Residing in a country where one is unable to manifest his religion

Q: The honorable Shaykh, what is obligatory for a committed Muslim who lives in non-Islamic countries that force him to shave his beard, abandon prayer, and commit sins openly? And is leaving his family and wealth considered migration?

A: It is obligatory for the Muslim to be wary of residing in a country that invites him to what Allah has forbidden, or compels him to do so, such as abandoning prayer, shaving beards, or committing obscenities like fornication and intoxicants. He must leave these countries and migrate from them, for they are countries of evil, and it is not permissible to reside in them ever. Rather, he must migrate from them, even if he thereby disobeys and defies his parents; for obedience to Allah takes precedence, and obedience to parents is only in what is right, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Therefore, in any country where one is unable to manifest his religion, or is compelled to commit sins, he must migrate from it.