Fatwa ID: 07523

 

 

Answered by Maulana Sarfraz Mohammad

 

Question

 

Sheikh, I seek guidance regarding a person who has re-entered Islam.

 

He was born into a Muslim family and later secured a job as a software engineer at Microsoft. However, his colleagues were atheists, and through conversations with them, he also became an atheist and abandoned his Muslim identity. During his phase of atheism, he developed several software applications containing kufr and shirk words, which were published on the Google Play Store.

 

When he realised his mistake, he reverted to Islam by reciting the Kalima Shahadat. However, the software containing kufr and shirk words remained online. Instead of deleting them, he re-edited the software, removing all kufr and shirk words, and re-uploaded them to the Google Play Store. Despite his efforts, he sometimes feels depressed, fearing that he might have missed some kufr or shirk text during the re-editing process. He diligently searched every section of the software to erase these words.

 

He has reverted to Islam and tried his best to remove every kufr and shirk word from the software. However, as a human, he doubts that some kufr or shirk words might still be left in the software. He worries that his Shahada might not be accepted because of these missed kufr words.

 

 

My question is: Is his Shahada truly accepted if there are any kufr words left in the software?

 

 

 

 

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

 

Answer 

 

Alhamdulillah, the brother has taken a significant step by returning to Islam and reciting the Kalima Shahadat. In Islam, sincere repentance is highly valued, and when a person reverts to Islam after apostasy, their previous sins—including major ones like disbelief—are wiped clean by Allah’s mercy.

 

As long as a person sincerely believes in and recites the Shahada, they are considered Muslim, and their reversion is accepted. Doubts about missed words of kufr or shirk in the software will not invalidate his Shahada. Allah is aware of his intentions and his efforts to cleanse the content of his work.

 

Since the individual has made a genuine effort to remove all instances of shirk and kufr, he should rely on Allah’s mercy rather than focus on the possibility of missed errors. The principle in Islam is that a person is not accountable for what is beyond their capacity (Quran 2:286). If he did his best to rectify the content, he has fulfilled his duty, and any unintentional leftover is not something he would be held responsible for.

 

 

 

Only Allah knows best.

Answered by Maulana Sarfraz Mohammad

Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham

 

 

 

 

الدر المختار وحاشية ابن عابدين (رد المحتار) (4/ 224)

(قوله والطوع) أي الاختيار احترازا عن الإكراه ودخل فيه الهازل كما مر لأنه يعد مستخفا لتعمده التلفظ به، وإن لم يقصد معناه وفي البحر عن الجامع الأصغر: إذا أطلق الرجل كلمة الكفر عمدا، لكنه لم يعتقد الكفر قال بعض أصحابنا: لا يكفر لأن الكفر يتعلق بالضمير ولم يعقد الضمير على الكفر، وقال بعضهم: يكفر وهو الصحيح عندي لأنه استخف بدينه. اهـ. ثم قال في البحر والحاصل: أن من تكلم بكلمة للكفر هازلا أو لاعبا كفر عند الكل ولا اعتبار باعتقاده كما صرح به في الخانية ومن تكلم بها مخطئا أو مكرها لا يكفر عند الكل، ومن تكلم بها عامدا عالما كفر عند الكل ومن تكلم بها اختيارا جاهلا بأنها كفر ففيه اختلاف. اهـ.

 

 

عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِذَا أَسْلَمَ الْعَبْدُ فَحَسُنَ إِسْلَامُهُ كَتَبَ اللَّهُ لَهُ كُلَّ حَسَنَةٍ كَانَ أَزْلَفَهَا وَمُحِيَتْ عَنْهُ كُلُّ سَيِّئَةٍ كَانَ أَزْلَفَهَا ثُمَّ كَانَ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ الْقِصَاصُ الْحَسَنَةُ بِعَشْرَةِ أَمْثَالِهَا إِلَى سَبْعِ مِائَةِ ضِعْفٍ وَالسَّيِّئَةُ بِمِثْلِهَا إِلَّا أَنْ يَتَجَاوَزَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ عَنْهَا

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