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What is the ruling on working in a profession that requires frequent travel to dangerous and unsafe areas, and is one who dies in such circumstances considered a martyr?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

Preserving life is one of the objectives of Sharia and one of the five necessities, as Allah Almighty says: "And do not throw [yourselves] with your [own] hands into destruction." If it is highly probable that travel is unsafe, then one should not embark on it, because the expected harms are greater than the hoped-for benefits, and Sharia prioritizes warding off harm over achieving benefits. Preserving life is one of the necessities, and necessities take precedence over needs and embellishments. What further confirms the prohibition is the fear of the mother; scholars have stipulated that a journey of obedience is not permissible if the route is dangerous and the parents dislike their child's departure. As for debts, they are not a reason to leave; rather, they may be a reason to prohibit it, because the debtor's destruction entails the loss of the creditor's right. Some scholars have stipulated that the creditor may demand a guarantor from the debtor in dangerous travel. Therefore, a Muslim should strive to seek provision in his own country or in other safe countries.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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