Among the harms of residing in lands of disbelief, and is it permissible to reside in the lands of disbelievers?

The questioner : The second question: There is a Muslim family in America. The father married his daughter to his son’s cousin. The marriage was conducted based on witnesses without any written documents. After the marriage was completed and the groom entered the bride’s room, the bride, along with her female friends, spoke up. I do not know how it went, but she went to the court and said that her father had sold her and that my cousin had raped her. They put the father in prison and the husband in prison. The father does not know what to do. They took the girl and placed her in what they call a foster home, a place for those who have no family to live with young men and women. He does not know what to do; he is in prison. This period has been three months under trial because there are no written documents for the marriage. She claims that he sold her and took twenty thousand dollars as her price. They found twenty thousand dollars in his house, so the case is ongoing. The girl’s brother came to ask me, may Allah know, he is asking...The Shaykh : about the matter, meaning.

The Shaykh : Is this a fiqh question or a legal question?

The questioner : It is a religious matter; I do not know how to phrase it.

Another questioner : It is as if the brother is asking whether he is allowed to kill his sister?

The Shaykh : Is that what you mean?

The questioner : The brother said, what do I do with my sister? What do I do with my father? What does he do with his sister? They took his sister, and what does he do with his father?

The Shaykh : The question should be: what does the person who took her to America and got into this problem do? That is the correct approach.

The questioner : By the way, we want to ask this question: Is it permissible for a Muslim to travel to these lands?

The Shaykh : The answer has already been given.

The questioner : Many people travel to America; is it permissible for them?

The Shaykh : It is not permissible now. The address should be directed to him because he is traveling.

The questioner : Because he needs to return.

The Shaykh : No, he does not need to return. No, we have informed your brother.