[Hanbali]

As-Salam Alaykum.

I rescind my earlier position about hijrah being mandatory.

I do not plan on living anywhere but America. That is where I was born. That is my home.

I now believe that not only is it permissible to stay in America, but I realize that I MUST stay in America.

We must stay in America, and warn our people of the doom that awaits them if they do not change their ways. We must be like Prophet Loot [as], as he was towards the people of Sodom.

If we leave them, who will warn them? Who will caution them and advise them?

I believe that those who are worried about hijrah are the last people who should leave America. They are the ones who are needed the most. As for those who don't ever care about hijrah--or who have never even heard of the concept--then it is THESE people who need to leave America and go to a Muslim country.

But we must not stay in America for wealth or ease of life. No, we must fulfill our role to warn the people. We must dedicate a portion of our life to ACTIVE dawah. Our role in America is that of dawah carriers.

Many of the Americans hate us, but as Jesus [as] is recorded as saying in the bible, the people always hated the prophet who was sent to them. Jesus [as] was sent to the Israelites, and they rejected him and even tried to kill him, but he never renounced his status of being one of the Bani Israel.

I used to think of the hardcore Neo-con republicans as representative of the Americans, and they certainly don't want us here in America. Yet to hell with what they think of us; they only represent a minority of people. For every American like Bill Oreilly, there is an American like John Stewart.

We are not here only to warn them of their doom (if they remain obstinate in the path of wickedness), but rather we are here to spread "the good news" (if they become righteous). We are bearers of glad tidings, as mentioned in the Quran. Just like the Evangelicals think that they are spreading the good news, we Muslims are spreading the good news. The greatest of goods news is not the Gospel but rather the Quran.

Their own Bible speaks of men sent by God to warn their people to change their ways and to bestow good news to the people from their Lord. Today, this is a task that the Muslim Ummah has inherited.

I am not an immigrant. I was born and raised here. The founding fathers of America envisioned a country in which us so-called "Muhammadans" would be a part of. So no neo-con can deny that to us.

I am American. I am Muslim. And I am not going anywhere.