What is the ruling on migration for Muslims?

The Prophet  (ﷺ) said in an authentic narration:

“Hijrah will not end until repentance ends and repentance will not end until the sun rises in the west. Hijrah will not end until the end of this world “[1]

The sun rising in the west is one of the signs of the end of the world, and this indicates that migration remains an obligation till the end of this world. It could be a recommendation for some, and an obligation for some, depending on their circumstances. Migration does not necessarily mean moving to Makkah or Madinah, it is moving to any place where we are able to better practice our religion better. So, the hijrah remains an obligation upon Muslims depending on their circumstances.

Some people may think the obligation for hijrah ended with the migration to Madinah at the time of the Prophet (ﷺ), as he is reported to have said after the conquest of Makkah:

“There is no hijrah (meaning no hijrah obligatory) after the conquest of Mecca instead there remains jihad and intention and if you are called to arms, respond.”[2]

The hijrah mentioned in this hadith is the hijrah to Madinah which was obligatory on every Muslim who was able to, at the time when the Prophet  (ﷺ) was migrating from Makkah to Madinah. The obligation was so great that those who did not make the hijrah for no valid reason, Allah said that the consequence for them was punishment in hell. This obligation of migrating to Madinah ended with the conquest of Makkah by the Prophet (ﷺ). He had fled from Makkah to Madinah as Islam couldn’t be practiced in Makkah, and when Makkah was conquered and Islam could be practiced there, there was no more a need to make hijrah to Madinah. Therefore, this hadeeth should be understood in its proper context, and because there is a clear and strong hadeeth in which the Prophet (ﷺ) mentioned that hijrah will remain till the end of the world, this means that the obligation of hijrah still exists on those who cannot practice Islam in the place where they live and have the ability to migrate to another place where they can practice Islam better.

References:

[1] [Sunan Abi Dawud 2479 Graded Sahih by al-Albani]

[2] [Sahih al-Bukhari 2783]