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Should he let his Christian aunt stay with him so that he can call her to Islam?

Question: 70219

At the present time I live and work in the USA and would like to know is it haraam to have my non-Muslim relitives live with me. She is my maternal anunt. She is a Christain and I have giving her du’wah but some older people can be set in their ways. Hence, what is the evidence from the Qur’aan and the Sunnah on live here with them. What if any do the scholars of this ummah say regarding this topic facing us particulaly in the USA and Britain or other non-Muslim land and we are a minority in our resisdentcy. May Allah reward you and help us to except the truth.

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah and his family.

Firstly: 

It is permissible for you to let your aunt stay with you so
that you can call her to Islam and encourage her with wisdom and beautiful
preaching, If she sees you and your good attitude and kind treatment, that
may be a means of opening her heart to this great religion. Attitude and
actions may often be more eloquent than words and preaching. So strive hard
to do that, and if Allaah guides her at your hands, that will be better for
you than this world and everything in it.  

You should equip yourself with patience and forbearance, and
respond to bad with good, and to mistakes with forgiveness, as Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning): 

“The good deed and the
evil deed cannot be equal. Repel (the evil) with one which is better (i.e.
Allaah orders the faithful believers to be patient at the time of anger, and
to excuse those who treat them badly) then verily he, between whom and you
there was enmity, (will become) as though he was a close friend”

[Fussilat 41:34]

One of the indications that it is permissible to let a kaafir
stay among the Muslims, so that he may see their attitude and come to know
their religion, is that which is narrated concerning the story of Thumaamah
ibn Uthaal, who was tied up in the mosque for three days after the Muslims
took him prisoner. Then the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) pardoned him and he became Muslim. The story is narrated in
Saheeh al-Bukhaari (4372) and Saheeh Muslim (1764). 

The aunt also has kinship rights because she is a close
relative, even if she is a kaafir. The Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said: “The maternal aunt is like the mother.” Narrated
by al-Bukhaari, 2700. 

Al-Tirmidhi (3975) narrated from ‘Umar that a man came to the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and said: “O
Messenger of Allaah, I have committed a grievous sin; can I repent?’ He
said: “Do you have a mother?” He said, “No.” He said: “Do you have a
maternal aunt?” He said: “Yes.” He said: “Then honour her.” Classed as
saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi. 

And he (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to Asma’: “Uphold the times of kinship
with your mother.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 2620; Muslim, 1003. And her
mother was a kaafir. 

Secondly: 

There are two basic conditions for a person to stay in a
non-Muslim country, as stated by the scholars. Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may
Allaah have mercy on him) said: 

1 – He should be certain that he is able to remain strongly
committed to his religion, as he has enough knowledge, faith and
determination to remain steadfast in his religious commitment and to avoid
deviation and misguidance. He should bear enmity towards the kuffaar in his
heart and avoid taking them as friends and liking them, because doing so is
contrary to faith. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“You (O Muhammad) will not find any people who believe in
Allaah and the Last Day, making friendship with those who oppose Allaah and
His Messenger (Muhammad), even though they were their fathers or their sons
or their brothers or their kindred (people”

[al-Mujaadilah 58:22]  

“O you who believe! Take not the Jews and the Christians
as Awliyaa’ (friends, protectors, helpers), they are but Awliyaa’ of each
other. And if any amongst you takes them (as Awliyaa’), then surely, he is
one of them. Verily, Allaah guides not those people who are the Zaalimoon
(polytheists and wrongdoers and unjust).

52. And you see those in whose hearts there is a disease
(of hypocrisy), they hurry to their friendship, saying: “We fear lest some
misfortune of a disaster may befall us.” Perhaps Allaah may bring a victory
or a decision according to His Will. Then they will become regretful for
what they have been keeping as a secret in themselves”

[al-Maa’idah 5:51, 52]

And it is proven in
al-Saheehayn that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) said: “A man will be with those whom he loves.” Narrated by
al-Bukhaari, 6168; Muslim, 2641. 

Loving the enemies of Allaah is one of the most serious
dangers that a Muslim faces, because loving them implies that one agrees
with them and follows them, or at the very least that he is not denouncing
them. 

2 – The second condition
is that he should be able to practise his religion openly, in the sense that
he can establish the rituals and symbols of Islam with no impediment, so he
is not prevented from establishing regular prayer, and praying Jumu’ah and
offering prayers in congregation if there are others with him who can pray
in congregation and establish Jumu’ah; and he should not be prevented from
paying zakaah, fasting, performing Hajj and doing all the other rituals of
Islam. If he is not able to do that, then it is not permissible for him to
stay there and he must migrate in that case. 

End quote from Sharh al-Usool al-Thalaathah by Shaykh
Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him), in Majmoo’ al-Fataawa,
6/132 

Whoever cannot meet
these two conditions must migrate to a Muslim land if he is able to do so.
If he is unable to migrate, then he is excused, because Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning): 

“Verily, as for those
whom the angels take (in death) while they are wronging themselves (as they
stayed among the disbelievers even though emigration was obligatory for
them), they (angels) say (to them): “In what (condition) were you?” They
reply: “We were weak and oppressed on the earth.” They (angels) say: “Was
not the earth of Allaah spacious enough for you to emigrate therein?” Such
men will find their abode in Hell — what an evil destination!

98. Except the weak ones among men, women and children who
cannot devise a plan, nor are they able to direct their way.

99. These are they whom Allaah is likely to forgive them,
and Allaah is Ever Oft-Pardoning, Oft-Forgiving”[al-Nisa’ 4:97-99]

See al-Mughni by Ibn Qudaamah, 8/457 

See also question no, 22309

And Allaah knows best.

Source

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