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Fatwa CenterWants to study medicine in the USA against the will of her father
Question
Assalamu alaikum My mom migrated to Morocco when I was young and my father stayed in the USA.Now, I just graduated from high school and I want to return to the USA to study medicine because the medical school here in Morocco is very bad.Unfortunatly,my father doesn't want to let me return to the USA even though he lives there.My father is a non-practicing muslim and I believe he doesn't want me to move there with him because he will have to stop his Haram actions and look after me (he is not used to having anybody to look after being that my mom raised us in morocco).When I tell him I can stay with my aunt for example he still refuses.My mom on the other hand doesn't mind my returning to the USA for my studies.In the future,I want to be able to live in Morocco successfully and without any financial problems and I believe that in order to do that I need to study medicine in the states.I also fear that if I study in Morocco I will have many problems in the future that will push me to move to America permanently which I do not want to ever have to do.Everyone keeps telling me my father is only thinking of himself because he isn't living a muslim life.Moreover,I do not have family in any educationally developped muslim countries.So I would like to know if it is halal for me to return to america for college?If not then what should I do? Jazakoum Allah Khayran.
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad 
is His slave and Messenger.
We have already clarified and still repeat that residing in a non-Muslim country has many disadvantages, it is for this reason that it is not permissible to travel there except for a necessity or a dire need whether this is for the purpose of study or else; for more benefit, please refer to Fataawa 86405 and 90561.
This is even more confirmed in regard to a woman especially if she will travel without a Mahram and her father objects her doing so.
Therefore, if the above circumstances apply to you, then it is not permissible for you to travel there. It might be that if you fear Allaah, Allaah will make a way out to your difficulties and facilitate your affairs.
Hence, we advise you to seek to study medicine in your country, and if medicine is not made easy for you there, then you should study other specialties that suit a woman. The benefit of preserving your religion comes in priority over all other benefits.
However, if there is a real need for you to study medicine in that country, and you are accompanied by a Mahram during your travel, and you are safe about your religion by residing there, and your father does not have a religious sound reason for refusing, then it becomes permissible for you to travel. However, if this travel may cause you some problems with your father, then you should not travel.
Allaah Knows best.
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