How can a person lose his Imaan?

In the name of Allah, the most Beneficent, the most Merciful. 

Answer

The dictionary meaning of Imaan is to verify (Tasdeeq). This means to accept as true the words of a speaker, to believe therein, to accept as true the words of a speaker, to believe therein, to accept it and to acknowledge it.

According to the Shariah, Imaan means to believe as true and to fully accept all the requisites of the Shariah. The basis of Imaan is the acceptance by the heart and the confession by the tongue. Therefore, if the acceptance by the heart and the confession of the tongue are combined, then Imaan is acceptable. Otherwise, mere profession by the tongue and no acceptance by the heart are merely a deception and a lie.

According to the Shariah, Kufr is the opposite of Imaan, from those things upon which it is imperative to bring Imaan upon to have doubt or not to accept any one of them is termed as kufr.

Kufr is to refute any commandments of Allah SWA, which is absolute and definite, or to have doubt or reservations about it, which has reached us through the medium of the Prophet of Allah Sallallahu Alahi Wasalam.

The condition of absolute and definite has been added, since the laws of Deen have reached us via two ways: one by way of Tawatur and another by way of Khabr Ahaad. Tawatur are those narrations that have reached us via the Prophet of Allah Sallallahu Alahi Wasalam, through a continuous and unbroken chain of narrators. From the time of the Prophet of Allah Sallallahu Alahi Wasalam until the present in every era, some reliable Muslims reported these narrations. Such things are absolute and definite and it is kufr, to reject and refute the validity of salah, zakaat etc. To jeer and degrade the Shariah is also kufr because these things are from the Quran and Ahadith Mutawatir.

All types of Kufr are based on five things:

1. Atheism. To attribute the entire universe and everything in it to matter and its movements. To regard the entire universe and all its workings as being self-existent and there is no creator and facilitator.
2. Taleel. Some philosophers accept the existence of Allah (SWA), but they say that Allah (SWA) is self-existent and is the reason (catalyst) for the universe.
3. Tashbeeh. There are those who accept for Allah (SWA) the same qualities and limbs that are prevalent in man.
4. Tashreek Fiz zaat. To ascribe some partner to Allah (SWA)’s ever existent and eternal being.
5. Thashreek Fit Tadbeer- is to accept some other being as partners to Allah (SWA) in his governing and planning of the universe.

(Aqaaidul Islam p.169 –p.170 & p.182 – p.183)

Only Allah Knows Best

Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham