Ruling on the one who intends to renounce Islam

9-1-2014 | IslamWeb

Question:

If someone said in himself I will give up Islam, does this make him a disbeliever? If it makes him a disbeliever, what does he have to do?

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Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His Slave and Messenger.

Whoever intends to give up Islam in the future, becomes a disbeliever immediately. Imaam Ar-Ramli, the Shaafi‘i scholar, said: “Or if he intends to give up Islam tomorrow, for instance, or he hesitates whether to give it up or not, he is a disbeliever.”

Al-Jamal said in his Haashiyah: “If someone intends to give up Islam, he becomes a disbeliever immediately. But if he intends to do something that will lead to disbelief, then he is not a disbeliever until he actually does that thing.”

Imaam Badr Ad-Deen Az-Zarkashi said: “If he intends to renounce Islam, he becomes a disbeliever by his intention. Hence, if he intends to give up Islam tomorrow, he becomes a disbeliever immediately.”

At-Taraabulsi Al-Hanafi said: “If someone intends to give up Islam even after 100 years, he becomes a disbeliever immediately.”

The person who did so has to renew his Islam and pronounce the two testimonies of faith again.

Here, we speak about the one who intends to give up Islam at the present time or in the future. However, if what happened to him was mere whispers of the devil, then all he has to do is seek refuge with Allaah from the whispers and insinuations of the devil and dispel such thoughts from his mind.

Allaah Knows best.