Hijrah Journal #10: Malaysia, Our New Home

It’s been a while since I posted an update for my Hijrah journal. Over the past few months, we travelled through Dubai, Doha, Jakarta, Lombok, and Bangkok before finally arriving in Kuala Lumpur, and getting a home in Shah Alam. The last few weeks were spent settling into our new home and adjusting to a new life in a new land.

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Hijrah Journey Summarized

Our road here was not straightforward at all. To recap our adventures quickly:

• 2018-2025 – stuck in South Africa due to paperwork issues. Finally resolved last paperwork issue in October 2025.
• November 2025 – packed up all our stuff, gave away the rest, left South Africa, arrived in Kuala Lumpur
• November 2025 – January 2026 – Exploring Kuala Lumpur, with a brief side quest to Lombok. Networking, learning about the different paths to residency visas.
• January 2026 – Left Malaysia for Doha to try out Doha as a potential Hijrah location.
• February 2026 – US declares war on Iran. In retaliation, Iran starts bombing neighbouring countries. We get stuck in Qatar due to the war.
• January-May 2026 – A planned 27-day trip to Doha gets extended to a 115 day stay, as we are stuck here due to the war. I end up using up almost all my savings to keep us going through this period.
• May 2026 – I find a path to residency visas in Malaysia and begin the paperwork in Doha. I send my eldest back to South Africa so he can focus on his exams. He was having difficulty studying with all the travel and the war. The rest of us manage to get flights to Jakarta.
• May-June 2026 – A beautiful month in Jakarta helps us to recover from our stay in Doha and return to a sense of normalcy. Our Malaysia visas are not ready yet and our Jakarta tourist visas are expiring soon. We just need a few more days, so we head on another side quest, 4 nights in Bangkok, Thailand while waiting for our visas.
• June-July 2026 – We re-enter Malaysia on residency passes on 2^nd Muharram 1448. A new year, a new start in a new land. Within a week, we have signed the paperwork and paid the deposit and first month’s rent on a beautiful home, and we move in. Now we settle and adjust to our new life in a new land after seven months of intensive travel. Alhamdulillah.

Why Malaysia?

Malaysia is my favourite country in the world. After traveling through 11 countries, and spending at least a month in 4 different countries, I believe that Malaysia is levels above anywhere else that I have been. No country is perfect, because this is dunya, not Paradise, but Malaysia is as good as it gets in dunya.

Malaysia is one of the few countries that is thriving as an Islamic modern country. The core elements of Islamic culture are present everywhere from manners to Masjids to Halal food. Yet the country is distinctly modern in its city planning, conveniences, and adaptation of technology. It is really the best of both worlds. The closest I have seen to this is Qatar. Qatar too has achieved a good amount of balance between both, but Malaysia is a much bigger country with a lot more to offer.

One of my favourite things about Malaysia is the culture. Malaysian culture is rooted in Islamic principles and good manners. Manners and character are very important here, and it is crucial to learn and understand the local culture before moving here. Children here tend to be very well mannered and happy compared to back where I can from. Manners are part of parenting, education, and the culture in general. Even non-Muslims here have excellent manners and character because it is such a core part of the local culture.

Malaysia has some of the best halal food I have ever had, and it is everywhere. When traveling to Malaysia, ensure that you choose the right neighbourhood to stay in. Some of the tourist areas and neighbourhoods with large non-Muslim populations are less Islamic, with a lot of indecently dressed women, pork, and alcohol in these areas. But it is easy to avoid such areas altogether. In fact, the existence of such areas is part of the beautiful tolerance to other faiths that makes Malaysia special. We specifically chose a home in a Muslim neighbourhood where 99% of stores are halal, and the 1 non-halal store as a huge NON-HALAL sign up front.

Halal food and praying on time are not difficult here at all. Every Mall, Airport, and neighbourhood has prayer areas. One time we were shopping at IKEA, and it was Asr time, and we found a Salah area in IKEA for the customers. Salah is taken very seriously among most Muslims here, which is refreshing to see. There is no excuse to miss a prayer in a land where Salah rooms are everywhere.

10 reasons to love Malaysia

To summarize, I love Malaysia for the following reasons:

1. Majority Muslim land and that majority takes Islam seriously
2. A beautiful Islamic culture with a core focus on manners and character
3. Halal food and praying on time is easy and available everywhere
4. Cost of living is decent. Every country has been hit by inflation lately, but Malaysia is still more affordable than the West while offering a higher quality life.
5. It is beautiful, safe, peaceful, and welcoming
6. A multicultural society where English is widely spoken, making it easier for Muslims from the West to visit and fit in.
7. The quality of housing is superior to South Africa at much better prices
8. It is a superior environment for raising children with its strong focus on manners and character
9. Israelis are not welcome here. Malaysia is a very pro-Palestine country, Alhamdulillah.
10. There are many paths to residency permits, including long-term stays through systems like MM2H.

Making peace with uncertainty

We have now settled in Shah Alam, Malaysia on a two-year residency permit. Allah knows best if we will stay longer than that. For now, I am grateful to have a chance to experience life in my favourite country. We will make the best of our two years here and not worry too much about what comes next. The biggest disadvantage of leaving your home country to live abroad is the uncertainty of living on a visa. This is especially true in Muslim lands, most of which do not have paths to citizenship.

Making peace with this uncertainty is crucial. Many who gave up did so because they could not handle the uncertainty of renewing visas any longer. I have decided to make peace with it. Wherever the adventure of life takes us, that is best for us. Allah is in control, and we will live where He wills, and He knows what is best for us. For now, that is Malaysia. I am grateful every single day for this opportunity to experience life in my beloved Malaysia.

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