Q: I know in Islam we do not confess sins but I want to ask a question. Im incarcerated, I took my shahada in 2003 and lived Deen for about 6 years. Then I fell back into the evil I was previously on prior to taking my shahada, homosexuality. Lately I’ve been reading Quran and praying. Im still incarcerated and have been for 23 years. I want to rejoin the community but some know me when I was doing these evil acts and others know me when I was living deen. I do not want to be a fitnah to the brothers but want to do the right thing. Do I retake my shahada, join the community, or just continue to say my prayers in private?
A: Continue praying whether it is in private or in the open, but keep away from people.
And Allah Ta’ala (الله تعالى) knows best.
Answered by:
Mufti Ebrahim Salejee (Isipingo Beach)