Why I Left Sweden for the UAE: My Hijrah Journey

Bismillah, Assalamualaikum, hello everybody and welcome to the 13th episode of the Baraka Blueprint, the podcast where we talk about the optimal balance between faith and focus to achieve truly lasting success. We are on Spotify, YouTube, we are available in Instagram and TikTok for short clips, we're everywhere basically to bring you that blueprint to success. To those of you who are new to the podcast, my name is Ibrahim Sharif and before I get started, I want to thank each and every one of you for all the positive messages that you've been sending, for contributing to me successfully creating 13 episodes of what I once thought was only an idea and a concept and now is more closer to reality. And that's why I wanted to talk about something more on the personal side today. And this episode is about Hijrah. I mean, I'm not called HijrahHacks on Instagram and TikTok for no reason. So, I thought might as well in the 13th episode start talking about that one topic that I later on want to center most of my content around, which is helping young Muslims in the West to relocate to Muslim countries. And I'll also talk about why I believe that is crucially important. I'm not specifically going to talk about or only talk about the physical shifts and the physical relocation from one country to another, from point A to point B, but more about the mindset shift and the spiritual shift and the and and the resets because before you relocate the body and your assets and your finances and whatever from country A to country B, the first the first relocation happens in the heart. The the Hadith about Hijrah is specifically mentioning the intention before mentioning the physical relocation. So, we're going to be we're going to be talking about the deeper mindset behind Hijrah. Now, me personally, I left Sweden to both specifically move to the United Arab Emirates. And for me, alhamdulillah, that's changed everything. So, if you ever thought, well, how does the Hijrah process look like? What am I going to expect? If you're curious what life is really like for somebody who's used to a particular standard, especially if one is brought up and raised in the West and how life is in the the Gulf, for example, this episode is going to be for you. So, let's talk about the path of Hijrah in Baraka style. Now, get this, Hijrah will not make your life perfect, but it will help you prioritize correctly. So, growing up in Sweden as a Muslim has been somewhat of a resistance and has felt like living in a resistance in quite a while in Sweden, especially more so in the last 10 years. And no, I'm not talking about the violent resistance as much, even though especially Muslim sisters are experiencing this as they are more visible in their Islam than us men. I mean, well, long ago the beard was strictly connected to Muslims and now it's more well, a lifestyle trend. While the hijab is not a lifestyle trend, it is a very very obvious indicator of a person who's a Muslim and mostly Islamophobes, they tend to find themselves courageous when they attack the weak and they assume that our sisters are weak and therefore that is their point of attack. So, of course, for many people living as a Muslim in the West is somewhat of a physical resistance, but then for me, it felt more like a daily tiring friction. So, for me, alhamdulillah, the resistance has not been so much of a dramatic resistance, but it's been very exhausting. Especially hearing what you hear and seeing what you see in the media, the very very often Quran burnings that happen and other violent acts towards Muslims and the message of Islam. Because going to Jumu'ah or prayer, going to Friday prayers, had to come with an explanation as to why you're leaving class or why you're taking some time off from work. Or for example, back when I was studying, fasting during exam prep meant that you had to push yourself harder than everybody. Or for many people even, praying at work or praying during work hours meant sneaking around, hiding something, sometimes even apologizing for it. Now, me personally, for a very long time that wasn't my case, alhamdulillah, but if you're proud in your way of life that is somehow alien to many people, it does come with its resistance as well. Could be losing out on a on a job, could be being fired from a place or whatever it could be. Something that I have experienced myself. So, the question I ask myself is, do I want to continue living a life like this where I have to apologize for my identity and I have to sneak around for my identity? Or do I want to feel difference? Do I actually want to be comfortable in my identity? So, I took that step and made Hijrah. I didn't move to escape the West per se. I moved to live as a Muslim. So, for me, living in a Muslim country means the following. It means that I can schedule my time around prayers. It means that I frequently hear the Adhan. It means that even whether it is in the shopping malls or outside in the streets, you always hear the call to prayer and the call to success. Adhan says, "Hayya 'ala salah, hayya 'ala falah." Come to prayer, come to success. Also also something that I usually post on Instagram in my stories. Come to prayer, come to success. That is the motto for the Adhan for me at least. And also because prayer is connected to success. Prayer is also connected to your risk. The verse in the Quran that talks about prayers and staying on your prayers and continuing with your prayers and disciplining yourself around salah immediately follows up by saying, "We will not ask you for sustenance, we will give you sustenance." So, risk, blessings, sustenance is directly connected and directly tangible and directly linked to praying on time. And connected to the Adhan, mosques are everywhere. Even prayer rooms are everywhere. Whether you're at work in this whether it is the same building or the same block as your office, you have mosques there. If not a masjid that is directly next to your office. Or the fact that even in every shopping mall, you hear the Adhan and you hear the the call to prayer and you have the possibility to pray on time. That in itself is a luxury. It's something that I wasn't really used to and now, subhanallah, and I ask God for forgiveness, it's something that you even risk taking for for granted. And gone are the days where you have to ask if a certain restaurant has halal food and then like, "Okay, well, can I see the certificate?" Like none of that, right? You have that everywhere. You're actually off in the Islamic holidays like the Eid, Arafah day. And this allows you for special time with family when without having to take extra days off or call in sick. Those of you who know, you know. But actually allows you to fully live as a Muslim and comfortably so and comfortably live within or with your identity. The best part is I don't feel like I have to hide my faith. I'm actually proud of displaying my faith and myself as a practicing Muslim. Now, alhamdulillah, that wasn't wasn't the case that I felt like I had to hide my faith as a Muslim living in the West, especially from the fact that and those of us that have experience in the Dawah field and in the Dawah sphere, if you're met with resistance and if your way of life is more often than not villainized by the media or others, it will kind of push you even stronger to hold steadfast to your faith and to your identity. So, that part I already had it, alhamdulillah, but now it comes with comfort because you're not you don't have to tire yourself and exhaust yourself to meet people with this resistance and feel like you have to hold up the shield the entire time. Your arms can actually rest from that activity now. And Islam is not something that I have to squeeze in my calendar, squeeze between my meetings. It's actually part of my it's a crucial part of my calendar. Meetings are before or after prayers, not within the prayer time. I I can schedule my time around salah, I can schedule my time around the time that I go to the masjid because it's my routine, it's my culture, it's my tradition. And that that is a different kind of peace. Now, Hijrah tests your sincerity and also it rewards it. Believe me, Hijrah is not a quick fix. It's not going to solve all of your problems by moving from one country to another, even though some people may advertise it as such. However, it shifts what problems you're solving. So, instead of worrying about Islamophobia, honestly, right now some of the worries are, "Okay, which which masjid do I pray in?" Like literally. It's I don't mean to exaggerate it as such. Of course, there are other problems like from a documentational point of view or some processes because I'm not used to particular process that I'm still getting used to them. And with new processes, of course, there are new challenges and that is an integral part of life. But no longer is my main problem connected to a popular hatred or a popularized hatred towards my faith, my culture and my identity. And it's no longer about how will I be able to fast or how can I make the fasts this Ramadan, but now it's more about how can I make it more meaningful. It's no longer about whether I'll be judged for fasting or whether I will be introduced with problems if I was to be fasting, but it's actually more about how much of Ramadan and fasting I can make count for my benefits. And I learned to rely on God Almighty in ways that I couldn't have imagined before. And subhanallah, some doors opened up for me that I could not have imagined otherwise. And this directly correlates to the verses where Allah subhana wa ta'ala says, "And those of you who And those who fear God Almighty, he will uh give them a way out from their difficulties and he will give them sustenance and blessings from doors they will not imagine and they will not predict." He also says, "Wa man yattaqillaha yaj'al lahu min amrihi yusra." And those who fear God Almighty and are God-conscious, God will make their matters easy. He also says, "Wa man yatawakkal 'ala Allahi fahuwa hasbuhu." And those who fully rely on God, that in itself will be sufficient for them. So, don't romanticize hijrah, but prepare for it practically. So, here's what I would recommend to everyone who is thinking about moving and relocating from non-Muslim lands to Muslim lands. Number one, start with your intention, niyyah, and don't start with Instagram. What I mean with that is you align your intention, niyyah, with what you are trying to achieve. And the fact that even though of course you you're going to have a list of countries that you prefer over others, even though all of them are Muslim countries. And there you're you're going to have a lifestyle preference, and that is completely okay. But the most important thing is that ultimately this is done for the sake of God. You can have additional benefits and advantages and goals. That is not an issue. But the central goal should still be for the sake of God Almighty and not the glitters and grammar glamours that you're seeing in Instagram. Secondly, if you're thinking if you have if you have if you're thinking about a couple of countries where you want to move to, I would very much recommend visiting those places before you take that decision. Feel the vibe. Feel uh take get a feel of this. See if this is meant for you or if this is not the country that you can imagine living in. It is very important that you prepare for it practically in ways where you actually get to see and witness how is life going to be there for you. And if you have a family, how is life going to be for yourself and the family. I also I also recommend save money for to have a particular capital, uh be it a rainy day fund or uh the amount that is needed for the different processes and the relocation. Of course, uh but also to sort out your documents in advance. Uh read up on the visa processes and the documentational bureaucratic parts that are needed for you. So, that even though there are some stuff that you can't do from your country of origin and can only do locally once you're actually moving, it's good to prepare for that in advance because you cannot afford to be hit with unexpected curveballs. In other words, think long-term. And last tip I have for you is before the plane takes off, really strengthen your connection to God Almighty. Now, the day I moved here, uh at the time I was alone, I didn't I know anybody I'm not going to lie, uh it was pretty sad. I mean, being far from your friends and family and like your childhood friends and people who you hold very very close and near and dear to you. Uh the first thing I did actually, I I spoke to the Imam of a masjid. Just opening up saying, "You know what? I've moved recently. I moved today. Uh I don't I'm not I'm not I'm not sure I feel quite pleased and happy. I feel very sad. What do I do? What do you recommend me?" And the first recommendation that he gave me and the only one, uh he said, "Strengthen your connection with the Quran and strengthen your connection with the masjid, and that's it. God will take care of you." And literally that is what happened. All of my like friendships and the connections, both career connections and my friendly connections, they came from the mosque and they came from the Quran, believe it or not. And I'll I'll talk a bit more about that in an upcoming episode, inshallah. And like I said before, hijrah is not running away. Yes, I mean, historically speaking that has been the case or has been made to appear the case where Muslims escaped places of persecution to places of protection. But but but the mindset they had was not that they were fleeing because they were facing that persecution before and they faced it head-on, bravely and courageously. So, hijrah is not about running away. It's about running to God. There's a big difference between the two. In other words, you got to pack your bag spiritually and logically and not only logically. And also, if your soul is shrinking wherever you are, then maybe that is a good indication for you to move. So, I'm I'm not saying that everybody needs to make hijrah now, immediately. That's not what I'm saying. All I'm saying is maybe it's time to stop sleepwalking because you don't have to be perfect or near perfection to actually make that move. Because the more you're comfortable with your within your comfort zone or wherever you are, you're going to be accepting imperfections more and more, and that will be taking a hit at you, and it will decrease your level of faith within you. And look at your surroundings. Like, the Are are Are Are they hurting your level of faith or are they strengthening your level of faith? And if you have children, ask yourself, "How will it be for them when they grow up here with or without you? Will they be at an optimal level of faith or will they be hurt in their level of faith?" And like I said, hijrah doesn't start with a physical relocation. It starts with the spiritual relocation. It starts with the relocation of the heart. Your heart doesn't need a visa to relocate. Hijrah doesn't require a visa for the heart. The heart doesn't require a visa. You physically may do that, and you should will definitely do that. You will need to have a residence permit wherever you're moving. But you start with the heart. If you can't start physically and logistically, you start internally and spiritually. Align your niyyah and make dua for God to ease this process for you. And whoever calls out to God for an act of worship, God will make that act of worship easier. And to close this off, hijrah isn't about a geographic relocation. It is about a spiritual relocation. The direction is getting closer to God Almighty. So, wherever you are in the world, ask yourself, "Am I becoming the person that God Almighty loves and has given as an example to people, or am I becoming the opposite?" And if it is the latter, seriously reconsider your surroundings. For me, this relocation and this hijrah was a supercharge, a reset, a paradigm shift. It was a recommitment, but not just to a new location, but also to new priorities in life. And if this episode sparked something within you, don't ignore it. It could be your soul knocking on the door and asking you to check in with yourself. And that's it for the 13th episode of the Barakah Blueprint. Like I said, some pointers about this relocation that I have been got that I have gone through recently and to give you somewhat to a a bit of an initial understanding of what has happened from my point of view. If there are any specifics that you want me to go through, I am absolutely happy to do that, be it on this particular podcast or on my other socials, just feel free to reach out and ask. I do have a hijrah blueprint that I am currently working on in in written form, so I can give it out in my socials. So, watch out for that and keep an eye out for this. And if you like what you've seen so far, make sure to leave this channel a subscription and this podcast a review, so I know what I'm doing that is beneficial and good or what I can do to further improve the delivery of this crucial message. Jazakum Allahu khairan. Thank you for tuning in. And remember, stay productive, stay focused, and align your niyyah in Barakah Style. Assalamu alaykum.