On whether it is necessary to emigrate from non-Muslim lands to Iraq & Syria

Given the misleading and contradictory advice of those claiming to speak for and against the necessity of making hijrah to Syria and Iraq to join Jabhat al-Nusrah جبهة النصرة or the Islamic State in Iraq & the Levant/Syria (IS/ISIL/ISIS/داعش/الدولة الإسلامية في العراق والشام), what follows is the impartial advice of Ibn Qudamah, a classical Hanbali scholar, on what circumstances make it necessary or not for Muslims to emigrate from non-Muslim lands.

كتب موفق الدين ابن قدامة في المغني

Muwaffiq al-Din Ibn Qudamah wrote in al-Mughni:

فالناس في الهجرة على ثلاثة أضرب:

Regarding emigration, people are of three types:

أحدها: من تجب عليه وهو من يقدر عليها ولا يمكنه إظهار دينه ولا تمكنه إقامة واجبات دينه مع مقام بين الكفار، فهذا تجب عليه الهجرة لقول الله تعالى {إن الذين توفاهم الملائكة ظالمي أنفسهم قالوا فيمَ كنتم؟ قالوا كنا مستضعفين في الأرض، قالوا ألم تكن أرض الله واسعة فتهاجروا فيها؟ فأولئك مأواهم جهنم وساءت مصيرا} وهذا وعيد شديد يدل على الوجوب، ولأن القيام بواجب دينه واجب على من قدر عليه، والهجرة من ضرورة الواجب وتتمته، وما لا يتم الواجب إلا به فهو واجب.

First, those for whom emigration is required are those who are able to do it, who cannot express their religion or perform the requirements of their religion while living with the unbelievers. This requires of him emigration because of God's (T) word (Q. 4:97): {Those whose souls the angels took, having wronged themselves, [were asked]: “What [state] were you in?” They said: “We were helpless in the land.” They said: “Was not God's earth wide enough for you to emigrate in?” Those, their refuge is Hell – an evil end.} This is a strong warning indicating its necessity, since performing what his religion requires is itself required of whoever is able; and emigration is a necessity of the requirement and of its accomplishment. That by which alone a requirement that can be accomplished is itself a requirement.

الثاني: من لا هجرة عليه وهو من يعجز عنها، إما لمرض أو إكراه على الإقامة أو ضعف من النساء والولدان وشبههم، فهذا لا هجرة عليه لقول الله تعالى {إلا المستضعفين من الرجال والنساء والولدان لا يستطيعون حيلة ولا يهتدون سبيلا. فأولئك عسى الله أن يعفو عنهم وكان الله عفوا غفورا} ولا توصف باستحباب لأنها غير مقدور عليها.

Second, whoever is incapable of it does not have to emigrate, be it due to sickness or being compelled to stay, or weakness in the case of women, children and their ilk. This [person] does not have to emigrate due to God's (T) word (Q. 4:98-99): {except the [truly] helpless among men, women and children who cannot [make] an escape nor find a way out. * Those, it may be that God pardons them; indeed, God is Pardoning, Forgiving.} Nor should it be described as 'preferred' since it is unachievable.

الثالث: من تستحب له ولا تجب عليه وهو من يقدر عليها لكنه يتمكن من إظهار دينه وإقامته في دار الكفر فتستحب له ليتمكن من جهادهم وتكثير المسلمين ومعونتهم ويتخلص من تكثير الكفار ومخالطتهم ورؤية المنكر بينهم، ولا تجب عليه لإمكان إقامة واجب دينه بدون الهجرة.

Third, the one who it is preferred but not required that he emigrate, because he is able to do it but he can express his religion while living in Dar al-Kufr. It is preferred for him so that he may wage jihad against them, also to increase and support the Muslim population, and to cease increasing, and mixing with, the unbelievers and seeing their wrongdoing. However, it is not required of him since he can perform what his religion requires without emigrating.