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Thread: How can we verify if someone has reverted for real?
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EgyptPrincess

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Salaams,

Believing in Allah swt, the prophet Muhammed saaw and saying the Shahada makes a non believer a Muslim if it is genuine but how can we know if it's genuine? How do we know if the person who says it really means it and really believes it?
 
:wa:

We cannot fathom what is in their hearts so we simply judge by what is apparent. If they've stated the Shahadah then we believe them. It is not for us to doubt anyone's Imaan or restrict them from Allah's mercy.

Were you asking about a particular scenario?
 
Aisha said:
:wa:

We cannot fathom what is in their hearts so we simply judge by what is apparent. If they've stated the Shahadah then we believe them. It is not for us to doubt anyone's Imaan or restrict them from Allah's mercy.

Were you asking about a particular scenario?
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A possible situation yes. Someone I know I think is going to revert but I don't know whether to believe if their reversion is "real" as in they really believe in Islam, Allah swt and the prophet Muhammad saaw.
 
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EgyptPrincess said:
Salaams,

Believing in Allah swt, the prophet Muhammed saaw and saying the Shahada makes a non believer a Muslim if it is genuine but how can we know if it's genuine? How do we know if the person who says it really means it and really believes it?
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Only Allah knows what's in the hearts and we do not need to verify it. If one is telling the truth then you'll see him or her performing all of the obligatory deeds and that is sufficient evidence that the person is Muslim. If one is lying about his or her Islam then that person is a munafiq and according the Prophet saws1 the munafiqoon will be in the lowest depths of hellfire.
 
sister herb said:
We don´t need to know is others reverting or faith real. We only need to know that our own is.
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Asalamualykum,

Sometimes you do dear sister. For example when choosing a friend, when accepting a marriage partner, when choosing an islamic figure etc.

May Allah swt help us be wise Ameen.
 
'Abd-al Latif said:
Only Allah knows what's in the hearts and we do not need to verify it. If one is telling the truth then you'll see him or her performing all of the obligatory deeds and that is sufficient evidence that the person is Muslim. If one is lying about his or her Islam then that person is a munafiq and according the Prophet saws1 the munafiqoon will be in the lowest depths of hellfire.
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So if someone tells us they have taken the Shahada and reverted to Islam, we must accept it? Also what if they fail to pray all the time or do other aspects? I mean a Muslim is still a Muslim if they don't do all the necessary things right? So if someone told you they reverted to Islam but their worship was weak and lacklustre, would you still consider them a Muslim? I'm just asking as a hypothetical
 
EgyptPrincess said:
So if someone tells us they have taken the Shahada and reverted to Islam, we must accept it? Also what if they fail to pray all the time or do other aspects? I mean a Muslim is still a Muslim if they don't do all the necessary things right? So if someone told you they reverted to Islam but their worship was weak and lacklustre, would you still consider them a Muslim? I'm just asking as a hypothetical
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As part of one's Islam you have to pray five times a day and fulfill all of the necessary and obligatory deeds otherwise one's Islam is nullified. However, don't make takfeer on a person just because you don't see them doing any of the obligatory deeds. Their affairs are left to Allah but you must encourage that person to fulfill their duties.
 
Walaikumasalaam ,

In response to the question i suppose you can never be 100% certain.

You can only use your experience, wisdom and knowledge.

There have been reports where individuals have taken the role as an Imam in local villages for 10 years or so and then later the local villages discovered the imam was working undercover for the government. There have been many cases in the UK as well where Muslims have been jailed and imprisoned for openly declaring their love for jihaad to a 'revert' who was working undercover and then later used that evidence against them.

Only Allah swt knows.

May Allah swt help us make wise decisions Ameen.
 
Actually I have met only few Muslims whose really can fulfill every or at least most of the Islamic deeds. I count those whose iman is weak or whose fail in their practice again and again as Muslims because I know that we all people are incomplete and sinners. Should I start to suspect is their faith real or not? I think better than suspect them, is encourage and support them.

What comes for choosing a friend or a husband or a role model - well, we all may change, we may lost our faith sometimes and we all may have weak moments during our life. And we all may lie, also with matters of religion.

Meeting false imams, friends or husbands (or wives) is always possible but as it´s already said, we can´t never know to other person´s heart. We need to be careful but not too much. If we start to suspect everyone, it makes us nervous and pollute our life.
 
^ I read many years ago from somewhere (can´t remember the source) that it´s better to us if we do good deeds secretly. Allah knows our actions and we don´t need the admiration and honor from the people when they see our acts and think how good people we are.

By this we do not need to advertise our faith to others.
 
Simple answer.. all fakes.

Two years later thinking the imam said the exact opposite of what it says in the quran..

Two years later he's still the imam.

Took me two years to get the answer!!

Unfortunately the answer was already bluffed.

Ramadan mubarak.

Praying for a better tomorrow.

My obvious saying of the day has changed from..

Knowledge is not power, application of knowledge is power.

Too..

It's not what you do that counts, its who you do it for.

Judge and jury playing musical chairs at the moment.

...just waiting for the time when lust will kill you.
 
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Insignificant said:
Who are we to judge? Their faith, in spite of action, could be stronger than anyone else's... Allahu alem.

Isn't deen al-Islam about having faith in the unseen...?

Hypotheticals challenge the yaqeen in the deen. Have faith in what you know and leave those doubtful/suspicious things to Allah subhano wa Ta'ala
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If you knew the exact circumstances you may not be so so fast to make that conclusion. Take for example a non believer and a Muslim want to marry, obviously it's not allowed unless he converts, but is he converting simply to marry her and be with her or is it because he believes in Islam? Is it not our position to judge if their conversion is for the right / wrong reasons? The conversion is all that is required for them to be accepted and treated as a Muslim?
 
EgyptPrincess said:
If you knew the exact circumstances you may not be so so fast to make that conclusion. Take for example a non believer and a Muslim want to marry, obviously it's not allowed unless he converts, but is he converting simply to marry her and be with her or is it because he believes in Islam? Is it not our position to judge if their conversion is for the right / wrong reasons? The conversion is all that is required for them to be accepted and treated as a Muslim?
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Asalamualykum dear sister,

I haven’t researched the Islamic stance to your question but I think common sense prevails here.

If you have a doubt that this individuals has ‘converted/reverted’ in order for you to marry him then of course you mustn’t agree.

If someone is wanting to marry you and starts off lying from the onset then clearly that should be ringing alarm bells.

Islam has taught us many times to use our intellect and not to be naive especially when it comes to choosing marriage partners.

May Allah swt protect you from harm Ameen.
 
:salam:

Just to clarify, that if the person who we think has reverted is someone with whom marriage might be considered, then generally the way to see, is to have that person in touch with those who can teach them Islam, and can help them. Then usually, people leave them to settle into the deen, and wait and observe them for a period. Some might wait a year or two, some might wait six months or so, by which time they will know if that person behaves like a Muslim, lives like a Muslim, prays, fasts etc. Only when they are completely satisfied, that that person is serious about Islam, has made all efforts and taken steps to learn, and practices, then is any next step taken.

It is a very serious matter. There are instances of people having said the words of the shahaadah, and the other side thinks, good, they're Muslim, marriage takes place and actually, they only said it to get married, and end up with a "marriage" that is not Islamically valid and is a sin.

There was a comment above about hiding good deeds. I'm not sure this applies when it comes to the fard, such as daily prayers, Ramadan fasts etc. And Allah knows best.