Close Reading

First of all, we should be careful with the use of the word “hijrat”. There are countries(I happen to be born and brought up in one of them) where muslims actually have a history of persecution, often resulting in riots, deaths. If you compare with Prophet Mohd. saws’s hijrat, it was a result of prosecution, suffering and life risk. Relatively speaking, sometimes our first world problems may look big, but they’re not really, compared to the state of Muslim lives in other countries. \nI have lived in Dubai(2 yrs), US(8 yrs) and Canada(1+ yr) and I want to say that Canada is a beautiful, diverse country for people from all faiths and backgrounds, so much better than what I have experienced living in the above mentioned countries and my own.\nThe grass is always greener on the other side and often we don’t understand these things until we experience them on our own. Make sure that you guys do extensive research in every aspect of your future lives and not just those top reasons mentioned in your video - for each of the probable countries on your list. May Allah guide you to the right path.

I live in the US. i always wanted to move into a Muslim country.

I respect your decision, sad to see you go. I hope you find peace. I love Canada and have lived in other countries, I will never leave I cherish my experience here in this country. To each their own as they say. I hope you find the community you want and a life time of happiness for your beautiful family ?

I would like to ask 1 question. When I see lots of videos about people leaving Canada and all. Why is that South Asians especially Indians, Pakistanis and Bangladeshis are so desperate to go Canada when majority of the people living in Canada are fed up of living there and want to move out.

From this video. Let me\nClarify something. I has studied from Newzealand and done MBA. As per my experience they don’t interfere in your life. And that’s biggest advantage if you want to grow your children. Cus they need non judgemental environment rather than constant thought of competitive environment they have open minds to think independent cus it’s in their lifestyle (that which you have to do everything by self) it’s good thing for children cus they make them independent enough. If you are complaining cus you have habit of cheap labour here then can’t compare like that. If you want just benefit of their openness then it’s your fault. First of all you don’t create drama about it. If country is not suitable then you come back and don’t complaint cus you are not perfect to judge country. However from india, everyone thinks they know everything and it’s their right to complaint only. They will not do anything if someone is doing corruption or doing wrong in society. While they will directly not tolerate non sensible behaviour. And you will not be habitant for country which is not corrupt like india. So always go abroad with their mindset to live not your mindset of india. ?

I would give just 0.5 to Canada about Inmigración policy bc that 20% of Canadians most of them don’t feel really Canadians it also impact in bad way bc some of them want to live as they are used to in their countries

Palestinians have a right to their land and they have a right to live in safety and security and dignity on those lands.......\nWhat about the Jews? They have the same rights but nobody wants to talk about that. They were persecuted out of their homeland and hunted throughout most of the world. Israel was the land of Jews and it was taken from them by force.

As a revert, born and raised here in Canada (Canadian 27yo F), this is one of my biggest wish to do my Hijra and move somewhere else. I truly want to wear the hijab and be in a muslim environment. I see Canada degrading so much and I really don’t want myself to live in this. I was thinking about the Emirates because I can easily speak English but I’ve read good things about it and also “bad” things.

Big decision to make when you have children but i must say you guys are very brave. Wishing you guys the best of luck wherever you decide to go . I also left Canada and living in Cuba for the past 9 years and these were the reasons i wanted to be in a country that i can be free of debt, cost of living , safe no drugs no guns and almost no crime believe me super happy here living like a king .

If these muslims want to change British Law in the British country, then they need to deported back to their own country and they can live by sharia law if thats what they want.\nWe don't need these religeous fanatics in our western countries, they are dangerous, I for one never want to wear the hijab or burka and nor do I want to be forced to abide by sharia law, I am British and live in Britain.

This is so odd for me because I am having a similar experience, but in the opposite. I live in a small town in Michigan, USA that is very Christian, conservative, and republican. It's very much a place that I want to leave (so maybe in that way we are similar?), but most of my family lives here so it's difficult. I crave a sense of community where I can be surrounded by like-minded people. There is a feeling of division, one that I think is amplified by social media. I don't want to add to that separation, but it seems like there's a hard line in the sand and you're on one side or the other. \n I could never move away from my home country! It's so weird watching other people do it, and it makes me think about the people who stayed during mass exodus in, for example, Scotland. It's like, I share ancestry with Scottish people, but they don't have an immigrant-based background. Ya'll stayed? How does that work?? And here I am, staying. Does that make sense?

why is western world always concern about why arab world doesnt want to take the palestinians as refugees? its their home their land, they are the one who have the right to live there as a citizen not as a refugee, and their resistance movement will protect their dignity

I was born in the UK but went to Canada as a young child with my emigrating parents in the early 1950’s. Later we emigrated to the US in 1963. I know I would not enjoy the cold winters of Canada at all anymore if I lived there. I lived in FL for 20 years which I enjoyed except for the hurricanes and rapidly increasing home insurance. I live in North Carolina now where the winter is very manageable. I hope you are able to find a place that meets most of the needs you want to find in a different environment. I am very sorry for what is happening in Gaza and like you I believe it is a terrible Genocide by the Israelis. I am not Muslim and do not belong to any organized religion. I just try to live my life in kindness and with love for others. I love nature, animals and our beautiful earth. May you and your family be blessed in the decisions you are making for your future and very best of luck to you.

MashAllah! Plz keep me and my family in your duas. I live in the US and have been wanting to make hijrah to a Muslim country. Please make dua that Allah finds us a way out!

Canada was not like this 8 years ago. You can thank the current liberal government for ruining this country, but then you likely voted for them! Funny how all the people want to leave after they didn’t get the rich life style that the Liberal promised you. Please go, I hope your next country lives up to your aspirations.

Isn't it a bit hypocritical when some people ask for the freedom to practice their faith and dress in hijabs, but find it unacceptable when men dress into women? For me, it's all the same mascarade people can indulge in, if they want to. Democracy means co-existing and compromising with people you have nothing in common with. Countries that seem morally acceptable to Muslims are 99% dictatorship states. If one finds it acceptable to live in such state and raise their young there, should be free to do so. But when suddenly on one October morning this dictator state launches a cold-blooded massacre on civilians in the neighboring country, it's good to remember who started it. Canada seems to remember.

Salaam alaykum brother and sister, I am a Muslim and I live in the US, and totally agree and understand your decision, I feel the same way too, however I just wanted to let you know that if you are considering Dubai or anywhere in the UAE, Saudi or the Gulf area for that matter, then don't since the final reason you stated will be a reason there as well, unfortunately but yes, I have a family members that live in these countries and myself have visited there, otherwise, keep us posted with your findings and may Allah guide us all, jazakum Allah kheiran

Assalamualaikum I am a Canadian expat (born in Ontario), that now lives on Lombok Island, Indonesia. Indonesia has the highest population of Muslims in the world. I married a Muslim man here and we live in a Muslim community in his village. I feel extremely safe in Indonesia and the cost of living is so inexpensive compared to Canada. I can no longer afford to live in my own country. I can understand you wanting to leave. I just wanted to hibernate in the winter too! Good luck with your journey and if you have any questions about Indonesia, please reach out to us.

You said it. Due to inflation here in Pakistan, my husband wanted to move to Europe or America. But I refused because of all the top reasons you mentioned. Alhamdulillah, he is convinced. Some people may not agree with me. But to me, living in an Islamic country, no matter how hard the conditions are, is a lot better than being afraid for the akhira of our present and future generations. InshaAllah. May Allah protect and guide all Muslims around the world. Ameen Ameen

Totally agree with you. I’m a Muslim as well and I don’t live in a western society, I’m living in my country that is conservative and there is none of these woke agendas and liberalism being forced on us, but I do have relatives who live in the US and Canada and they are thinking about coming back for the same reasons you mentioned. They don’t want their children to be victims of these agendas that are being forced on them to accept in schools right now, they are noticing how society over there is failing, Islamophobia and hate crimes against Muslims is rising, and they don’t want to live in a country that sends billions of dollars to support an apartheid occupying state to commit genocide and ethnic cleansing of the Palestinians, they just don’t want their tax money to be sent to war criminals. May Allah make it easy for you and hopefully you’ll find a perfect place and a perfect Muslim environment so that you can raise your children. I do suggest you to go live in one of these Gulf states especially Saudi Arabia where healthcare is free, education is free, zero taxes, zero crime rates, and most importantly, you can practice your deen freely and you don’t have to worry about your children.

I would say the way we live in Canada is very similar to Abyssinia (now called Ethiopia) rather than mecca during when Quraish ruled over mecca. The reason why the prophet Muhammad pbuh did hijra to Yathrib (now called Medina) is because the Prophet pbuh was looking for alliance and the people of Yathrib offered their utmost allegiance with no compromise on islamic practices (other offered but wanted some compromise). However the condition for such alliance was for the Prophet Muhammad pbuh to live with them in Yathrib instead of staying in mecca. After that it became mandatory for all muslim to migrate to Yathrib at that time. \n\nI’m no scholar so please verify what I had wrote with an Imam. Just thought I share so it can used with right example. \n\nBtw im thinking of leaving canada too, namely because I cannot own a house in Canada without Riba ?.

While your reasons for moving are very understandable and commendable, I also get a feeling of hopelessness when I hear that western countries are becoming hostile environments for practicing Muslims. I moved to Europe from Pakistan and I am constantly in a conundrum of whether I would want to settle here permanently. On one hand, the cultural differences here means that I will probably always feel like an outsider in this society and will always have to work harder to be able to practice my religion freely and to find a good community around me. On the other hand, because of Pakistan's economic situation, going back means constantly living under the threat of financial insecurity and a plethora of other problems such as a corrupt justice system, a weak passport etc. Not to even take into account that the average Pakistani society is just Muslim by name and not in actual practice. So it feels like there isn't any clear options and you just have to weigh the pros and cons of each situation. But I would warn you that while it's easy to say that you want to live in a Muslim country, the reality is hardly as idyllic. Its easy to play the azan in a mall but it's difficult to create a society that actually adheres to and values Islamic principles, and in Pakistan's case I don't think such a society exists. You would also find that many Muslim countries' leaderships have supported tyrannical regimes and nobody's hands are actually clean. It's a complicated decision but I hope you find a situation that works for your family.

I am from Iraq, although the political situation of my country isn't the best and it has a lot of flaws, but being able to hear the azan 5 times a day has made it all worth it. Before I used to want to live in USA, but now after what happened in Palestine, I've backed off and just go with the flow. Life ain't easy anywhere.

If you flip the coin, it's very interesting to hear stories from expats of Eastern European decent living in Canada - And they're all desperate to return back to their country of origin because they say Canada is saturated with many migrants from the Far-East (China) South-East Asia (India & Pakistan) and Africa. They say they feel lost in all that. Some of these have applied for working visa's to the U.S. It seems every group of the human race has their own agenda for wanting to relocate to other places, mainly for comfort and security.

Alhamdulillah your level of imaan is very high which made you take the decision otherwise I can see people who just want to live with whites and adapt their culture to portray themselves as the most civilised and liberal people in the society ❤ I live in UAE with my mom, wife and kids and i advise the same for your family.

It’s not their job and they carnt do that this isn’t a Muslim country you want to live under sharia law go live in the Middle East

It makes perfect sense to want to get away from the things you've mentioned. The world is not the same as it was even 10 years ago. That's the last time I visited home. (Abbotsford, BC) I've lived in the States for many years now and boy was I shocked how things have changed here in Canada. I realize you and your family don't use Bible, but just to give you a biblical perspective on things that very well may parallel scripture from the Quran, at 2 Timothy 3:1-5 it says... 1 But know this, that in the last days critical times hard to deal with will be here. 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, haughty, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, disloyal, 3 having no natural affection, not open to any agreement, slanderers, without self-control, fierce, without love of goodness, 4 betrayers, headstrong, puffed up with pride, lovers of pleasures rather than lovers of God, 5 having an appearance of godliness but proving false to its power; and from these turn away. \nYou may be able to get away from the moral decline of where you live now, but honestly, these things are going to be world wide eventually if they aren't already. But there will be a time when God (for me his name is Jehovah), will step in and fix things. In the meantime, It's awesome you are putting your family first. It's sad that that is not the norm anymore.

Totally agree & understand you on this decision. Please make dua me and my husband can make a similar move InshaAllah. Living in Norway isn’t easy if you’re intending to remain steadfast on deen and want to ensure same for the generations to come. We are very concerned Muslims. ?

Assalaamu alaikum, thank you for posting and sharing. I am an English revert of some 20 years, and we made a decision to leave the UK 18 months ago for very similar reasons. We have lived in Turkey, the UAE and Qatar, and have spent time in Oman. I would recommend all except the UAE as new home. Be prepared to learn Turkish if you want to settle there, as English is not widely used. May Allah reward your intentions and grant you goodness in your Hijra.

Assalaamu alaikum, thank you for posting and sharing. I am an English revert of some 20 years, and we made a decision to leave the UK 18 months ago for very similar reasons. We have lived in Turkey, the UAE and Qatar, and have spent time in Oman. I would recommend all except the UAE as new home. Be prepared to learn Turkish if you want to settle there, as English is not widely used. May Allah reward your intentions and grant you goodness in your Hijra.

I think we all know Israel ?? does not want to live there land too. So it is best to promote peace and not pick sides. The Lord Jesus Christ said love your neighbours and who are our neighbours the people who are of different faith from us and neighbours are also our enemies. So we can't false Israel ?? and Palestine to leave there land but let's pray for them to live in harmony.

I am an Australian and have no religious affiliation. I am of the live and let live mentality, as are most Australians. I just don’t want people coming to this country and then tell me how I should live. \nAs you are saying, you don’t want to see how city centres are deteriorating, homelessness, drugs etc etc. instead of running away from that why don’t you try to help? Not force change, but help. Can’t help you with the weather but you are obviously lucky enough to have warmth and shelter. Many don’t.

I support your decision 100% . May Allah make it easy for the both of you to decide where you all want to live . May Allah keep you all smiling . If I could I would also leave New York as well but unfortunately I can’t .

My husband is from Gaza, all of his extended family was killed and these three months have been the most emotionally depleting, we also found out we are 2 months pregnant alhamdulilah and because we want to make sure the little one gets the islamic education and lives in a safe environment we can't possibly stay in Canada (we live in Vancouver, almost no visible muslims here). I'm a revert from Europe so people get so confused when they see me in hijab, it's uncomfortable and scary. Given the fact that my husband grew up in Gaza, we would like to move somewhere where islamic values are still very strong and people didn't exchange them for Shakira concerts (I think we all know which country i'm talking about) so our safest bet as of now is Kuwait and Qatar. More strongly Kuwait as there's a big Palestinian community. Hope this helps!

I live in Germany and feel the same way. I want to leave so bad.

You guys nailed it on all the reasons why I want to leave the US too. Our plan is to move in a few years before our kids start school. My husband grew up in Turkey and his family lives there so that is our choice. Also bc we want to be close to family as well.

(I hope you read this)\nOkay i have a few suggestions, having lived my whole childhood in Oman i can confirm it’s a beautiful place but Arab country's higher education(college wise) is not that great therefore ,my family moved to India(our roots are Indian) because this being a reason. (Like a lot of families move from gulf countries to their south asian countries for college,having personally experienced as well as my cousins who lived in Jeddah and loads of other relatives)\n1. So pls look for muslim countries that offer good education otherwise you will have to send them again to UK USA Canada for good college.\n2. Abu Dhabi can be a option as well\n3. Saudi Arabia\n4.Qatar\n5. Turkey\n6. Schooling works differently in gulf countries, for example you have Indian schools that run on the CBSE pattern of India, Pakistani schools, Sri Lankan schools, International School with a British curriculum, International schools with American style curriculum, proper Native schools of that country that teach in Arabic.( Again this my experience in Oman, my cousins in Jeddah went to Indian school of Jeddah, so pls wisely choose the school that you want your children to attend)\n\n(this comment is just an opinion, hope it helps. May Allah make it easy for you )

Hai..i think all of your worries will easily disappear if u come n move to Malaysia??.. first of all we don't have winter season as u wanted.. secondly we are multi culture country with many races n ethnique people lives together like malay+Chinese+indian etc lives in harmony n respect of each other beliefs n background..Malaysian are friendly people n humble..also the easiest country to access halal food everywhere because 60% or more of the population is Muslim..so u can also practice Islamic education here .. n importantly even though we are multi cultures we still can practice our religion peacefully n respectfully..in fact we had our mosques, temple n churches besides each other..n when comes to celebrate holidays, we celebrate Ramadan, Eid, Christmas,thaipusam, deepavali or other celebration together respectfully regardless of our races.. Malaysia also a tropical country so u can enjoy modern city n nature together just in one country.. n lastly I think economically u guys can afford to living or retired here considering dollar are more higher than ringgit Malaysia..so financially I think its everything affordable here ..

I live in texas went from a big city but since becoming a mom we moved to a small town. Best decision we ever made my girls play outside and are ssying hi and thank you, learning to live among others with different views or beliefs with respect. My family is a mix of el Salvador and Honduras, my moms family is of Palestine descent who left and went to a small country who was the only one at time that opened their doors due to their religion. Because of that religion and politics stay outside of our home we were all allowed to explore others but respect was always the rule, and i do the same for my girls if they want to learn we research together and teach them respect of all faiths. We do homeschool because in our small town public school is actually thw second choice of how far out we are from the school. We have also still homes in el Salvador and honduras because my family told us from being little this isnt home and to respect the hist country that opens their doors. Blessings to you and your family.

Hi, we live in Luxembourg and are practising muslims and have a kid. yes, indeed it is very difficult to raise a kid with Islamic values in this society. also, it's challenging to practise for ourselves as well. we don't want to be liberal muslims, rather a true muslim. but that's difficult. so we are considering to move to a middle eastern country in a couple of years InshAllah. thanks in advance for sharing your journey, good luck to you wherever you choose to live❤?

I 100% support your decision and this is exactly what I think of whenever people ask me whether I'll move to Canada or America once I'm done with my studies, since my studies open the corridor for me to easily settle into another country plus my country is in a pretty bad state economically. Regardless of all that I'd still say I want to live in a Muslim country, even if I leave my own country and work abroad, us and Canada isn't worth it. So much hate and so so much ignorance

I 100% support your decision and this is exactly what I think of whenever people ask me whether I'll move to Canada or America once I'm done with my studies, since my studies open the corridor for me to easily settle into another country plus my country is in a pretty bad state economically. Regardless of all that I'd still say I want to live in a Muslim country, even if I leave my own country and work abroad, us and Canada isn't worth it. So much hate and so so much ignorance

It has to be stopped . Right now. It isn’t a Muslim area. It is London the capital city of England.\nThey have no business nor authority and should be stopped or removed from our country. Who do they think they are. If you want Sharia law go live in the countries that operate that law. Our laws are supreme.

Where did you get the idea that the Palestinians want you to displace them according to your will, the man explained, they don't want to go anywhere, they want their lives and their land

I have some opinions on where you should move like Dubia, UAE, Jordan, Sweden, Malaysia just some ideas hey saleh family I just wanted to say thank you so much for supporting palestine I lost 42 family members in Palestine and Iraq I'm not from Palestine I'm from Iraq but I have family in Palestine and just recently lost 42 members in Palestine it hurts I live in USA, Pennsylvania but it kills me to have to identify bodies as a 14 year old everything hurts I cry myself to bed everyday knowing I will never get to see them again ??? so thank you ❤️ you have no idea how much this means to me.

Me and my husband do not have kids, we have been married for 12 years and we live in usa but not a day goes by we want to move because keeping your eman stead fast is sooo difficult ! We have plans to move in the near future also.

I wish you the best ?\nWe, (me my husband and my 7 years old girl) live in the UK Kent county BUT for the last year I stayed to think about moving. We are originally from Bulgaria but Turks and came to UK 10 years ago, we just bought our house 3 years ago, basically created everything from scratch. It is bot an easy task to start from the beginning again but I believe that if Allah maid to think about moving that means He will help you.\nAs a hijabi muslim woman in a community that there are not other Muslims around I can say I feel relatively safe BUT some days I notice the look of hatred in n some peoples eyes. The other thing my girl started to question some topics they have been receiving at school and it is a constant battle for me to keep explaining to her the right and wrong. More over she is listening for now but not sure for future and this scares me.\nAs you said praying and being a practicing Muslim is difficult here as well. We are Turks but do not have Turkish nationality but when we go for religious holidays in Istanbul I feel completely different, it just feels like I have to live there near the mosque. My inner me begging me when we are in Istanbul in the old part of the city to stay there forever. \nI really know what you feel and want. I am looking for Muslim countries where possible we can move BUT unfortunately I made the conclusion that there is not a place even in a Muslim land that we can live the way of peaceful practicing and being a Muslim what we want to be. \nJust advise be careful with the Arab world, other than that if you look at Türkiye I would say do your research really well, not in every town there you can live your religion. Azerbaijan is excellent I would say but they are still under the influence of Russia. \nSo really difficult decision, may Allah guide you. Amin

May Allah Subhaanahu Wa Taala protect you guys, may He make this hijra easy for you, may He grant you what you seek, may He make you and your chilren from the ones He loves, Aameen! I am from Pakistan and can't ever imagine leaving my country to go live in foreign lands. Alhamdullilah, I feel very safe here. It is a Muslim country, alhamdullilah, although there is a major class of citizen coming up here who'd like it to be more 'open minded' like the West. May Allah protect us from that day. I would suggest that you move to Saudi Arabia, preferably into or around Makkah or Madinah. I believe that these two are the best cities in the world for Muslims. Imagine saying your five daily prayers in Masjid-e-Haraam or Masjid-e-Nabawi! You kids could study there and grow up speaking and understanding Arabic like Arabs. Imagine the understanding and appreciation they'd have of the Quran and Hadith moreover, they'd be able to reap benefits from the work of all major scholars. InshaaAllah. BUT, on the other hand, you guys are Allah's workers there in Canada. You could do dawah, spread Allah's word (you're doing that beautifully already). You'd be doing what the messengers of Allah did. Think of it this way, if you leave, there'll be one less family supporting Palestine and the Islamic way of life in Canada. Maybe, Allah wants someone like you to represent Him there. Allahu Aalam. There's this beautiful piece of Urdu poetry by Syed Sadiq Hussain, it goes something like this ' Tundi-e-baad-e mukhalif se na ghabraa ae uqaab --- Yeh to chalti hai tujhay ooncha uranay ke liye!' translation:- Do not fear the strength of the head-winds (opposing wind) O' eagle -- it but blows only to help you soar higher! All I'm saying is that there's another way of looking at your dilemma. You guys are like a small, bright light in a dark night and can help lost travelers reach safety. Cheesy, I know. Do Istikhara, let Allah give you His suggestion. Follow it and you can never go wrong innshaaAllah. What ever you decide, our dua'a are with you, uhhibukum fi'llah. Wassalam Wa Rahmah!!

Come to the GCC. Bahrain is a nice country to live in. Or UAE or Qatar. We have a Pakistani school if you want also here in Bahrain a whole community. The people are actually nice

I always felt I would be happy living in the west and my plan was to migrate to canada or Australia one day. Now that I have children of my own I will not replace the middle east with anywhere else. In today's world I want my kids to grow up In a Muslim country away from the west and filth there