To Muslim who decided to travel

Since 2004-07-15
By sheikh Abdelrahman Alwaheeby,

Alhamdu Lelah, recently , the phenomenon of families (Husband and wife and sons and daughters) traveling abroad, has increased. Sometimes sons and daughters and the mother travel without the father to spend vacation in infidel country or some Arab country that is full of sins

Unfortunately, some of us, May Allah show them the right guidance, are proud of this and try to make propaganda for the country they have visited, disregarding the prohibited things that could spoil our religion and make them commit sins like taking photos and witnessing the bad morals which affect their morals. Some of it is magic and foreseeing in which the prophet Mohammed (p.b.u.h) said: He who seeks fortuneteller and believes in what he says is infidel). Beside that, youth tend to spend , excessively, money on both what is not permissible in Islam like drinking alcohol and attending dancing clubs.

It is common , during the days that proceed the vacation that some men taking their wives to photography shops before traveling to take a photo to the passport and let other men photographing them without shyness or jealousy or even without fear to exceed the limits! And this is not allowed in Islam, as our clerics say, and even if the photographer is a female, as the Prophet said: every photographer is in hell) and said: (He who made an image shall be asked to make it alive in the Judgment Day, Yet, he will not be able to). Travel for tourism doesn't count as such a reason to allow what is legally prohibited, and in our country a lot of nice places for tourism like Abha and Al Taef and the surrounding area.

A lot of travelers urge others and invite them to travel like them as they praise it and bring pictures that allures other people, forgetting the prophet's saying: ( He who creates a bad sunnah( tradition) shall bear its sin and the sins of those who do it) narrated by Imam Muslim.

So they would say proudly, we visited the US and Europe and we entered the church. And the worst is that some people who would travel around the world.. Do not schedule a visit Mecca to do Omrah, although they might do tourism inside the same country Saudi Arabia.

Photographing women and the negative effects of traveling:

Shiekh Abdul Rahman Al Jabrein has been asked about the phenomenon of family-travel to Arab, Western, Asian, European or American countries, and the need to take photograph for wife and children in order to do so as that is known by our clerics is that taking photographs is forbidden in Islam except for an extreme need. And he has been asked also about spending a lot of money on things that are wither permissible or impermissible in Islam, as well as violations of Islamic rules concerning women such as veil and makeup and witnessing a lot of sins that would be tempting .

He answered:

Al Hamdulellah and peace and prayers be upon our prophet Mohammed , his associates and companions.

A lot of Ahadeeth( speeches of the prophet peace be upon him) have been narrated about prohibiting photography such as mentioned above and it all refer to pictures, whether sculptured or painted. These pictures shall be damaged as Angels do not enter a home contains it. Yet, as there is some need for pictures such as for passports to travel for medication or study, our religious scholars allowed it.

Thus , I believe that taking photographs for tourism is not allowed, specially when accompanying women and the family which consequently would result in a lot of bad effects such as:

1- foreign men look at the photos of the women in borders and it is known that the face of the woman shall not be revealed for foreigners.

2- such travels are of no use and it is a waste of time and money and it can't be deemed to be done for knowledge of cultures of other countries as travelers do not make it for acquiring knowledge and wisdom and remembering Allah as much as they make it for relaxation and witnessing the prohibited things.

3-Wasting time and money in the benefit of the infidels who are enemies of Islam in a way that makes them stronger to launch war on Islam.

4- Spending much time in doing the things that are allowed in Islam to the extent that they forget to do what is requested from Muslims to do, hence they might have big sins like committing adultery and drinking alcohol and hearing music and attending dancing clubs and spending a lot of money in doings sins and things that are renounced in Islam. All that goes to the benefit of the infidels and launching war against Muslims

5- Muslim women do fall in sins and act against Islamic rules as some of them do not wear the Hijab(veil) and reveal her face and hair imitating infidel women while claiming that she can't put the veil among women with full make up and then she falls in doing the sin of imitating infidel women and as a result her husband or father would not be able to prevent her.

6- Travelling to these countries without a reason but tourism may lead to do sins and humiliate Muslims when some of them curse the Islamic rules and praise the infidels. Here we advice Muslims to preserve themselves ; their minds , their families , money and religion and do not travel but for an urgent need.

By Abd Allah bin Abd Al Rahman Al Jabrein.

Negative sides of travelling to Arab or Western countries:

1- Admiring the infidels (if the destination is for a Western country) and hence praising them and deciding not to go back to home land and this not allowed in Islam as Sheikh Ibn Othaimeen said. Allah said: (Thou wilt not find any people who believe in Allah and the Last Day, loving those who resist Allah and His Messenger) Al Mujadelah 22

2- A lot of Muslims have admired clothes of the infidels

3- Muslim women unveil their faces and hair without shyness as the husband or father or the brother do not mind and might even have ordered them to do so till Muslim women got annoyed of the veil once they come back to their country and leaded to creating new designs of the veils.

4- Muslim sons and daughters would see a lot of actions and deeds that are not allowed in Islam as soon as they arrive in the airport while the parents can not prevent them from seeing these prohibited things which means a bad raising for them.

The messenger (peace be upon him) said: (You all are responsible) and said: (Allah would ask every responsible person, whether he saved or wasted what he was responsible for) Do they people forgot the dooms Day?

5- Generally The parents would deny those who commit big sins or even the small ones and this is an obligatory action in Islam if abandoned, the Muslim would sin. Also, the parents would not be able to prevent themselves, or their offspring, from watching prohibited deeds and the result would be sickness of the heart and evoking for the lusts as well as facing punishment in both lives.

6- Girls would lose the feeling of shyness as they see the alluring scenes and shameful ones and we can see this effect on those who come back from the Western countries.

7- Sons and daughters would get used to what is prohibited in Islam such as: drinking alcohol, gambling, nightclubs, dancing, semi-naked clothes, driving for women, attending matches and wrestling and others. This would make them curse their country once they come back as it lacks all of it which they call advancement in culture while in fact this vise versa is true. Allah said: (Truly it is not their eyes that are blind, but their hearts which are in their breasts)

8- The family would love these countries, whether it is neighboring or far ones, Arab or Western and we see that those who have visited it once, insist on visiting it again whatever it costs and they become addicted to travel!!

9- They will find it easy to see any prohibited deeds in their country as they saw much greater ones out. 10- Praising the weather of those countries and cursing the weather of Saudi Arabia, which means they will curse the life.

High-ranking member of the committee of the Islamic clerics have been asked the following:

Muslim youth are facing a phenomenon of traveling abroad after they get married or during vacation for tourism as they claim that even some preservative families and clerics have issued a fatwa permitting that.

First: If the parent knew that his son will travel after his marriage, is it a must to prevent him? And what is the evidence in Islam? Answer: The parent shall prevent his son from traveling if this was only for tourism, if he has the ability to do so, as it will harm his son and his religion. If he doesn't have the ability to prevent him, he shall advise him and do not give him money as it will help him instead.

Second: If the parent knows that his son-in-law will travel, shall he prevent his daughter? And shall she adhere by her father's request or adhere to her husband to travel for tourism?

Answer: the father shall prevent his daughter from traveling with her husband for tourism and she shall not agree with him.

Third: Shall the parent put condition in the wedding contract of his daughter that she will not travel with her husband for tourism to the Western countries as it is full with great sins or the Arab countries that do not abide by the Islamic rules?

Answer: Yes, he has the right to do so.

Fourth: What is your advice for those who are psychologically defeated against the Western culture and praise their industrial and materialistic advance and proud of traveling to these countries after they get married?

Answer: I advise them to fear Allah and stop traveling to these countries as it as a lot of bad effects on our religion and they shall not be allured of what the infidels have as Allah prepared greater things for Muslim believers that is will last for ever

Fifth: Shall the Muslim answer an invitation from those who come back after traveling to these countries as they usually hold celebrations after their return ?

Answer: It is advised not to answer their invitation as this would be like indirect encouragement for them to travel. Yet, it is better to refuse it as a punishment.

Finally: Dear parent, who is proud of his religion: to cancel the decision of traveling in response to your family's request is much easier than regret it on the Judgement Day as it will be considered as cheating those whom you are responsible for.

You shall compare and think about it. Then, decide! You are the only responsible for it.

Allah said: (The Day whereon neither wealth nor sons will avail) Ashuara 88. And said: (That Day shall a man flee from his own brother) Abasa 34.