Western Society

The Western world refers to various nations depending on the context, most often including at least part of Europe (especially European Union with EFTA), Australasia (especially Australia and New Zealand) and the Americas (especially North America).

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A general view is: It is allowed for a person living in a Muslim-majority society to emigrate to a non-Muslim society as long as it does not cause one to lose one's religion.

Beyond that, if a Muslim emigrates to the West, it is a personal decision whether or not they decide on focusing on building infrastructures in the West, or focus on going back to their country of origin. Not everyone has the same circumstances or the same role in life. Some people will work effectively in one country but not another. So it isn't the sort of thing one can say there is only one answer to. 

A more detailed view:

If someone has no choice and must emigrate for some reason, then obviously it is allowed; questions of permissibility are only for things that are by choice. Usually emigration is due to some need, such as for economic or political reasons, and not a straightforward choice.

The entire earth belongs to Allah. One of the ways that Allah directs us to one geographical location or another is through rizq - that is, making it difficult for us to live in one place and giving us employment or opportunities in another - and this is part of the divine plan.

Additionally, in reality, few (if any) Muslim-majority societies are currently embracing all the major values of Islam, such as social justice, absence of corruption, supporting the deprived, racial equality, and other things. We all know that in some Muslim-majority societies, there is also a problem with sectarian violence or sectarian restrictions.

Furthermore, in some Muslim-majority societies, Islamic practice has been restricted (such as limitations on or a bias against wearing the hijab).

So it may be overly simplistic to divide the world into "Muslim societies" and "non-Muslim societies".

However, one might surmise there are still some cultural factors in Muslim-majority societies that support a person's faith, or help in passing it on to children, such as being around mosques, seeing Islam as a normalized as part of daily life, less public alcohol consumption, and these  sorts of things. 

Anyway, yes, it seems like a good idea for Muslims to build permanent infrastructures in the West since many Muslims live in the West.

One can also note that Islam did not spread to today's "Muslim world" overnight. One major reason for the spread of Islam was the migration of individual Muslims to various places, and their their establishment of mosques and other institutions. So building Islamic institutions in the West is not something new or different, rather, it is just the same sort of thing that happened before. Sometimes there is a mental image that the Muslim-majority world was always that way, but that is obviously not the case on a historical level.

Note: There is an underlying assumption between this statement that all Muslims in the West come from, or have ancestry in, other countries. This assumption should be challenged. Not all Muslims in the West were born in other countries. Many Muslims in the West were born in the West and cannot easily return to the country of their ancestors, or they may be of mixed ancestry and not have a specific country to go do that is "theirs".

Also, not all Muslims in the West trace their ancestry to non-Western countries, so they do not have another country to go back to. (While some Western Muslims have attempted "hijra" to the Muslim-majority world, there are usually barriers along the lines of residency permits, work permits, being treated perpetually like an outsider, etc.)

I suspect that the migration of Muslims to the West is part of Allah's plan and perhaps Allah wishes to end the "clash of civilizations" between Islam and the West and create more interchange. Also, having a significant number of Muslims in the West has sparked some important discussions about Islam, Islamic law, inter-faith relations, and other matters due to the situation of Islam being in a new environment. This helps to have growth in Muslim thought rather than stagnation. So one can see there have been some benefits overall for the ummah to having a large number of Muslims, and Muslim institutions, in the West. 

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Sayyed Mohammad Al-Musawi, Sayyed Mohammad al-Musawi is originally from Iraq and heads up the World Ahlul Bayt Islamic League in London. Other than being involved in various humanitarian projects, he frequently responds to... Answered 1 year ago

It is allowed to buy shares of any company which does not do Haraam business like alcohol, gambling, pork etc.

Company with whole allowed business but taking loans from the non Muslim banks, does not make the company Haraam.

Wassalam.

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Amina Inloes, Amina Inloes is originally from the US and has a PhD in Islamic Studies from the University of Exeter on Shi'a hadith. She is the program leader for the MA Islamic Studies program at the... Answered 2 years ago

Answers should be given with certain knowledge, and no one here (as far as I know!) has certain knowledge about everything that is happening outside of our experience or eyes. 

Also, no one can give certain knowledge about the long-term effects of a new substance or medication, even if there is no ill intent, until time passes and we come to understand the complexity of effects. Certainly there are many substances that were originally thought to be safe and now we know they are dangerous. 

So, basically, no one here can give a full answer to "is it safe". 

However, if you are unsure about whether or not you should receive a vaccine, I suggest (a) talking to researchers or health professionals about it, (b) considering your situation and people around you (for instance, are you in a high-risk profession or are people in your household particularly vulnerable) and making the best decision, and (c) if that does not work, do istikahra. 

 

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Sayyed Mohammad Al-Musawi, Sayyed Mohammad al-Musawi is originally from Iraq and heads up the World Ahlul Bayt Islamic League in London. Other than being involved in various humanitarian projects, he frequently responds to... Answered 2 years ago

Muslim should be good citizen where ever he lives. Abiding to the laws of the land is part of the duties of good citizen. Many people try to decrease their tax liabilities through legal ways according to licensed tax advisors who advise citizens legally. It is permissible to seek and act upon such legal advice as it is in accordance to the law of the land. 
Going against the law is very far from the Islamic teachings.

Wassalam. 

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Sayyed Mohammad Al-Musawi, Sayyed Mohammad al-Musawi is originally from Iraq and heads up the World Ahlul Bayt Islamic League in London. Other than being involved in various humanitarian projects, he frequently responds to... Answered 2 years ago

It is allowed for every Muslim to serve his country in any field which does not do injustice on others. Your country's interest should be in the interest of people and should not support the aggressors who might be friendly with some of your political leaders. You as a Muslim are obliged to serve peaceful people in your country and every where, and never support injustice. Our case as Muslims is the justice for all human beings and even for everything. Justice for people of Palestine for example, might not be an aim for many western politicians, but we must do everything possible in peaceful and legal way to support justice. Muslim officer must be an ethical officer and not just a blind officer.

Wassalam.

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Zoheir Ali Esmail, Shaykh Zoheir Ali Esmail has a Bsc in Accounting and Finance from the LSE in London, and an MA in Islamic Studies from Middlesex University. He studied Arabic at Damascus University and holds a PhD... Answered 2 years ago

Bismillah

Thank you for your question. It is not permissible to eat meat which has not been slaughtered according to Islamic law, except in a situation of starvation, where there is no alternative (no other food at all) and at that point a person is allowed to eat only the amount that is necessary for survival. In Western countries this type of situation is not usual and there are plenty of alternatives to eat such as fish with scales, prawns, vegetables and other types of carbohydrates (bread, rice, pasta) and so on. 
 

May you always be successful 

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Amina Inloes, Amina Inloes is originally from the US and has a PhD in Islamic Studies from the University of Exeter on Shi'a hadith. She is the program leader for the MA Islamic Studies program at the... Answered 2 years ago

It is not compulsory for children to learn the mother tongue of their parents.

However, given that much of the Islamic heritage is expressed in languages such as Urdu, Persian, and Arabic, from a religious perspective, I think it is tremendously helpful for them to have at least some understanding of one or more of the "heritage languages" of the Islamic world. It will help them cement their Islamic identity and feel connected to cultures and practices that are expressed in these languages, as well as have access to teachings, majalis, lectures, etc, that are not available in other languages. 

Also of course it's good for them to be able to communicate with their relatives. 

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Rebecca Masterton, Dr Rebecca Masterton graduated with a BA in Japanese Language and Literature; an MA in Comparative East Asian and African Literature and a PhD in Islamic literature of West Africa. She has been... Answer updated 3 years ago

I tend to smile, put my hand to my chest, and say 'Sorry, I don't shake.' By placing your hand on your chest, you are offering an alternative way of greeting, which makes greeting less awkward. Another method is to get a sympathetic colleague - if you have one - to inform people ahead of meeting you that you don't shake hands with the opposite gender.

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Sayyed Mohammad Al-Musawi, Sayyed Mohammad al-Musawi is originally from Iraq and heads up the World Ahlul Bayt Islamic League in London. Other than being involved in various humanitarian projects, he frequently responds to... Answered 3 years ago

Zakat and Khums are obligatory on every Muslim who has more than his expenses. Taxes are part of our expenses and Khums will obligatory on the remaining amounts after paying all the lawful expenses including Taxes.

Wassalam.

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Sayyed Mohammad Al-Musawi, Sayyed Mohammad al-Musawi is originally from Iraq and heads up the World Ahlul Bayt Islamic League in London. Other than being involved in various humanitarian projects, he frequently responds to... Answered 3 years ago

There is no question of " Paid sexual massage" in Islam. It is itself a sinful act.

Sexual act must be under a valid marriage contract whether permanent or temporary which includes Mahr (Dowery) for the female.

Wassalam.

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Sayyed Mohammad Al-Musawi, Sayyed Mohammad al-Musawi is originally from Iraq and heads up the World Ahlul Bayt Islamic League in London. Other than being involved in various humanitarian projects, he frequently responds to... Answered 3 years ago

Making Islamic memes is allowed as far as it does not contain harmful material and does not promote sinners or sinners' habits. 

Wassalam.

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Abbas Di Palma, Shaykh Abbas Di Palma holds a BA and an MA degree in Islamic Studies, and certifications from the Language Institute of Damascus University. He has also studied traditional Islamic sciences in... Answered 3 years ago

as salam alaikum

Selling alcohol is forbidden in Islam. There are cases, especially in non-Muslim countries, where a Muslim is compelled to work in a place selling haram items. In such case the person should commit him/herself to find a new job and he should ask Allah to change his situation towards a better way of life. 

With prayers for your success.