Working in a non-Muslim country

[Hilal Said]

Dear Brothers/Sisters

I had an opportunity to work for a multinational company with headquarters in Norway.

Selection process was very long and I passed most the tests and were selected among more than 400 candidates for the final round with other 5 candidates.

The last thing I had to do was to attend assessment centre in Dubai with other final 5 candidates but I didn't attend intentionally.

They told me that they will send the successful candidate to Norway to get training on the operation of paint factory for 10 months.Once I finish the training I can join the operation team in managerial position.

but as I said ; I didn't attend the assessment centre because I was worried about lifestyle in Norway. It is a western country and of course not Islamic.

I have never been to Europe or USA but I think number of Muslims in Norway is much less than those in UK for example. I think there are few mosques, no Islamic food, very cold climate and the biggest problem I am not married. So I decided to not continue with them to avoid troubles and I am happy in my current job.

My question is for Muslims coming from Islamic countries and working in the West. How is their daily life? what difficulties do they face? Is it easy to practice Islam there?

Tell me about your experience.

Asalam Alaykom

 

[BrotherInIslam7]

My question is for Muslims coming from Islamic countries and working in the West. How is their daily life? what difficulties do they face? Is it easy to practice Islam there?

Tell me about your experience.

Asalam Alaykom

Akhi, do you want information specifically about Norway ? Insha'Allah someone can help you with that.

If you ask about the 'west' in general terms, you are going to get a wide variety of responses as different places in the west have varying amount of muslim population, establishments and also tolerance towards Islam.

I can tell you about largely populated cities in Texas (South of USA) such as Dallas, Austin, Houston & San Antonio. Each of these cities have a sizable amount of muslim population and for the most part muslims are able to practice Islam properly. There are good number of halaal restaurants, Islamic centres/mosques and muslim businesses.

Although for sisters observing Hijab or Niqab, I would think it would be a bit more complicated to find a job or have a smooth college experience. I think this would be true in any non-muslim country in current times, so it's not really a surprise.

You should try searching for websites of Islamic centres in Norway on google . They would be able to give you a good idea of what to expect when living in Helsinki or any other city in Norway InshaAllah.

Wasalaamalaykum waa rahmatullahi

 

[arzafar]

Ruling on working in the West

My question is about living and working in the west. I want to know is it permissible to work in the west where you will have to pay tax to the government, where the tax is spent on many things including their armies who are waging war with the Muslims. Dose this come under the ayat about helping the kuffar and being their awliya. Also can we live amongst the kuffar and if not where can we go as there is no Islamic state today?.

Praise be to Allaah.
It is not permissible for a Muslim to settle in the kaafir lands for the sake of work, because work is not one of the Islamically-acceptable excuses which make it permissible to settle there.

The Islamically-acceptable excuses which make it permissible to stay in those lands are: medical treatment that is not available in a Muslim country, knowledge which the ummah needs and which is not available in their countries, permissible trade and calling people to Allaah. In all these cases it is permissible for a Muslim to stay in a kaafir land, on the condition that he be strong enough to resist specious arguments and whims and desires, and on the condition that he ends his stay when the reason for which he went to stay among them is no longer applicable.

The scholars of the Standing Committee were asked:

Is it permissible to migrate to a kaafir land in order to work there?

They replied:

If you want to work and seek provision, then you should travel to a Muslim land for that purpose and not to a kaafir land, because of the danger to one’s ‘aqeedah, religious commitment and morals that is posed by travelling to a kaafir land. End quote.

Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz, Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez Aal al-Shaykh, Shaykh ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Ghadyaan, Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzaan, Shaykh Bakr Abu Zayd

Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah (12/58).

The earth is spacious and the Muslim lands are vast, so the Muslim has no excuse for staying and settling among the kuffaar when he knows the saheeh report from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) which forbids that and everyone can clearly see the corruption of morals and religious commitment that is prevalent among them.

Shaykh Muhammad al-Ameen al-Shanqeeti (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in his commentary on the verse (interpretation of the meaning): “O My slaves who believe! Certainly, spacious is My earth. Therefore worship Me” (Alone)” [al-‘Ankaboot 29:56]:

Here Allaah calls out to His believing slaves and confirms to them that His earth is spacious, and He enjoins them to worship Him alone to the exclusion of others.

What this means is that if they are in a land where they are not able to establish their religion, or where they are harmed by the kuffaar, then the earth of their Lord is spacious, so they should migrate to a part of it where they will be able to establish their religion and be safe from the harm of the kuffaar, as the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and the Muslims did.

The meaning that is indicated by this verse also appears in other verses, where Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Verily, as for those whom the angels take (in death) while they are wronging themselves (as they stayed among the disbelievers even though emigration was obligatory for them), they (angels) say (to them): ‘In what (condition) were you?’ They reply: ‘We were weak and oppressed on the earth.’ They (angels) say: ‘Was not the earth of Allaah spacious enough for you to emigrate therein?’”

[al-Nisa’ 4:97]

“and Allaah’s earth is spacious (so if you cannot worship Allaah at a place, then go to another)! Only those who are patient shall receive their reward in full, without reckoning”

[al-Zumar 39:10].

End quote. Adwa’ al-Bayaan (6/241).

The kuffaar are now putting pressure on the Muslims to make them give up the outward symbols of Islam, so that the Muslim is no longer be able to manifest those symbols openly, such as the adhaan or call to prayer and hijab of women, let alone showing loyalty and friendship to the Muslims and disavowal and enmity towards the kuffaar who are occupying and plundering their lands. Hence we do not think that the Muslim should live among them. The one who lives in those lands and pays taxes to them is playing a part in strengthening their economies and helping them to wage war against Islam and the Muslims, so he definitely comes under the heading of helping them in falsehood, sin, kufr and enmity, and these are among the most prominent ways of showing friendship and loyalty to the kaafirs.

But if a person is excused and has no choice but to stay there, then cases of necessity come under special rulings. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“He has explained to you in detail what is forbidden to you, except under compulsion of necessity”

[al-An’aam 6:119].

See also the answer to question no. 13363, 83912 and 27211.

See also the answer to question no. 111564 – important.

Your comment that there is no Islamic state today is not correct.

Despite the evil and corruption that exists in many Muslim lands, there is undoubtedly less evil and corruption there than in kaafir lands.

And Allaah knows best.

from Islamqa

 

[Hilal Said]

Jazakum AllahbKhairan brothers

My main reasons to not continue with them are keeping a pure Aqeedah and keeping my morals.

By the way; They told me that I will stay there for 10 months only and then come back to Oman. Since I get a good salary and benefits in my Muslim country; I don't need to go abroad even for one day!

Asalalm Alaykom

 

[Gernada1492]

r u in UK rright now brother said?

 

[Hilal Said]

r u in UK rright now brother said?

No I am in Oman in the Middle east.

 

[JenGiove]

I live in Frederick, MD, USA which is about an hour from the Nation's capital and I recently moved here from the region known as "New England". I have never seen a mosque but I do know that here in Frederick there are places to buy Halal meats/foods and I have seen more Muslims here than in Massachusetts. Frederick seems to be more tolerant (by our standards) of various cultures and belief systems. I just looked it up and there is a society here in town....hmmm...

 

[saif]

knowledge and experience

:salam2:

Reserving any further comments on the Fatwa posted by brother AR Zafar, and avoiding any risk of deletion of my post, I just want to point out, that it encompasses the exception, that for getting a knowledge, which does not exist in muslim countries you can go to a non muslim country. Now, everybody, who knows how the "education and personal development" of an engineer or scientist works, will agree, that to some extent working in a good company for some years is just as important as getting a good degree. It can be even more important than degree. I always suggest engineering students from Pakistan and likes, who come to Germany, to get at least 2 years of industrial experience before going back. Not much more and not much less than that. If it's more much than 2 years, you will start feeling yourself misfit for going back. It it's much less than 2 years, you wil hardly be able to learn anything.

As far as I know, there are a lot of muslims living in Norway, especially in the cities. So don't worry and get some valuable experience there and come back to your country to serve it.

 

[Abdul25]

:salam2:

Brother a very good reply. i wanted to say something in response to Arzafar's post but i was afraid that i might say sth wrong so i kept quite .lol.
well i am not from one of those who for every little thing go and search for fatwa, rational thinking and logical mind are also there to be used until and unless we defy clear orders from Allah SWT.

 

[AdamMuslim]

Assalamou Alikom Warahmatou Allah,

As far as I understood, you have an excellent situation in Oman and this is a temporally move in order to make it even better once you are back (did I get you right?).

Pros:
1-This could be a very rewarding experience in your life! You will get to see the big difference between Muslim and non-muslim societies.
2-Norway is one of the best countries in term of standards of living (even better than Switzerland!).
3- This could trigger a big change on your professional career and may add one or two zeros to your yearly income .

Cons:
1-No more Azaan!
2-You will struggle to find Halal food even if the vegi. and fish menu are always an option.
3-You will be exposed to much more Fitnah of all kind.
4-very cold during the winter (really cold).

Of course there are lots of others pros and cons that you can think of.
Now, since I am personally trying to make the opposite trip (from Europe to an Islamic country!) then my advice can not be unbiased: brother if I were you I would stay right there!

Wassalam

 

[sister herb]

You should try searching for websites of Islamic centres in Norway on google . They would be able to give you a good idea of what to expect when living in Helsinki or any other city in Norway InshaAllah.

:salam2:

Helsinki is not city in Norway but capital of Finland!

I know some sisters from Norway and may ask them some contacts to mosques or islamic centers in Norway or ask them to tell how it is living there as muslim if it helps you.

your sister in Islam from Finland

 

[Hilal Said]

Thanks Brothers and sisters for your inputs.

I already decided not to continue and it is final.

Alhamdulillah I am happy with my current job and I don't think there is a need to get experience from abroad.

Many foreigners from over the world come to my country to work and execute large projects and I can learn from them while I am at my home countrY.

By the way I am projects Engineer and my job let me interface with many people from different industries and countries.

Alsalam Alaykom

 

[Abdul25]

By the way I am projects Engineer and my job let me interface with many people from different industries and countries.

:salam2:

Yes Brother, I also was Electrical Project Engineer in 2 Fertilizer Plants in Pakistan for 2 years and yes in Projects you get to know and work with many international Vendors from different countries and by this you learn a lot from them, these people are the best managers i have ever seen. i also worked with Japanese, Chinese, Italians, Americans, Britons,Germans and one Tunisian Engineer from GE. Japanese were the Best people to work with , they were always more than happy to teach you and help you. while Pakistani Engineers were always involved in leg Pulling :lol:


your decision is good brother. you should stay at your home country, these western countries seem to be very good and attractive but they are like prisons for us, it is nothing here. the best part of life is what you spend with your family while other is just waste and wild goose chase.