Why do some scholars encourage hijrah to Muslim countries when immigrants face poor treatment?
As-salamu alaykum. I keep hearing scholars, especially in Gulf lands like Saudi, say we should make hijrah to Muslim countries for a better life. But honestly, my experience living in one of those places for a few years was really bad - immigrants are often treated like second-class people. I ran into lots of problems: denied rights that citizens enjoy, limited access to healthcare and dental care, unfair employment contracts, big pay gaps, and everyday prejudice for not being Arab. I can honestly say I experienced more racism there than anywhere else I’ve been. Many of those countries also make it nearly impossible for immigrants to obtain citizenship. On the other hand, I’ve seen Muslim communities in countries like Canada and Norway where people are welcomed, there’s less discrimination, and immigrants can access citizenship and healthcare. To me, when scholars recommend hijrah, it feels like they mean moving to a Muslim-majority environment - but that could be in a non-Muslim country with Muslim communities that actually respect newcomers, rather than some so-called Muslim countries that deny basic rights. So why do scholars still advise hijrah to those Muslim lands? Am I missing something important? JazakAllahu khayr for any insight.