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IslamQA: Is it easier to be a faithful Muslim in the Middle East?

I'm a revert who grew up in a disbelieving family and no offence to anyone, but I'm always around disbelievers and their lifestyle. It's depressing me and im always slipping into bad and old habits. All I want, is to be around other muslims, in an Islamic society doin what I'm supposed to be doing g with good influence around me. Mecca or Medina would be a great start!

I have lived in multiple parts of the Middle East, and to me being around other Muslims has never had an important influence. In fact it’s a common phenomenon for people of my culture to become more religious when they migrate to Europe. I have many relatives who found faith that way, alhmadulillah. Being in the West somehow gives a person the freedom to re-invent themselves to be exactly the kind of Muslim they want to be. 

Being around other Muslims in the Middle East often creates a sense of inertia where you are happy to be like other Muslims who spend all day watching TV shows or the news, who rarely read Quran and who do not pray tahajjud. It’s quite rare to meet fellow Muslims who are really dedicated to their faith. I have a very large extended family and most of the people around me were good Muslims, but they never practiced Islam the way I practice it. My relatives actually include multiple Islamic scholars and even they are nowhere as dedicated to Islam as I am.

So personally I don’t feel any loss at living in the West nowadays. If I read the Quran for an hour every day and pray tahajjud then I feel as good and pious as if I lived in Mecca.

But I’m aware that family can be a strong negative influence, and I hope you will be in a better situation some time inshaAllah. Consider it part of your daily schedule to read the Quran for an hour, and make it a goal to do this for the rest of your life, and you should be perfectly fine inshaAllah.

And God knows best.
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