن يومئذ ما طلع بيدي أن أجازيك خيرا -, مثل الجليس الصالح كمثل بائع المسك إما أن يحذيك - أي يعطيك مجانا كما فعلت أنت ما أخذت ثمن الطيب هذا - وإما أن تشتري منه وإما أن تشم منه رائحة طيبة

So, the companion of evil is a loss for the righteous in any case. If you keep his company, you will be a gainer, but the gain has degrees. The highest degree is like a seller of musk who gives it to you for free. The second rank is that you buy from him. The best you can do is go down to the market and look around, and so on. At the very least, you smell a pleasant scent.

And the example of the bad companion is like the example of a blacksmith: either he burns your clothes, or you smell a foul odor from him.

ومثل الجليس السوء كمثل الحداد إما أن يحرق ثيابك وإما أن تشم منه رائحة كريهة

This hadith shows you the effect of the environment, whether it is good or evil.

Source www.al-albany.com

The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.

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