We have learned that traveling to lands of disbelief is not permissible except out of dire necessity, so how do we know whether a country is a land of disbelief or a land of Islam?
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The questioner : Noble Shaykh, traveling to the lands of disbelievers is not permissible except out of dire necessity. What is the criterion for identifying the lands of disbelievers?
The Shaykh : What?
The questioner : I say: traveling to the lands of disbelievers.
The Shaykh : Yes, exactly.
The questioner : is not permissible except out of dire necessity.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : So what is the criterion for knowing whether a country is a land of disbelievers or not? Is it the presence of Muslims, or what?
The Shaykh : Is this a difficulty for you, my brother? What do you say about America? Is it a land of disbelievers or a land of Islam? Answer me?
The questioner : A land of disbelievers.
The Shaykh : Even though there are many Muslims in it. What do you say about Russia? About France? About Britain? About Japan? These are clearly lands of disbelief. And we say, for example, about other countries like Pakistan, Syria, Kuwait, and the like, that they are lands of Islam. Yes.
The questioner : An Islamic state, and yet the call to prayer is not raised in it?
The Shaykh : I do not know. I think that is the case. I think the call to prayer is not raised in it. And even if they were prevented from raising the adhan, these people are coerced, coerced. If they are coerced, it is like one who leaves off obligatory acts under coercion.
The questioner : ... the rule.
The Shaykh : The rule is that wherever the rites of Islam are established, it is a land of Islam, even if the government itself is disbelieving, as long as the rites of Islam are established in it, it is a land of Islam. Yes, yes.
The Shaykh : What?
The questioner : I say: traveling to the lands of disbelievers.
The Shaykh : Yes, exactly.
The questioner : is not permissible except out of dire necessity.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : So what is the criterion for knowing whether a country is a land of disbelievers or not? Is it the presence of Muslims, or what?
The Shaykh : Is this a difficulty for you, my brother? What do you say about America? Is it a land of disbelievers or a land of Islam? Answer me?
The questioner : A land of disbelievers.
The Shaykh : Even though there are many Muslims in it. What do you say about Russia? About France? About Britain? About Japan? These are clearly lands of disbelief. And we say, for example, about other countries like Pakistan, Syria, Kuwait, and the like, that they are lands of Islam. Yes.
The questioner : An Islamic state, and yet the call to prayer is not raised in it?
The Shaykh : I do not know. I think that is the case. I think the call to prayer is not raised in it. And even if they were prevented from raising the adhan, these people are coerced, coerced. If they are coerced, it is like one who leaves off obligatory acts under coercion.
The questioner : ... the rule.
The Shaykh : The rule is that wherever the rites of Islam are established, it is a land of Islam, even if the government itself is disbelieving, as long as the rites of Islam are established in it, it is a land of Islam. Yes, yes.