Ruling On Traveling To The Lands of Disbelief

Intro

Shaikh Muhammad ibn Salih Al-Uthaymin رحمه الله :

If it’s the case the country of an individual is a disbelieving country and he’s not able to establish his religion therein, then it is obligatory for him to leave and go make hijrah. Likewise, if the individual is from amongst the Muslims and within a Muslim country, then it is not permissible for him to travel to a disbelieving country, while that poses a danger to his religion and his manners, likewise it’s wasting of wealth and strengthening the economy of the disbelievers.

While we are commanded to enrage the disbelievers with everything that we’re able. As Allah says in the Qur’an: يٰۤـاَيُّهَا الَّذِيۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا قَاتِلُوا الَّذِيۡنَ يَلُوۡنَكُمۡ مِّنَ الۡكُفَّارِ وَلۡيَجِدُوۡا فِيۡكُمۡ غِلۡظَةً​ ۚ وَاعۡلَمُوۡاۤ اَنَّ اللّٰهَ مَعَ الۡمُتَّقِيۡنَ ١٢٣ O believers! Fight the disbelievers around you and let them find firmness in you. And know that Allah is with those mindful of Him ¹

Allah says in the Qur’an: ذٰ لِكَ بِاَنَّهُمۡ لَا يُصِيۡبُهُمۡ ظَمَاٌ وَّلَا نَصَبٌ وَّلَا مَخۡمَصَةٌ فِىۡ سَبِيۡلِ اللّٰهِ وَلَا يَطَـُٔـوۡنَ مَوۡطِئًا يَّغِيۡظُ الۡكُفَّارَ وَلَا يَنَالُوۡنَ مِنۡ عَدُوٍّ نَّيۡلاً اِلَّا كُتِبَ لَهُمۡ بِهٖ عَمَلٌ صَالِحٌ​ ۚ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ لَا يُضِيۡعُ اَجۡرَ الۡمُحۡسِنِيۡنَۙ ١٢٠ That is because whenever they suffer from thirst, fatigue, or hunger in the cause of Allah; or tread on a territory, unnerving the disbelievers; or inflict any loss on an enemy—it is written to their credit as a good deed. Surely Allah never discounts the reward of the good-doers. ²

So the disbeliever, no matter what kind of disbeliever he might be, whether he’s a Jew, a Christian, or from Atheists, whether he calls himself a Muslim or doesn’t call himself a Muslim, then the disbeliever is an enemy of Allah, an enemy to His book, an enemy to His Messenger, and enemy to the Disbeliever; all of them. No matter how much he may try to hide it, he (the disbeliever) is an enemy.

Condition

So it is not permissible for an individual to travel to the lands of the disbeliever except with 3 conditions;

The First Condition is that he has knowledge (of the Islamic legislation), so by way of it he can repel the doubts.

That is because the disbelievers cast doubts at the Muslims, they cast doubts about their religion, their Messenger, they cast doubts about their Book, further-more they cast doubts about their (Islamic) manners, and they cast doubts about everything. In order to make an individual remain doubtfull and waivering (in his religion) and it is known that if a person is doubtful in affairs that are obligatory to have certainty in, then he will not carry out the obligation (as he should). Because to believe in Allah, His Angels, His Books, His Messengers, the last day and the pre-decree of Allah the good of it and the bad of it, the belief in these must be with certainty. If an individual were to doubt in these things, then he is a disbeliever.

This disbelievers cast doubts into the religion of the Muslims to the extent that some of their leaders have openly said: “do not try and make a Muslim leave his religion for Christianity. But it’s suffiecient that you make him doubt his religion, because if you make him doubt his religion, then in reality you have taken away his religion (from him), and this is all that is needed” (He further said): “If you take him out of this realm (i.e the realm of Islam) which has supremacy, might and honor to the religion of Christianity which is based off of misguidance and foolishness, then this isn’t possible.” Because the Christians are misguided as has come in an authentic narration of the Prophet ﷺ Even if the religion of the Messiah (Isa ibn Maryam) was the truth, it was the truth in the time of era before it was abrogated by the Message of the Prophet ﷺ . He must have knowledge to be able to repel the doubts.

The Second Condition is that he must have with him religiosity (i.e that he’s practicing his religion) which protects him from (following) desires.

As for the one that doesn’t have religiosity, if he were to go to the disbelieving countries then he would sink. Because he would easily find the glitter of the worldy life, there are desires from alcohol, fornication and homosexuality, every type of criminality is found in land of disbelief. So if he goes there it’s feared for him that he’ll slip into it, except if he has religion to protect him from that. So it’s a must that a person has religion to prevent him (from slipping) into tempation.

The Third Condition is that he must be actually in need of going (to the lands of disbelief).

For example that he’s sick so he needs to travel to a disbelieving country in order to seek cure. Or he’s in need of (some specific type of) knowledge that is not available in the lands of Islam, then he can go there to learn. Or that a person needs to do business, then he can do his business and return. What’s important is that there is an actual need. So for that reason, I see that those who travel to lands of disbelief just for tourism, I see that they are sinful. And that every penny that they spend on this travel is forbidden for them to do so, it is also considered wasting wealth and they will be held accountable for it on the day of the resurrection.

Audio source & translation : The Ruling On Traveling To The Lands of Disbelief | Shaikh Muhammad ibn Salih Al-Uthaymin ³