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Appendix II:Hijrah to the Lands of KufrShaykh Abū Muhammad al-Maqdisī:“As for the ruling on hijrah to the lands of original kufr – such as America, Europe, etc. –and living in them in order to improve one’s living conditions, the Muslim should not dothis. Rather, those who permitted hijrah to the lands of kufr did so in the case of the absenceof Dār al-Islām that the Muslim can reach to, provided there was a need for him to do so. Inother words, if he is being harmed in his own land and is forced to leave it, just as the earlymuhājirīn left from Makkah to Ethiopia.As for those who migrate to the lands in question and reside in them without any need fordoing so – rather, just for the sake of the dunyā, and to improve his living conditions, despitewhat is known of its evil and fitnah for the Muslim’s religion, honor, and family – this is notsomething that the Muslim who is eager to safeguard his religion and family should takelightly. And the joyous one is he who is admonished by others…Everyone that we knowthere from our intelligent Muslim brothers warn from migrating there without a genuineneed, as many of the lands that ascribe themselves to Islām today – despite their kufr andcorrupt regimes – are better for a man’s religion and less of a danger to his family and honor.And it is said that some evils are lighter than others…So, we do not advise you to migrate to the likes of America, Europe, etc. from the lands inquestion so long as it is possible for you to live in these (Muslim) lands that are less in eviland fitnah for your religion.And there is a chapter in ‘Sahīh al-Bukhārī’ titled: ‘From the Dīn is to Escape From Fitnah.’May Allāh protect you from all evil, and from all open and hidden fitan.”41