The Obligation to Distance Oneself from Corrupt Schools and Communities

This is a letter we received from the questioner (S. A. A.) from the Diyala Governorate in Iraq. It is actually a long letter in which he includes a problem that many people face. He says: I am a young Muslim who worships Allah and wants to act in accordance with the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). But the problem is that I live among a people, most of whom do not pray, do not fast, and do not give charity. They engage in religious innovations and newly invented matters, they swear by other than Allah, and they make vows to other than Allah. Some people even declare disbelief in Allah and His Messenger with their words. I am a young man studying in the middle school, and most of its students are of bad character; they do not carry out the commands of Allah. There are girls with us who do not wear the hijab, and the female teachers are the same. It has become easy to commit evil and easy to commit what is forbidden, and there are other matters that would take too long to explain. But my father does not allow me to leave school. I want to leave this school and distance myself from this environment and work in agriculture, so I can worship Allah away from the evil of people. But my father does not allow me to do that. I want to ask: Is it permissible for me to leave school? And is it permissible for me to travel from this country to another country, even if my parents do not approve? Please advise us, may Allah reward you with good?
Answer: If the situation is as the questioner described, then it is obligatory for you to leave this school, to beware of its evil, and to distance yourself from it and its people, in order to preserve your religion and to protect your creed and your morals from these bad students, male and female, and from this bad community. You must do your utmost to transfer to a sound school, or to a sound town, or to a farm, or to something else where you are safe from danger to your religion and your morals. This is what is obligatory for you, even if your parents are not pleased; because the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: And he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: So sitting among the people of evil and the people of shirk (associating partners with Allah), those who abandon prayers, and among the women who display their adornment and are uncovered, poses a great danger to creed and morals. Therefore, it is not permissible for a Muslim to remain in this state; rather, he must beware of this community and distance himself from it to a community that is better and safer for his religion, whether his parents are pleased or not; because obedience to them is only in what is right, not in disobedience to Allah. And Allah is the One to be asked for help!
The presenter: May Allah bless you, and may Allah reward you with good.