Thoughts on Hijrah to Abu Dhabi
For the Muhajir who wants to benefit from hijrah more than just hearing the adhan, UAE is not the best option. However, it may help you out as a half way destination.
Dubai is well known for its lack of Islam. The ruler of Dubai loves himself and loves his emirate to be the world’s playground, filling the place with fancy buildings and even fancier theme parks filled with kufar and people you would rather not know. It is a definite no-go area if you want to avoid munkar.
Abu Dhabi is the capital of UAE and is smaller than Dubai. Islamically, Abu Dhabi it is better, but it is following in the footsteps of Dubai, expanding at a great rate, opening music dance clubs and hosting international music pop-stars. Alcohol is easily attainable, and it is attained. I used to see groups of adolescent men sitting around drinking 7up and I thought it was a nice change to what I used to see in my country, but I was advised by someone in the know that they have mixed their 7up with alcohol. If you visit the fancy places in Abu Dhabi you will see kufar, and you will see them in less than appropriate attire. I saw way too much awra, and they walk around the place as if they own it.
The Emirati population makes up less than 20% of the total population of UAE. I did get the opportunity to meet many Emirati women, and sadly they seem very far removed from reality. At least they are not flashing their awra, however, it is fashionable now to wear the hijab halfway down the back of the head to show off a nice shiny fringe of hair. MashaAllah I have to admit that they do have nice hair, but best they keep it to themselves. I did try to give some dawa to sisters, but was dismissed as some sort of freak. Generally, Emiratis are seriously affected by wahn (love of this life and hatred for death) but that is the story in any Muslim country.
I chose not to live in the city, instead opting for a town about 40 minutes drive out. I didn’t work in the city so it was fine for me to live so far out. Public transport is very poor (however this is changing), and traffic jams are normal. In the town where I lived, the people were very different to those in the city, I never saw a kafir and they even say salams when they pass you in the street.If you can handle seeing kufar on a regular basis, pop-posters, wanton consumerism and bida’a, Abu Dhabi is a great place for the disciplined single sister to make hijrah to. Life is easy and you don’t need a mahram to get things done. It is clean and government departments are as streamline as the west.
You won’t be harassed in the street, unless you walk along unpopulated stretches of highway, as I did, attracting cars to stop and offer me a lift. Walking long distances is just not done!
There are no places to learn Islam other than government approved masjids. There is one for new Muslims in Madinat Zayed area, but you won’t learn anything about Islam that the government does not want you to know. I found it was not worth my effort to go there, besides they wanted too much of my personal details to sit in lectures. All the school syllabuses have been changed, removing anything about Jihad and some of the stories of Sahaba. Some schools named after Sahabi were forced to change their names. Very sad situation. The school where I worked tried to ban me from wearing black abaya and khimar because it was too extreme. Most private schools do not condone the wearing of black for sake of their secular modern reputations. Government schools on the other hand are still fine with black, but no niqab. I have been told that Sharjah (the emirate on the other side of Dubai) is the most Islamic of all the emirates and has no problem with black or niqab.
There are no places to learn Islam other than government approved masjids. There is one for new Muslims in Madinat Zayed area, but you won’t learn anything about Islam that the government does not want you to know. I found it was not worth my effort to go there, besides they wanted too much of my personal details to sit in lectures. All the school syllabuses have been changed, removing anything about Jihad and some of the stories of Sahaba. Some schools named after Sahabi were forced to change their names. Very sad situation. The school where I worked tried to ban me from wearing black abaya and khimar because it was too extreme. Most private schools do not condone the wearing of black for sake of their secular modern reputations. Government schools on the other hand are still fine with black, but no niqab. I have been told that Sharjah (the emirate on the other side of Dubai) is the most Islamic of all the emirates and has no problem with black or niqab.
I won’t say, don’t do hijrah to UAE because definitely it is many times better than my home country, and given the opportunity I would consider returning, but be careful not to be distracted by all the fun available there and disintegrating conservatism.
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6 comments:
What is wrong with seeing Kufar, they are your brothers and sisters in humanity. They share the same feelings as you because God made us part of humanity. I do not know wny some converts take this harsh line when they themselves were Kufar. You really do not see it but what you are doing is dehumanising others who are different to you. Ponder upon it.
I dont like seeing them when they are engaging in munkar.
So is it only them who engage in Munkar, what about the men that try to give you a lift? what are they engaging in?
Some people make hijrah because they dont want to live amongst the kafireen. A wife of one of the sahaba (I cant remember which one) was offered a lift by Rasulullah (raa) himself, when he (raa) saw her walking carrying a load of date seeds on her head. She refused the lift because her husband is a jealous man.
Was Rasulullah engaging in munkar?
There is also the issue of bala wal-bara.
Of course Muslims also engage in munkar. But I prefer them over the kufar, I prefer a muslim over a kafir anyday.
No one is perfect.
May Allah the Most Gracious, Most Merciful guide us to the straight path amin.
"If you can handle seeing Kuffar", with that sentence you are showing disdain to people that have done nothing to you except that their belief and way of life is different to yours. You really cannot see it but you are dehumanising others, they could be your family one day. Abu dhabi is a multicultural city, anyone who thinks that making hijra to somewhere without encountering Kufar is living in cloud cuckoo land. The prophet pbuh lived among people of the book. Would you give a lift to a strange man? if not why is a man offering you a lift? only a naive person would think its out of good will. You do not have to be best buddies with people you do not want to engage with but in the process you cannot make them inferior to you. There are many muslim countries where non muslims are citizens (egypt, nigeria, ethiopia, lebanon) what do you say to those muslims then who live amongst them? Having a neighbour who is a non muslims does not compromise their religion whatsoever. I was hoping you take that route rather than the usual kuffar bashing. Islam is a religion of balance, moderation and mercy, your post lacked that.
Thankyou for your comments. I work with kafireen. I give them the respect they deserve and vice versa. I am not sorry for my post, I am merely telling it as I saw it. If you dont like how I saw it, that is fine.
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