Answered by Shaykh Yusuf Badat
Question:
A few questions from me and my friend who have made some mistakes in the past but have moved on and are repenting. Here-below are the scenarios and the questions.
A scene is showed to a person where it says, “you’ll piss off the guy upstairs” referring to the upstairs neighbor and his misunderstands thereafter says, “I don’t think God will care.” and a voice from upstairs sounding ‘holy-like’ shouts at them. If a person laughs at that does this take them out of the fold of Islam?
A person calls another person a devil and as a joke they put their hands up as to “summon fire” like a devil. Would this constitute kufr (disbelief)?
If the above constitutes kufr (disbelief) would it be obligatory for me to redo my Ḥajj. I do not have the funds for another time and am very worried.
Answer:
بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيْم
In the name of Allāh, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
Jazāk Allāh Khayr/ Thank you for contacting Mathabah Institute.
Laughing at the statement, “I don’t think God will care.” although disrespectful, it will not constitute kufr (disbelief) as long as one has the correct belief in the heart about the Almighty.
Calling someone a devil and doing gestures with the hands to summon fire is offensive however will not constitute kufr (disbelief) as long as one remains steadfast on the truth of Islam and its creed.
Since the above statements do not constitute kufr (disbelief) there is no need to redo pilgrimage. That being said, one should refrain from all words and actions of disrespect, offence and doubt.
Imam Abū Ja’afar Al-Ṭaḥāwīy writes, “One does not exit faith except by rejecting that which enters them into it.” – (See: Al-Ta’līqāt Al-Aqīdah Al-Ṭaḥāwīyyah, Page 144, Dār Al-‘Āṣimah, Al-Qawāid Al-Fiqhīyyah, Page 25, Dār Al-Tirmidhī)
Sufyān bin ‘Abdullāh Thaqafī (may Allāh be pleased with him) narrates, “I said: ‘O Messenger of Allāh, tell me of something that I can adhere to.’ He replied, ‘Say, “Allāh is my Lord,” then adhere steadfastly to Islam.’ He said, ‘O Messenger of Allāh, what is the thing that you fear most for me?’ The Messenger of Allāh took hold of his own tongue, then said, ‘This.’” – (Ibn Mājah 3972)
The Prophet (peace and blessings upon him) said, “I bear testimony to the fact that there is no god but Allāh, and I am His Messenger. The person who would meet Allāh without entertaining any doubt about these [two fundamentals] would enter Paradise”. – (Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 27)
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Allāh has forgiven my followers the evil thoughts that occur in their minds, as long as such thoughts are not put into action or uttered.” – (Ṣaḥīḥ Bukhārī 5269)
Only Allāh knows best
ولا يخرج العبد من الإيمان إلا بجحود ما أدخله فيه – كتاب التعليقات المختصرة على متن العقيدة الطحاوية ص ١٤٤ دار العاصمة
لَا عِبْرَةَ لِلتَوَهُم – القواعد الفقهية ص٢٥ دارالترمذي
عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ مَاعِزٍ الْعَامِرِيِّ أَنَّ سُفْيَانَ بْنَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الثَّقَفِيَّ قَالَ قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ حَدِّثْنِي بِأَمْرٍ أَعْتَصِمُ بِهِ قَالَ قُلْ رَبِّيَ اللَّهُ ثُمَّ اسْتَقِمْ قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ مَا أَكْثَرُ مَا تَخَافُ عَلَىَّ فَأَخَذَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم بِلِسَانِ نَفْسِهِ ثُمَّ قَالَ هَذَا – رواه ابن ماجة ٣٩٧٢
فَقَالَ عِنْدَ ذَلِكَ أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ وَأَنِّي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ لاَ يَلْقَى اللَّهَ بِهِمَا عَبْدٌ غَيْرَ شَاكٍّ فِيهِمَا إِلاَّ دَخَلَ الْجَنَّةَ – رواه مسلم ٢٧
عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رضى الله عنه عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ تَجَاوَزَ عَنْ أُمَّتِي مَا حَدَّثَتْ بِهِ أَنْفُسَهَا مَا لَمْ تَعْمَلْ أَوْ تَتَكَلَّمْ – رواه البخاري ٥٢٦٩