Can I Return to Islam After Swearing Never to Return?

Answered by Shaykh Irshaad Sedick

Question

Before I left Islam, I swore I would never return and even said I would oppose Allah. Now I regret what I did, but I worry that my oaths might stop me from becoming Muslim again. Can I come back to Islam? How can I know if Allah has forgiven me? Is there a way to be sure of my faith? Will I stay an unbeliever and die like this? Is there still hope for me, or is it too late? I want to be Muslim again.

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate.

Yes, you can return to Islam, and you should do so today. Nothing you swore keeps you away from Allah. In our school, you are required to break such an oath. Say the testimony of faith (shahada) with sincerity, and you will be Muslim again. Your regret shows that you have already started your journey back, and I thank Allah for this.

May Allah give you faith and peace, and make the rest of your life better than what has passed.

Your Oath Does Not Bar Your Return

In the Shafiʿi school, if someone swears to leave an obligation or do something forbidden, they have sinned by making that oath and must break it, then expiate it. [Nawawi, Minhaj al-Talibin] Staying away from Islam and opposing Allah are among the most serious wrongs. So the oath you are worried about does not stop you; Allah’s law tells you to break it, and you do that by coming back.

Whether you owe an expiation (kaffara) depends on how you swore:

One. If you swore by Allah, or by one of His names or attributes (for example, “By Allah, I will never return”), the oath took effect, and you expiate it after your return. [Nawawi, Minhaj al-Talibin; Nawawi, Rawdat al-Talibin]

Two. If you swore without Allah’s name, or said something like “If I return, I am a disbeliever,” that is not an oath in our school, and no expiation is owed. [Nawawi, Minhaj al-Talibin]

To expiate the oath, you can feed ten poor people, giving each about half a kilogram of the local staple food, or you can clothe ten poor people. If you cannot do either, then fast for three days. [Ibid.] This should be done after you say the shahada, not before. Do not wait to return.

Islam Wipes Out What Came Before

The things you said against Allah were words of disbelief, but coming back to Islam erases them. When Amr ibn al-As (Allah be pleased with him) wanted to accept Islam, he asked, as a condition, that he be forgiven. The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) replied, “Did you not know that Islam wipes out what came before it?” [Muslim]

Allah Most High says, “Tell the disbelievers that if they desist, their past will be forgiven.” [Quran 8:38] And He says, “O My servants who have exceeded the limits against their souls! Do not lose hope in Allah’s mercy, for Allah certainly forgives all sins. He is indeed the All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” [Quran 39:53]

How You Can Know You Are Forgiven

You asked how you can be sure. Imam Nawawi (Allah have mercy on him) states that a disbeliever’s repentance from disbelief is accepted with certainty. [Nawawi, Sharh Sahih Muslim] Scholars have different views about repentance from other sins, but not about this. Allah has promised to accept it, and He never breaks His promise.

The same goes for being sure of your faith. Faith means believing in Allah and His Messenger in your heart and saying it with your tongue. If you do this, you are a believer. Any passing fear or doubt after that does not change your faith.

Your Ending Is in Allah’s Hands, and He Wants Your Return

No one knows when their life will end. But when you turn back to Allah, you are moving toward the ending you hope for. The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said that Allah is happier with the repentance of His servant than someone who finds their lost camel in the desert. [Muslim]

The only real danger now is to lose hope. Imam Qushayri (Allah have mercy on him) said that repentance is the first step for those who seek Allah. [Qushayri, al-Risala] You are starting a new journey, not ending one.

What to Do Today

One. Say, with sincerity: Ashhadu an la ilaha illa Allah, wa ashhadu anna Muhammadan rasul Allah (I testify that there is no god but Allah, and I testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah). You may say it alone, in any language. No witness or ceremony is required.

Two. Regret what you said, and resolve never to return to it.

Three. Take a ritual bath (ghusl), which is recommended for someone entering Islam [Nawawi, Minhaj al-Talibin], and start performing the five daily prayers.

Four. If you swore by Allah, follow the expiation steps mentioned earlier.

Five. In our school, the prayers you missed while you were away must be made up. [Ibid.] Do this gradually along with your current prayers, at a pace you can manage, and ask a teacher to help you plan.

Six. Look for a mosque or a teacher in Turkey, and try to find good people to support you. If you need help finding someone, please contact us again.

You asked whether everything is over. It is not. Your letter is a sign that Allah is calling you back.

And Allah knows best.

Irshaad Sedick

Related Answers

• How Do I Return to Islam After Leaving and Praying to Other Deities? — Sincere repentance and a heartfelt declaration of faith are enough to return, with no public ceremony and Allah’s mercy open to all.
• Is it Possible to Return to Islam After Leaving It? — Saying the shahada with lingering doubts is not hypocrisy; repentance wipes out the past, and study and good company strengthen belief.
• Does the Apostate Have to Make Up Prayers? — The Shafiʿi school requires making up prayers missed during apostasy, while the Hanafi and Maliki schools hold that returning removes the obligation.
• What Should I Do about Actions I Committed during Apostasy? — On returning to Islam, repentance is what is asked for one’s own past actions; a friend’s possessions remain the friend’s responsibility.

 

Shaykh Irshaad Sedick was raised in South Africa in a traditional Muslim family. He graduated from Dar al-Ulum al-Arabiyyah al-Islamiyyah in Strand, Western Cape, under the late world-renowned scholar Mawlana Taha Karaan (Allah have mercy on him), where he specialized in Shafiʿi fiqh and issuing legal verdicts (ifta). He holds an MA (Cum Laude) in Semitic Languages from the University of Johannesburg and teaches at SeekersGuidance.