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Du’as and Disbelief

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Answered by Shaykh Abdurragmaan Khan

Question: Assalam alaykum,

During wudu, time for prayer was running out and I kept getting whispers concerning if I’ve washed a part properly and such. I said “ oh Allah, don’t let shaytan win”. Now this was entailed to me obliviously. Is this kufr?

Answer: Wa alaykum al-Salam

Shukran for your question

The prayer you made in no way denotes disbelief. Shaytan is our enemy. Allah said this clearly in the Quran. Accordingly, he is determined to lead us astray and wishes for our destruction. Asking Allah not to let him win or overpower us is a good prayer. O Allah grant us victory of shaytan and his armies.

That being said, waswasah is something that should not be ignored. You have to address it and work towards its removal. Please read this answer and implement the advices.

May Allah guide and protect us all, Amin.

Wassalam
[Shaykh] Abdurragmaan Khan

Shaykh Abdurragmaan received ijazah ’ammah from various luminaries, including but not restricted to: Habib Umar ibn Hafiz—a personality who affected him greatly and who has changed his relationship with Allah, Maulana Yusuf Karaan—the former Mufti of Cape Town; Habib ‘Ali al-Mashhur—the current Mufti of Tarim; Habib ‘Umar al-Jaylani—the Shafi‘i Mufti of Makkah; Sayyid Ahmad bin Abi Bakr al-Hibshi; Habib Kadhim as-Saqqaf; Shaykh Mahmud Sa’id Mamduh; Maulana Abdul Hafiz al-Makki; Shaykh Ala ad-Din al-Afghani; Maulana Fazlur Rahman al-Azami and Shaykh Yahya al-Gawthani amongst others.

How to Repent from a Statement of Disbelief?

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Answered by Shaykh Farid Dingle

Question: Assalamu alaykum

I intentionally spoke kufr statements in my mind while believing in it and when I finished the sentences immediately I rejected it and denounced it. Am i still in the fold of islam?

Answer: Assalamu alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh,

If you said genuinely something that was disbelief while believing it, but then repented, rejected it, and said the testimony of faith again, then you are a believer and there is no reason to worry.

The reproachful soul

Allah Most High swears by the soul that wants to change, blames itself for its bad ways and works against its own bad grain to become something loved in Allah’s eyes. He says, ‘And I swear by the reproaching soul.’

This is exactly what the Early Muslims dealt with.

Muslim narrates from Abu Hurayra that some of the Prophet’s own students (Allah bless him and grant him peace, and be well-pleased with his companions and family) came to him complaining of the thoughts they would have. They said, ‘Indeed we find in our hearts thoughts that we find too gross to ever utter.’
‘Did you really find it?’
‘Yes,’ they replied.
‘That is pure faith!’

This hadith teaches us that finding our own deeds and thoughts revolting and rejecting them with our hearts is actually something very great in Allah’s eyes.

Don’t lose hope

The Devil loves to distract us from doing good works and improving on our faith by repeatedly reminding us of our bad deeds to the extent that he makes us lose hope in Allah. Allah Most High has said, ‘And do not lose hope of Allah’s Mercy. Certainly no one despairs of Allah’s Mercy, except the people who disbelieve.’ [12: 87]

Just thank Allah and move on with improving your faith.

Please also see this answer.

Upshot

Don’t get sad, and don’t get depressed. Just get going.

‘And march forth in the way to forgiveness from your Lord, and to a garden as wide as are the heavens and the earth, prepared for those who actively push aware evil.’ [3: 133]

I pray this helps.

Wassalam,
[Shaykh] Farid Dingle

Shaykh Farid Dingle grew up in a convert family in Herefordshire, UK. In 2007, he moved to Jordan to pursue traditional studies. Shaykh Farid continues to live in Amman, Jordan with his wife and kids. In addition to continuing his studies he teaches Arabic and several of the Islamic sciences.

Shaykh Farid began his journey in sacred knowledge with intensives in the UK and Jordan (2004) in Shafi’i fiqh and Arabic. After years of studying Arabic grammar, Shafi’i fiqh, hadith, legal methodology (usul al-fiqh) and tafsir, Sh. Farid began specializing in Arabic language and literature. Sh. Farid studied Pre-Islamic poetry, Umayyad, Abbasid, Fatimid, and Andalusian literature. He holds a BA in Arabic Language and Literature and continues exploring the language of the Islamic tradition.

In addition to his interest in the Arabic language Shaykh Farid actively researches matters related to jurisprudence (fiqh) which he studied with Shaykh Hamza Karamali, Shaykh Ahmad Hasanat, and continues with Shaykh Amjad Rasheed. 

Is Disrespecting a Copy of the Qur’an Disbelief?

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Answered by Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat

Question: Assalamu alaykum

I have seen that to disrespect the Mushaf (copy of the Qur’an) is Kufr (disbelief).

1. Does this mean that if a person commits a sin (e.g. watching T.V) or any sin in a room which has an Ayah or several Ayahs or Allah’s name framed on a wall he has committed Kufr?

2. Would it be regarded as Kufr to write Allah’s name in english on birthday cards?

Answer: Wa ‘alaykum as-salam wa rahmatullah wa barakatuh.

I pray you are well.

You can rest assured that none of the matters you have described entail kufr. Kufr is not like a sticker which is freely handed out to a child when he visits a dentist. The vast majority of Muslims never approach anything close to disbelief in their entire lives.

What is disbelief?

Disbelief occurs:

a. when someone rejects what Allah and His Messenger, Allah bless him and give him peace, gave us, calling it a lie.

b. When there is a heinous act displaying contempt of Allah, His Book, Messenger, or a symbol Islam. This, according to the great imam Abd al ʿAziz b. Abd al Salam, would be something like throwing a copy of the Qurʾan in with the rubbish, or spreading excrement on the Kaʿba (Usmani, Fath al Mulhim). This is the interpretation of what Ibn Junaym said.

Most Muslims I have seen hesitate to say the word ‘pig’, let alone do something which would take them out of Islam. Relax, thank Allah for your faith, and take the steps needed to strengthen it. That is better than obsessing over committing disbelief through writing Allah’s name on in English on a birthday card.

May Allah bless you with the best of both worlds.

Wassalam,
[Shaykh] Abdul-Rahim Reasat

Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat began his studies in Arabic Grammar and Morphology in 2005. After graduating with a degree in English and History he moved to Damascus in 2007 to study and sit at the feet of some of the most erudite scholars of our time.

Over the following eighteen months he studied a traditional curriculum, studying with scholars such as Shaykh Adnan Darwish, Shaykh Abdurrahman Arjan, Shaykh Hussain Darwish and Shaykh Muhammad Darwish.

In late 2008 he moved to Amman, Jordan, where he continued his studies for the next six years, in Fiqh, Usul al-Fiqh, Theology, Hadith Methodology and Commentary, Shama’il, and Logic with teachers such as Dr Ashraf Muneeb, Dr Salah Abu’l-Hajj, Dr Hamza al-Bakri, Shaykh Ahmad Hasanat, Dr Mansur Abu Zina amongst others. He was also given two licences of mastery in the science of Qur’anic recital by Shakh Samir Jabr and Shaykh Yahya Qandil.

His true passion, however, arose in the presence of Shaykh Ali Hani, considered by many to be one of the foremost tafsir scholars of our time who provided him with the keys to the vast knowledge of the Quran. With Shaykh Ali, he was able to study an extensive curriculum of Qur’anic Sciences, Tafsir, Arabic Grammar, and Rhetoric.

When he finally left Jordan for the UK in 2014, Shaykh Ali gave him his distinct blessing and still recommends students in the UK to seek out Shaykh Abdul-Rahim for Quranic studies. Since his return he has trained as a therapist and has helped a number of people overcome emotional and psychosomatic issues. He is a keen promoter of emotional and mental health.

Argument Leading to Disbelief?

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Answered by Shaykh Abdurragmaan Khan

Question: Assalam alaykum,

Our neighbor died as a christian. My grandmother really liked him for some reason and cried a lot because he died. I’m pretty sure that she knew that he was a non muslim, but nevertheless she said things like ‘may his place be Paradise’. I was arguing with her and then I told my grandmother that non muslims won’t enter paradise. Then I think She said that Allah knows this. I responded with ‘no’ but I didn’t intend to deny that Allah is All-Knowing. What’s the ruling on that? Is it disbelief?

Answer: Wa alaykum al-Salam

Thank you for your question

There are two aspects regarding your question that I would like to address:

1. Praying for non-Muslims

The ruling of praying for Non-Muslims differs from before and after death. Prior to his or her death, it is permissible to pray for them in terms of guidance or any worldly benefit. As for after death, it is not permitted for a Muslim to pray for a non-Muslim as far as forgiveness of shirk (ascribing partners unto Allah) or entry into paradise is concerned [Fatawa al-Nawawi]. It is however permissible for a Muslim to pray that Allah forgives a non-Muslim for sins, other than shirk [Hashiyah al-Shabramallisi].

2. Pronouncement of disbelief unintentionally

Someone who unintentionally makes a pronouncement of disbelief is not considered a disbeliever. RasuluLlah sallaLlahu alayhi wasallam said, “The liability of three things has been lifted from my ummah: forgetfulness, mistake and duress.”

Accordingly, you are not guilty of disbelief.
May Allah grant us steadfastness in all thats good, and protect us from all evil, Amin.

And Allah knows best.

Wassalam
[Shaykh] Abdurragmaan Khan

Shaykh Abdurragmaan received ijazah ’ammah from various luminaries, including but not restricted to: Habib Umar ibn Hafiz—a personality who affected him greatly and who has changed his relationship with Allah, Maulana Yusuf Karaan—the former Mufti of Cape Town; Habib ‘Ali al-Mashhur—the current Mufti of Tarim; Habib ‘Umar al-Jaylani—the Shafi‘i Mufti of Makkah; Sayyid Ahmad bin Abi Bakr al-Hibshi; Habib Kadhim as-Saqqaf; Shaykh Mahmud Sa’id Mamduh; Maulana Abdul Hafiz al-Makki; Shaykh Ala ad-Din al-Afghani; Maulana Fazlur Rahman al-Azami and Shaykh Yahya al-Gawthani amongst others.

Did I Commit Wrongful Takfir?

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Ustadh Farid Dingle is asked if calling saying or thinking that a Muslim is non-Muslim wrongfully puts one outside of the fold of Islam.

 

Question:

Assalam alaykum wa rahmat Allah wa barakatuh.

I once typed a message saying some Muslims I do not like were not true Muslims, whispering the words to myself as I typed them. but then I remembered that Muslim laypeople are not allowed to say that and deleted the message. Did I still commit the sin of wrongful takfir? Does that make me a non-Muslim as that one hadifh said?

 

Answer:

Wa alaykum assaalam wa rahmat Allah wa barakatuh.

The only way you leave Islam is by rejecting what made you a Muslim to begin with.

That said, we should all be very careful about what we say, because throwing words and labels around is not permissible.

I pray this helps.

Farid

 

Checked and approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani.

Universal Validity of Religions and the Issue of Takfir

You Kafir! – The Rising Trend Of Declaring Muslims As Disbelievers

Does Not Talking About Islam With a Non-Muslim Mean That I Am Pleased With Disbelief?

 

Sins of the Imagination

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Ustadh Salman Younas is asked about imaginings resulting from the words and ideas of others or to hadiths, and what these  might entail with regard to one’s faith.

 

Question:

 
Assalam alaykum wa rahamt Allah wa Barakatuh.

All I want to know is whether this way of imagining is sinful and the scale of sin for each case I described. And the case when it is a kind of normal reflex of the mind. When I think about something I hear on a Christian TV channel, like God needed to become a child in order to save mankind, I think within myself that this is extremely absurd because it would imply that God has passed through a female vagina and an image of an vagina that I may have seen in a biology book or somewhere else appears in my mind.

When I take ghusl I may remember that the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, did it the same and I may imagine a nude man. I may read hadiths that say that the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, was helped with water or stones by such and such a Sahabah during his personal needs in the toilet, and I may imagine a person half nude or full nude cleaning himself in the toilet.

I may read a hadith that says the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, was sick and I may imagine an old man with gray hair that is helped to stand up and drink medication on his bed.

I may think about death and a horrible image of the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, or sahabah in the shape of a scary human skeleton appears to my mind saying to me this what the most beloved person on earth has become. Or I read a hadith that the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, slept with his wife and an image of a man symbolizing the prophet appears kissing and having intercourse with a woman. And it comes to me naturally as part of the normal process of thinking.

Is this manner or way of thinking and imagining sinful and what is the scale of sins for each case I described? What if a feeling of sexual pleasure abruptly appeared? Am I obliged to block this feeling of pleasure immediately to not otherwise I nullify my Islam? Am I also obliged to block immediately all those images even if I don’t have bad intentions or bad feelings in relation to them?
 

Answer:

 
Wa alaykum assalam wa rahmat Allah wa barakatuh.

To clarify at the outset, none of what you have described entails a nullification of faith, or kufr. You should remove this possibility from your mind altogether.

Similarly, such thoughts and images that come to your mind suddenly are not in and of themselves sinful. In an authentic tradition, the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, said, “God has overlooked (i.e. forgiven) for my community that which crosses their minds so long as they do not act upon it.” (Bukhari, Muslim)

For images to come to one’s mind when reading or hearing about certain things is natural to human beings. Sometimes, what one imagines is appropriate and blameless, while on other instances it is inappropriate. In the latter case, we are not held to account for uncontrolled and sudden thoughts that occur in the mind, but we should dispel them once they occur.

Thus, if you read something about the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, such as his manner of taking a bath, and an image of a naked man comes to mind, this is not sinful but you should try and divert your thoughts away from imagining this. Especially when it comes to thoughts of a potential sinful nature, such as sexual thoughts, it is even more necessary to move on from these thoughts as soon as they occur by seeking God’s refuge.

With that said, you need to be careful not to obsess over this as it may put you in a state of perpetual anguish and cause severe misgivings. As I mention above, thoughts of this nature are simply part of our being human. You should not dwell too much on it.

Salman

Checked and approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani.

 

Types of Thought, Blasphemy, and Sin

Passing Thoughts and Sins of the Heart

Bringing to Mind Graphic Blasphemy

 

Apostasy and Good Deeds

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Ustadh Salman Younas unpacks the question of the deeds of an apostate who returns to Islam.

My question is on the deeds of the apostate. I know that apostasy invalidates good deeds but I want to know the opinion of the majority of scholars and maddhabs; whether they are returned to him when he repents and reverts back to Islam?

Also, when he or she does return back, is it necessary to repeat Hajj because I find it against the mercy of Allah Most High to wipe out all good deeds and keep his sins even if the apostate repents because apostasy is very easy to fall into so how can one word of kufr destroy all hard work even if one repents?

The first thing to point out is that apostasy is absolutely not a very easy state to enter into. While some people and texts may give such an erroneous and dangerous impression, scholars are quite clear that the conditions for deeming a person out of the fold are extremely stringent. When it comes to supposed acts or statements of kufr by a person, any excuse or interpretation that keeps him or her inside the fold of Islam is favored over those that do not.

As for the deeds of the apostate – someone who is shown to have decisively left the faith – there are two main positions on the issue:

  1. The deeds of the apostate who returns to Islam are not invalidated. Thus, he or she would not be required to repeat Hajj if they had already performed it before their apostasy and while Muslim.
  2. The deeds of the apostate who returns to Islam are invalidated. Thus, he or she would be required to repeat the Hajj even if they had already performed it before their apostasy while Muslim.

There is also a difference on the reward for previous acts. Some scholars stated that the rewards for the actions an apostate performed while Muslim are also nullified (and this was stated even by those who opined that such a person does not have to repeat acts the apostate did while Muslim, such as Hajj), while others stated that if he returns to Islam, he or she may continue to possess these rewards in some form. (al-Nawawi, Sharh Sahih Muslim; Ibn al-Arabi, Ahkam al-Qur’an; Ibn Abidin, Hashiya; al-Shafi‘i, Kitab al-Umm)

Salman

Checked and approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani.

I Think I’ve Committed Apostasy. How Do I Repent?

Priorities in the Age of Apostasy & Argumentation – Sh. Ibrahim Osi-Efa (11 video extract)

Misgivings Regarding Apostasy and How to Deal with Them

Is It Disbelief to Go to Secular Courts Instead of Islamic Courts?

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Answered by Shaykh Jamir Meah

Question: Assalamu alaykum

Does going to non-sharia courts in the presence of sharia courts take one out of the folds of Islam?

Answer: Assalam ‘alaykum, I hope you’re well insha’Allah.

Going to non-Islamic courts does not entail disbelief, even if Islamic courts are accessible. In fact, sometimes it is necessary to go through such courts in many countries these days.

Generally speaking however, if there are genuine and trustworthy Islamic courts, and one has the option, then one should go to an Islamic court. Please be aware, that the words or the concept of a ‘Shariah court’ is used quite loosely at present, so depending on the location, one should try to ascertain the legitimacy and background of the scholars who are on the judicial panel. In many Muslim countries, Islamic courts are an established part of the governmental legal system.

Please also note that not all rulings given in a secular court are compatible or binding according to the Shariah, such as inheritance, marriage and divorce cases etc., and in such instances, it would be advisable that you consult a reliable local scholar for advice.

Please also see related answers:

Disbelief Archives

Warmest salams,
[Shaykh] Jamir Meah

Shaykh Jamir Meah grew up in Hampstead, London. In 2007, he traveled to Tarim, Yemen, where he spent nine years studying the Islamic sciences on a one-to-one basis under the foremost scholars of the Ribaat, Tarim, with a main specialization and focus on Shafi’i fiqh. In early 2016, he moved to Amman, Jordan, where he continues advanced studies in a range of Islamic sciences, as well as teaching. Jamir is a qualified homeopath.

Is Praying in Front of Pictures of Animate Objects Disbelief?

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Answered by Shaykh Jamir Meah

Question: Assalamu Alaykum

I hope all are well. Please tell me if any of the following constitute disbelief (kufr).

1) Praying in front of pictures of animate beings or praying when one has a strong urge to relieve oneself.
2) Not going to hajj and not paying zakat however not denying their obligatory nature.
3) To commit Zina (I came across a Hadith which warranted that whoever does this belief departs from their body).
4) To have one or all of the qualities of a hypocrite mentioned in Ahadith.
5) At what point would disobeying the prophet become disbelief.
6) Is raising your voice above the prophet’s صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم disbelief and if so what actions fall into this?
7) If one utters a blasphemy whilst unaware are there consequences?

ANSWER: Wa’alaykum assalam. I pray you’re well.

Disbelief usually occurs due to saying something blasphemous, denying something that is necessarily known of the religion, or mocking the religion. While one should always be careful in speech, fretting too much or constantly about one’s whether one’s words amount to disbelief can lead to baseless misgivings (waswasa).

General advice:

– Be mindful in speech, no matter what the subject.

– Learn the religion, particularly fiqh (law) and aqidah (belief), as well as spirituality.

– Repeat the testification of faith much daily, ‘La ilaha ill Allah’

Specific Answers:

Q1 – 4: No, these do not constitute disbelief.

Q5: Disobeying the Prophet would only constitute disbelief if one outright denies a confirmed sunna, makes mockery or light of a sunna, or meaning to debase the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) or the sunna, or other similar things. Not fulfilling an obligation while believing it is obligatory is sinful but not disbelief, even if neglected out of laziness. While not fulfilling a sunna is not sinful, but one has lost a great reward.

Q6: No, this is not Kufr unless done with the intentions we have mentioned above.

Q7. If one utters words which could entail blasphemy without being aware or out of ignorance, then it is possible that there are consequences. This depends on what is said and how it is said and the context it is said in. For example, a mocking person is different to a person who is merely questioning a matter. While others should try to give the person the benefit of the doubt and must avoid making takfir of anyone, the person themselves, if they fear they may have said something that could entail disbelief, then they should say the testification of faith to themselves, repent, and be more careful with their speech.

Please also see these related answers:

Disbelief Archives

Warmest salams,

[Shaykh] Jamir Meah

Shaykh Jamir Meah grew up in Hampstead, London. In 2007, he traveled to Tarim, Yemen, where he spent nine years studying the Islamic sciences on a one-to-one basis under the foremost scholars of the Ribaat, Tarim, with a main specialization and focus on Shafi’i fiqh. In early 2016, he moved to Amman, Jordan, where he continues advanced studies in a range of Islamic sciences, as well as teaching. Jamir is a qualified homeopath.

Am I a Disbeliever by Believing in Evolution?

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Answered by Ustadh Salman Younas

Question: Assalam aleykum

Am I a disbeliever by believing in the evolution theory?

1. Does believing that human beings (homo sapiens) evolved from other species (other hominids) entail disbelief?

2. If one believes that we are not just the descendants of one couple (Adam and Eve, peace be upon them), but that through an evolutionary process it would have been multiple pairs/couples, would this constitute kufr?

Answer: assalamu alaykum

Yes, you are still considered a Muslim and a believer. However, the belief itself – as it currently stands – is considered contrary to orthodox Islamic doctrine.

As for your other questions:

1. As mentioned in the previous answer, this does not necessarily entail disbelief. It would depend on whether one’s understanding of evolution involves clearly disavowing (takdhib) an aspect of faith that one is required to believe in. Therefore, if someone’s belief in evolution leads him to deny the prophethood of Adam (blessings upon him) or that this process occurred causally independent of God, this would be considered disbelief.

2. The same considerations mentioned above would apply here as well.

You should note though that a particular belief not rendering an individual outside the fold – which is for the main part a judgment belonging to a judge or a group of qualified scholars – does not mean that the belief is acceptable.

[Ustadh] Salman Younas

Checked and approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Ustadh Salman Younas  graduated from Stony Brook University with a degree in Political Science and Religious Studies. After studying the Islamic sciences online and with local scholars in New York, Ustadh Salman moved to Amman where he spent five years studying Islamic law, legal methodology, belief, hadith methodology, logic, Arabic, and tafsir. He is currently a PhD candidate at the University of Oxford and continues his traditional studies with scholars in the United Kingdom.