Is a person who travels to study in Western countries considered to be like one striving in the cause of Allah? And does the supplication of an expatriate student have a special status? And is there any noble Hadith concerning expatriation and its supplication?
There is no evidence to prove that a person traveling for study is considered a mujahid (one who strives in the path of Allah), and this matter cannot be asserted except with a textual religious proof. If the study is in non-Muslim lands without the availability of Sharia-compliant controls, then it is not permissible, and thus cannot be considered jihad. However, if the controls are met, the person traveling for study may have a merit due to being a traveler, as the prayer of a traveler is answered. It is worth noting that traveling for study in the West is not permissible except with specific controls, and there are dangers a Muslim faces in Western countries. As for the hadith, "The death of a stranger is martyrdom," it is weak and not authentic.
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