5:55

Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim As-Salamu Alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu If most of us fall into sin because of the circumstances we face in the West...then maybe most of us shouldn't be here... But it was the will of Allah that we were born in the West. At least personally, I do not have the means to leave this country for a Muslim country, not for at least 4-8 more years. And even then, if I were to move to a Muslim country, I don't have too many choices due to the strict immigration laws most of them have. Pakistan? Where I'd end up in a Westoxified circle due to my family/status? I don't know how that's even better. Living as an expat in UAE or something? Still a rather Westoxified environment. I could go through more examples, but the point is that hijrah seems out of the picture. So what can we do in the West, knowing that most of us will fall into sin? It seems that all we can do, like brother @Ali_Hussain said, is trust in Allah. Given the current social circumstances of the Western Muslim community, in which mut'ah is scorned by women and their fathers, while early marriage is impossible for most folks, I personally don't have much hope in finding a wife of my own effort. Almost literally, it seems like it would take a miracle... I don't mean that we should not actively search for a wife. However, the chances that one will come across a chaste woman who is at a similar age, and would marry someone who has had a mut'ah or commit istimna are insanely slim. (And no you probably cannot hide it if you have commit istimna, unless you lie, which is haram of course). Maybe look for older women? 30-somethings, divorcees, widows and such? Idk at my age I just have to be patient and work on fixing myself.

Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim As-Salamu Alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu Below is the ruling of Ayatollah Sistani; you can send istifta to other maraji if you like, but I am fairly certain all qualified ulama, Sunni and Shi'i, agree upon this matter. Question: Is it permissible for a holder of a law degree to become a judge in non-Muslim countries in which he acts according to their laws? Answer: It is not permissible to administer judgement for those who are not qualified, and [it is not permissible to judge] based on non-Islamic laws. https://www.sistani.org/english/book/46/2054/ I hope this answers your question. Wa salam

Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim As-Salamu Alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu Who else is religiously-inclined, but has been born into a less-than-religious family? Those of us who have been face a unique set of challenges which our brothers and sisters blessed with virtuous families do not. At the same time, our experiences differ from, but can certainly find inspiration in, those of reverts. InshaAllah we will all pass such Divine tests with patience and wisdom. Does anyone, at any stage of life, currently have a similar experience? Inshallah we can all benefit from knowing the experiences of brothers and sisters who were born in less-than-religious families. Wa salam