Is it a sin to live in a non-Muslim country?
Question: I was born and raised in Bangladesh and came to London 10 years ago. I married a British Bangladeshi and settled here where her family is. I saw on YouTube that living in the West is haram. It said that our Prophet said he is free from those Muslims who live among the kuffar. They also said that the Qur’an says those who live in a non-Muslim country will go to hellfire. I pray on time, and we have mosques everywhere, and many Muslims live here. I can’t go back to Bangladesh; there is no work there. I also get waswasa. I lost motivation to do good deeds like praying or giving charity as I think; what’s the point of praying and doing good deeds when I am destined for the hellfire because I live in a non-Muslim country, anyways?
Answer:
Assalamu alaykum,
Thank you for your question. Please don’t be stressed out about this issue and don’t take your knowledge from the religion from unreliable Youtube videos or websites that are not rooted in traditional Islam. Here is the full detailed answer to your issue by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani:
https://seekers.flywheelstaging.com/answers/general-counsel/is-it-permissible-to-study-in-a-western-country/
Never let the Shaytan dissuade you from doing good, verily that is his job, and he is very good at it. Allah, Most High, tells us in the Qur’an that the Shaytan says about the believers, “He said, ‘For leaving me to stray I will lie in ambush for them on Your Straight Path.‘ [Qur’an, 7:16]
Increase your good deeds, and use the best weapon that you can use against the Devil and waswasa; learn Sacred Knowledge and apply it in your life. Make du`a to Allah to never let you despair and to place your hope in His vast mercy. No minute deed will go unrewarded.
May Allah give you the best and give you peace on this issue.
[Ustadha] Shazia Ahmad
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Ustadha Shazia Ahmad lived in Damascus, Syria, for two years, where she studied aqidah, fiqh, tajweed, Tafseer, and Arabic. She then attended the University of Texas at Austin, where she completed her Master’s in Arabic. Afterward, she moved to Amman, Jordan, where she studied fiqh, Arabic, and other sciences. She recently moved back to Mississauga, Canada, where she lives with her family.
