Wa `alaykum As-Salamu wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.
Dear sister in Islam, it gives us pleasure to receive your question and to see your interest in knowing the teachings of Islam, which Allah has chosen for His servants as a way of life. According to the Qur’an, a true Muslim should refer to scholars to become well acquainted with the sound image of Islam.
Regarding your question, it should be clear that hijrah is obligatory in case a Muslim is unable to practice his religion in the country he is living in.
In response to your question, Sheikh Ahmad Kutty, a senior lecturer and Islamic scholar at the Islamic Institute of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, states:
Hijrah is obligatory on Muslims if they are unable to practice their religion in the country they are living in, and if they are facing serious persecutions and find themselves unable to overcome them. In such cases, if they are faced with the choice of renouncing their religion or going to a place where they can readily practice it, they are obligated to emigrate.
However, hijrah should not be an option to consider if what we said is not the case, as Muslims are ordered to struggle to establish their faith wherever they live. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Jihad (struggle in the path of Allah to establish His religion) is an ongoing duty until the Day of Resurrection."
There is no hijrah from Makkah to Madinah or anywhere else after Makkah surrendered to the laws of Islam.
As far as emigration for economic reasons is concerned, it will be reckoned accordingly. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Actions are judged by intentions and everyone will be judged according to his intention. So whoever emigrates for the sake of Allah and His Messenger, his hijrah will be reckoned as done for Allah and His Messenger. But whoever emigrates for worldly reasons or marrying a woman, his hijrah will be reckoned accordingly."
Having said this, the economic emigrants living in the West can, however, transform their hijrah into an act of `ibadah (worship) if they change the intention and dedicate themselves to be ambassadors of Islam in their new home.
You can read also:
Can We Celebrate Hijrah?
Did Other Prophets Make Hijrah?
Hijrah Event: Can It Pass Unnoticed?
The Spirit of Hijrah
Why Was Madinah Chosen for Hijrah?
Hijrah: Migration of the Heart (Special File)
Do keep in touch. May Allah guide us all to the straight path!
