It is the duty of Muslims to accept and protect refugees for as long as they seek protection.
Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said, “The best of people are those that bring most benefit to the rest of mankind.”
Keeping those morals up, a Muslim group in South Brooklyn has opened its doors to migrants of all faiths, housing 75 asylum seekers so far.
The Muslim Community Center is among the faith-based organizations that have applied with New York City to house migrants.
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“As a Muslim, it’s an obligation upon us to help house migrants and people who are travelers and we decided to take that step,” Soniya Ali, the center’s executive’s director, told CNN.
Signing a contract with the center, New York Disaster Interfaith Services will provide 950 beds for asylum seekers in 50 “Faith-Based Stabilization Shelters.”
“We have 17 migrants that are staying with us. Each bed is their living space,” Ali added.
As a migrant herself, whose family came to the US from Kashmir when she was only five, Ali was motivated to help asylum seekers and open the shelter.
“I can definitely understand what they are feeling when they talk about their families or children that they left behind or their wives or whomever they left behind because I do have family members that are back home that are not here,” Ali said.
“And you do feel that sense of longing so I understand that part of their journey and their situation.”
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Refugees Rights in Islam
In Islam, asylum is a right of anyone seeking protection.
Islam also requires believers to assist and protect vulnerable people and offers a number of mechanisms for their care and support.
According to Islamic migration law (hijrah), individuals have the right both to seek and to be granted asylum in any Muslim state.
“And if anyone of the disbelievers seeks your protection, then grant him protection so that he may hear the word of Allah, and then escort him to where he will be secure.” (Qur’an 9:6)
Furthermore, it is the duty of Muslims to accept and protect refugees for as long as they seek protection.
The Qur’an calls on Muslims to “give what is due to… the wayfarer” (Q30:38; Q17:26). Through zakat, Muslims give a percentage of their annual savings as alms to help vulnerable people, and this includes “travellers in need” (Q9:60).