Скачать или смотреть Hijrah: Neither Direction is Superior to the Other

𝗛𝗜𝗝𝗥𝗔𝗛: 𝗡𝗘𝗜𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗥 𝗗𝗜𝗥𝗘𝗖𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 𝗜𝗦 𝗦𝗨𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗜𝗢𝗥 𝗧𝗢 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗢𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗥

I struggle to process the recent wave of videos comparing Muslims who migrate from the West to Muslim-majority countries with Muslims who leave their homelands to live in the West. These comparisons miss the simple truth that every family carries a private story, a different need and a different struggle. None of us walks the same path.

Many who moved to Muslim countries found peace in hearing the azan daily, in easier access to halal food, and in a familiar social environment. I am genuinely happy for them. These are blessings that many of us who left our own Muslim homelands also love and miss.

Yet I have also learned that the beauty of a new environment remains undisturbed only as long as one limits oneself to purely personal matters. The moment a person steps into policy, governance, activism, or institutional authority, the picture changes.

Muslim-majority societies have the capacity to cause restrictions, harm and pressures just as any other part of the world. This reality is not theoretical. In the 1980s and 1990s, many of our own scholars and intellectuals left their homelands due to political constraints, surveillance, fear and prosecution. Their migration stories were rooted not in romance or lifestyle choices, but in survival and the pursuit of freedom to teach and serve.

This is why I find it unhelpful when migration becomes a moral ranking exercise, as if one path carried more virtue than the other.

This is why I avoid ranking one migration over another. The Prophet ﷺ made the standard very clear:

«إِنَّمَا الأعْمَالُ بِالنِّيَّاتِ، وَإِنَّمَا لِكُلِّ امْرِئٍ مَا نَوَى»

“𝘈𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘣𝘺 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘥.” (𝘚𝘢𝘩𝘪𝘩 𝘢𝘭-𝘉𝘶𝘬𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘪, 𝘯𝘰. 1; 𝘚𝘢𝘩𝘪𝘩 𝘔𝘶𝘴𝘭𝘪𝘮, 𝘯𝘰. 1907)

The question is not which direction is better, but whether my niyyah is sound and whether I am beneficial wherever I live.

The Prophet ﷺ said:

«خَيْرُ النَّاسِ أَنْفَعُهُمْ لِلنَّاسِ»

“𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘵𝘰 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴.”
(𝘈𝘭-𝘛𝘢𝘣𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘪, 𝘢𝘭-𝘔𝘶‘𝘫𝘢𝘮 𝘢𝘭-𝘈𝘸𝘴𝘢𝘵, 𝘯𝘰. 5937; 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘴𝘢𝘩𝘪𝘩 𝘣𝘺 𝘢𝘭-𝘈𝘭𝘣𝘢𝘯𝘪)

People may not study Islam from books, but they read Islam through our akhlaq.

Wherever we live, we still carry the responsibility to raise our children, uphold our values and remain true to our identity. Institutions and systems can help, but the real work begins within our own homes.

Remember:

«أَنْ تَعْبُدَ اللهَ كَأَنَّكَ تَرَاهُ، فَإِنْ لَمْ تَكُنْ تَرَاهُ فَإِنَّهُ يَرَاكَ»

“𝘛𝘰 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱 𝘈𝘭𝘭𝘢𝘩 𝘢𝘴 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘏𝘪𝘮, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘰 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘏𝘪𝘮, 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘏𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶.” (𝘚𝘢𝘩𝘪𝘩 𝘔𝘶𝘴𝘭𝘪𝘮, 𝘯𝘰. 8)

Wherever we are, we remember that Allah is watching us, and with that awareness, we will never walk alone.

#hijrah