Fatwa ID: 07590
Answered by: Alimah Saleha Bukhari Islam
Question:
I wanted to inquire about a situation. A Muslim brother records voice audio for various advertisements and sells them on different websites. One day, to sell audio to Hindus, he bought some Hindu books and read them in front of a microphone to record. Since the book he read was a Hindu book, it contained many words of shirk and kufr, which destroyed his faith. He knew that reading these would expel him from Islam, but due to his weak faith, he did not heed this. He did this knowingly. Later, when he realized that renewing his faith was necessary, he immediately recited the Kalima Shahadah to renew his faith. He also vowed never to engage in shirk or kufr again.
Now, the shirk and Kufr audio he recorded is uploaded on various websites for sale. These recorded shirk and kufr audios are being sold on those websites, and he is receiving money from those websites every time they are sold. My question is, he has renewed his faith, but he has not deleted the shirk and Kufr audio’s he recorded. Instead, they are uploaded on the websites and are being sold regularly, and he is receiving money from those websites for his audio sales. He has not engaged in any more shirk or kufr since he vowed not to, but his recorded shirk and kufr audio remains on the websites, and he is still receiving money from them. So, has his faith been accepted? If he earns money from the shirk and kufr work he left behind, will his Kalima Shahadat be accepted?
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
We commend you for your concern regarding your friend aiding others towards sin. Choosing how to earn a living is something many Muslims struggle with, especially when it’s related to religious practices and festivals connected to other faiths. Abdullah ibn Umar (ra) reported that the Prophet (ﷺ) said:
“Whoever imitates a people is one of them.” (Abu Dawud, 4031)
In other words, imitation or participation of practices or supporting practices is considered as acceptance of them. Therefore, majority of scholars deliberate it impermissible to imitate the practices of other faiths and their festivals based on this hadith as well as other supportive evidence in the Quran and Sunnah.
You mentioned that your friend read Hindu books and produced audio to be listened to on the website. If these books were Hindu scriptures, then it is forbidden to assist in spreading the knowledge of the Hindu faith. If the books were stories from the faith or culture, then there is still an element of assisting in the impermissible. The haram act, whether committed knowingly or unknowingly continues to reach others.
Allah ﷻ says: “Cooperate with one another in goodness and righteousness and do not cooperate in sin and transgression. And be mindful of Allah. Surely Allah is severe in punishment.” [Al-Mai’dah, 5:2]
Therefore, if possible, then he should discontinue the playing of the audio recordings on the web and withdraw his work. If he is unable to, then he should refrain from taking money generated from this source as it is from an impermissible means. It would be advisable to give the money to charity and not to benefit from it.
Regarding committing a sin, then every human being makes mistakes intentionally or unintentionally, but Allah ﷻ invites the person who commits minor or major sins to make sincere repentance:
{O believers! Turn to Allah in sincere repentance. It may well be that your Rabb will remove from you your sins} [ At-Tahrim, v8]
It was narrated from Abu Hurairah (ra) that the Prophet (ﷺ) said:
“If you were to commit sins until your sins reach the heaven, then you were to repent, your repentance would be accepted.” [ Ibn Majah, 4389]
If your friend’s renewal of faith and repentance are sincere then Allah ﷻ is the All-Merciful & All-Forgiving, in sha Allah, your friend should be hopeful of forgiveness.
It is worth noting the conditions of tawbah:
- One must refrain from committing the sin.
- One must express remorse over committing it.
- One must make a firm resolution never to return to that sin.
Thus, if the person makes sincere repentance, his repentance will be accepted.
Provision (Rizq) has been determined by Allah and will not be reduced by remaining on the straight path and treading with caution. Allah ﷻ says in the Quran:
“If they had believed and been righteous, we would open upon them the blessings of the sky and the earth.” (Surah Al-A’raf 7:96)
Blessings and barakah are granted by Allah ﷻ, and all difficulties are but a trial to test who’s best in Iman.
Only Allah knows best.
Written by Alimah Saleha Bukhari Islam
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham
عن عبد الله بن عمر رضي الله عنهما عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: «من تَشبَّه بقوم، فهو منهم»
وَتَعَاوَنُوا۟ عَلَى ٱلْبِرِّ وَٱلتَّقْوَىٰ ۖ وَلَا تَعَاوَنُوا۟ عَلَى ٱلْإِثْمِ وَٱلْعُدْوَٰنِ ۚ وَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ ۖ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ شَدِيدُ ٱلْعِقَابِ ٢
يَاأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا تُوبُوا إِلَى اللَّهِ تَوْبَةً نَصُوحًا عَسَى رَبُّكُمْ أَنْ يُكَفِّرَ عَنْكُمْ سَيِّئَاتِكُمْ
حَدَّثَنَا يَعْقُوبُ بْنُ حُمَيْدِ بْنِ كَاسِبٍ الْمَدَنِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا جَعْفَرُ بْنُ بُرْقَانَ، عَنْ يَزِيدَ بْنِ الأَصَمِّ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ “ لَوْ أَخْطَأْتُمْ حَتَّى تَبْلُغَ خَطَايَاكُمُ السَّمَاءَ ثُمَّ تُبْتُمْ لَتَابَ عَلَيْكُمْ ” . قَالَ :
وَلَوْ أَنَّ أَهْلَ الْقُرَىٰ آمَنُوا وَاتَّقَوْا لَفَتَحْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ بَرَكَاتٍ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ وَالْأَرْضِ
