Wednesday, June 15, 2005

Doubts about apostacy

Someone asked: I get this thought that I have committed kufr. I don't remember ever comitting kufr but I keep telling myself what if i have commited it and I don't remember. But I always remember myself as muslim. This thought is distracting me from prayers as I always tell myself in case I have committed kufr I should go to the imam and reconvert to islam and until then none of my deeds are accepted. Is this Shaytan?

Answer: You must learn what is kufr so that you can protect yourself from it. One cannot clear oneself of kufr that is obvious unless one knows admits it is so. Once you have learned you may clear yourself of any kufr you might have committed, but don't remember, by uttering the shahaadatayn as a precaution. I.e. you say the shahaadatayn to yourself loud enough to hear yourself, while intending that IF any kufr happened from you, and IF you haven't cleared yourself of it, then you clear yourself of it and enter Islam now.

There is no need for any witness to enter Islam or clear oneself of apostacy.

That being said, you must make sure not to doubt your own faith. You should be firm in your belief that you are a Muslim. You stay firm in this, even if questions come to your mind. A belief is something you hold on to.

Click here to find an article called "Avoiding Kufr" under the heading "Summaries for New Muslims".

... and Allah knows best