Assalamu'alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu my question is that if someone says something like "I don't believe in Allah" then what are the consequences for that? That person falls out of the folds of Islam or no? What should they do to make up for saying such a statement?

Answer

Belief in Allah is a fundamental for the validity of one’s imān. To believe otherwise constitutes to kufr. If a Muslim is married and he says he does not believe in Allah, his nikāh will be invalidated. If he continues living with his ex-spouse, he will be sinful. If he has conjugal relations with her, that will be considered as zina (adultery). He has no value to his name. He will not be allowed to marry anyone, whether she is a Muslim, non-Muslim or anyone. If his wife becomes pregnant after that time, the child will not be attributed to him. Anything he slaughters will be deemed harām. Any game he hunts will be impermissible.[1] Those around him will disown him.[2] He will not be entitled to zakāt funds or sadaqah al-fitr no matter how desperate he maybe. If he dies, he will not be washed or shrouded, nor will he be deserving of the ritual wash (ghusl).[3] It will not be permissible to attend his funeral procession.[4] His estate will not be distributed amongst his family. He will be considered as an outcast. From the moment he dies, he will be entertained with eternal punishment. Finally, he will be hurled into the pit of hell to burn for time without end.

The only way to safeguard himself from the doom mentioned above is to enter the fort of Islam once again,[5] by renewing his imān and bringing firm faith in the recognition and oneness of Allah. If he is married, he should renew his nikāh. Make a firm resolve never to utter such a statement in the future. A believer ought to be ultra sensitive to his imān in Allah. He can afford losing everything but his imān. He lives with imān and dies with imān.

And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best

Checked and Approved by,

Mufti Ebrahim Desai.

www.daruliftaa.net