Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Asslaam u Alaikum

I am an immigrant to Canada, i heard today in Juma Khutba, Imam was providing an example of first migration of Islam by Syedna Utman Ghani radiAllahu anhu to Abisenea as they migrated for the cause of Allah, imam said that if your migration or immigration to Canada is to seek for better life than its invalid, you should have intention to migrate FiSabilAllah otherwise you will be go to hell. My question is that is it true. 

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Migration to Canada Invalid

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 1.1 Narrated by Umar bin Al Khattab

I heard Allah's Messenger (saws) saying, "The reward of deeds depends upon the intentions and every person will get the reward according to what he has intended. So whoever emigrated for worldly benefits or for a woman to marry, his emigration was for what he emigrated for."

If one is persecuted for following Islam in the land he resides and that person chooses to migrate to another nation where he will be allowed to follow his belief and worship his Lord the way he is commanded, indeed his migration would be for the Cause of Allah; and he will have his due reward with Allah Subhanah.

But if one leaves one’s land and migrates to another nation for any other reason than the Cause of Allah Subhanah, obviously he will not have the reward of one who migrates for Allah’s Cause.

Your Question: imam said that if your migration or immigration to Canada is to seek for better life than its invalid, you should have intention to migrate FiSabilAllah otherwise you will be go to hell. My question is that is it true. 

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 57 Surah Hadid verse 5:

5 To Him belongs the Dominion of the heavens and the earth: and all affairs are referred back to Allah.

Dear and Beloved Brother, to Allah our Lord belongs the Dominion of the heavens and the earth; and Allah Subhanah has permitted man to live or move anywhere he wills and chooses, provided he remains a humble, grateful and obedient servant of His Lord wherever he chooses to reside.

Obviously if a believer chooses to immigrate to another nation for worldly reasons (like marriage, seek a better living, further education, etc.), he will not have the reward Allah Subhanah has reserved for those who migrate for His Cause Alone.

If one is confident that he will remain a humble, grateful, and obedient servant of his Lord Creator, there is absolutely no harm and no restriction in migrating or residing anywhere on Allah’s earth, even if one’s intention for migration is to seek a better life for him and his family.

The brother Imam who declared that those who migrate to another nation for reasons other than the Cause of Allah Subhanah will all go to Hell must be asked to provide his evidence from the Quran or Sunnah for his ruling!

In our humble opinion, the difference between migrating to another nation for worldly reasons or Allah’s Cause is not between right and wrong, or halaal and haraam, legal or illegal; but rather between what is permissible and what is best. There is absolutely no harm or restriction if one chooses to migrate to another nation to seek a better living, provided the person is confident that he will remain a humble and obedient slave servant of his Lord Most Gracious. But because he did not migrate for the Cause of Allah Subhanah, he obviously should not expect to earn a reward reserved for those who migrate Fee-Sabeel-Allah in the Hereafter.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan