Moving to a Muslim majority country is generally recommended because it should provide the believer greater freedom to practice Islam proudly, more learning opportunities, and the ability to benefit more Muslims by your occupation and consumerism.

Hijrah, or emigrating for the sake of preserving one’s faith, is one of the greatest acts a Muslim can perform, almost like accepting Islam again. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said, “Islam destroys what came before it of sins; hijrah destroys what came before it of sins; hajj destroys what came before it of sins…” Recorded by Muslim. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ also instructed his commanders to invite to Islam whomever they meet, and for those who accept Islam, to invite them to move to the Muslim-dominant lands and enjoy the rights and privileges of the Muhaajirs. However, the Prophet then said, that if they don’t move to the Muslim-dominant lands, then they may stay outside, to be like “the Bedouins of the Muslims“, and that the rules of Allah would still apply to them^[1]E.g. don’t lie, steal, cheat, kill, fornicate, drink, gamble, etc. and preserve the 5 pillars and all else easy to practice without executive authority enforcing it but they would not enjoy any privileges or handouts accorded to resident citizens.

You may have no thoughts of moving from your bedroom in the next few years, nor may have ever traveled outside your current state, but to visit the Muslim world is truly an amazing and invigorating experience if it is easy for you. Even to touch foot on places the Muslims once ruled, like Spain, to see the Arabic street names still preserved after centuries is very nostalgic.

As for the Islamic ruling of relocating, that recommendation lightens the more you are able to practice Islam freely in your current locale and benefit others without suffering any harm to your religion by your surroundings or feel weakened by the pressure to compromise your faith. However, that recommendation inches closer to obligation if you feel persecuted and unable to practice the minimum commandments of Islam in your current locale. Muslim women especially need to consider this if they find they are harassed or in danger from mixing with other men by wearing Islamic garb outside the home.

In any and every case, the best place for you as a Muslim is where your faith is strongest. That is your energy and motivation for living in the manner most pleasing to Allah.

That could be in Chicago, and it could be in Mecca. Or it could be a small town in Nebraska, or Maldives Islands. However, as a convert, your best bet is wherever more practicing Muslims like yourself are seen, so that Islam is not strange to those around you and you feel perfectly comfortable being as Islamic as you can be, and your family as well. So even if your faith wavers, the environment around you pushes you back to proper faith.

If you have no great hardship practicing Islam where you are, you still need to consider your offspring. Yet because of several experiences I have seen and heard, I recommend for anyone desiring to move overseas, to first live there for a short period of time, like one to six months, to try it out and see if it is all you thought it to be. Some expatriates were unable to raise their children well in Muslim countries because they lacked experience and street-smarts to know what to guard their children from in the new environment. Also, there may be a language barrier—although more and more people in Muslim countries are learning English, they are still far behind the European standard. And as of 2014, no Muslim country offers a permanent migration or hijrah visa–so while the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ made the offering we saw above for new Muslims to join them, there is no state which currently makes the same offering, handing out emigration visas and permanent resident status to new Muslims, or anyone for that matter. Thus, there is no telling when you could be deported back to passport country where you may not find anyone ready to welcome you with open arms or rehire you from where you left off. These are some of the major causes of stress for expatriates.

So if you decide to move, be smart about it and chat with the experienced for their advice and to get a taste of what you may likely encounter. That will remind you of the pluses of such a move, like the presence of masjids, the number of Muslims, the Qur’an memorization circles, or even the availability of trusted Islamic scholars, etc. Moving to a new country also becomes a great deal easier if you are married to an ethnic native and have a good relationship with the spouse’s family and extended relatives. Lastly, finding a locale already with a number of Muslim American expatriates whom you can gel with when you miss the vibe of your own countrymen can make the adjustment much easier.