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Am i a true believer?

Answered as per Hanafi Fiqh by Askimam.org

Salam I apologize if this question is wrong but I really need some help. Previously, I’ve not been a good muslim and have been a “ramadan muslim” but since the last year, due to Allah’s guidance, I believe I’m on the right path and am trying to do things that I never imagined doing before to please Allah SWT. Now, as I’ve become closer to Allah and islam, praying 5 times a day and reading quran with translation, I’ve been getting these bad thoughts and I’m not sure if this is waswas or something else. Ill make one thing clear. I try to pray from my heart, I fast sincerely for Allah SWT, I do zikr, give charity and I even cry to Allah SWT for forgiveness and shed tears sometimes thanking him for what I’ve been given and for the guiding me on the right path. I believe in the day of judgement and everything that is in the Qur’an and Sunnah but sometimes, I get these thoughts. Like I’ve been thinking about aakhira and the grave and feeling terrified of the description of hellfire and feeling blessed with the description of paradise and meeting our lord in jannah. I would think about it maybe for 15 mins and then for 1 minute, i’d be like I do all of this and what if this isn’t the truth? and what if something else will judge me after I die. I feel extremely guilty of this and I’ve asked Allah for help a lot of times while doing Sajdah to remove these thoughts. And i can sometimes think of something that I maybe read a while back from a nonbeliever that maybe the Qur’an wasn’t given by Allah to Prophet SAW and maybe its not true but then I try to think about the miracles of the quran and how perfect Allah is and how perfect Islam is. Its just these thoughts that come for just few minutes after maybe hours of praising Alllah SWT. I feel really guilty and I dont know if I’m a true believer and I know Allah knows what is in my heart and maybe Allah sees me as a nonbeliever even though I repent to him and cry to him just because of these thoughts. And im sure you might say that it is waswas and is a sign of faith, but It is ramadan and as shaitan is chained, these thoughts should have stopped right? Could it be that I’m a hypocrite and will I be punished for this? Any help would be appreciated on this issue because these thoughts are making me feel so guilty.

Answer

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.

Dear Brother,

Even some Sahabah Radhyallahu Anhum experienced bad thoughts. Consider the following Hadith:

عن أبي هريرة، قال: جاء ناس من أصحاب النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم، فسألوه: إنا نجد في أنفسنا ما يتعاظم أحدنا أن يتكلم به، قال: «وقد وجدتموه؟» قالوا: نعم، قال: “ذاك صريح الإيمان”

Translation: It is narrated on the authority of Abu Hurairah Radhyallahu Anhu that some people from amongst the Companions of Nabi Sallallahu Alihi Wasallam came to him and said, “Verily we perceive in our minds that which every one of us considers it too grave to express”. He said: Do you really perceive it? They said: “Yes”. Upon this he remarked: “That is the faith manifest”. Sahih Muslim [209]

Your guilt towards such thoughts reaffirms your Iman. You are not a hypocrite. A hypocrite does not feel guilty for doing evil or having evil thoughts.

We advise that you frequent the Masjid and seek a spiritual guide and stay in good company.

You may also listen to the discourses on Qaseedah Burdah by my revered teacher Mufti Ebrahim Desai Sahib (Hafizahullah).

And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best

Tareque Ahmed

Student Darul Iftaa
New York, USA

Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.

_____________

صحيح مسلم (1/ 119)

209-حدثني زهير بن حرب، حدثنا جرير، عن سهيل، عن أبيه، عن أبي هريرة، قال: جاء ناس من أصحاب النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم، فسألوه: إنا نجد في أنفسنا ما يتعاظم أحدنا أن يتكلم به، قال: «وقد وجدتموه؟» قالوا: نعم، قال: “ذاك صريح الإيمان”

 

معالم السنن (4/ 147)

قال الشيخ: قوله ذاك صريح الإيمان، معناه أن صريح الإيمان هو الذي يمنعكم من قبول ما يلقيه الشيطان في أنفسكم والتصديق به حتى يصير ذلك وسوسة لا يتمكن في قلوبكم ولا تطمئن إليه أنفسكم وليس معناه أن الوسوسة نفسها صريح الإيمان وذلك أنها إنما تتولد من فعل الشيطان وتسويله فكيف يكون إيماناً صريحاً، وقد روي في حديث آخر أنهم لما شكوا إليه ذلك قال الحمد لله الذي رد كيده إلى الوسوسة

 

فيض الباري على صحيح البخاري (3/ 327)

1899-قوله: (وسُلْسِلَتِ الشَّياطِينُ) وعند الترمذي: «مَرَدَةُ الجن»، فلا يَلْزَمُ تسلسل الجميع. على أن وقوعَ المعاصي لا يَنْحَصِرُ على الشَّيَاطِينِ، فإن نفسَ المرء أكبرُ أعدائه. على أنه لا رَيْبَ في أن كثرةَ الطاعات، وقِلَّة المعاصي مُشَاهَدٌ في هذا الشهر المبارك. وكان عثمان يُعْطِي وظيفة شهرين في هذا الشهر. وراجع له «الطَّحَاوي»، فلا إشكال.

This answer was collected from Askimam.org, which is operated under the supervision of Mufti Ebrahim Desai from South Africa.

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