1. Ask A Question About Islam And Muslims
  2. Ask A Question About Islam And Muslims

Ask A Question About Islam And Muslims

79 Questions

If a person commits shirk, thereby wiping out his good deeds, but then repents afterwards, is he forgiven and are his earlier good deeds reinstated?
Sayyed Mohammad Al-Musawi

The Hadeeth says : The repenting person who returns to Allah leaving the sinful acts, is like a person who had no sins. (التائب من الذنب كمن لا ذنب له). This means that if the person has really repented and returned to Allah, his previous sins will be removed as well as the effects of such sins. His original good deeds will be reinstated by the Grace of Allah.

Wassalam.
I stole some money and have since repented. I can’t return it as the company I stole from no longer exists. Does previous charity before I repented wipe away that debt?
Sayyed Mohammad Al-Musawi

You must do every thing you can to return the money to its owners either directly to them or to their inheritors if they are dead.

If you tried your best and could not reach to them, then it must be given to the Marja' of Taqleed who will distribute it to the poor as Majhool al-Maalik (unknown owner) on behalf of the real owners.

Wassalam.
If I haven't prayed or participated in religion that much, but I haven't done any major sins either, and I still believe in its tenets and do wish to change, how may I still transform my life for the better?
Zaid Alsalami

Bismihi ta'ala

As you know Islam encourages a positive and healthy spiritual and moral lifestyle, where one of the most important elements of life is building a relationship with our Creator, Almighty God. This can be done by offering a minimum of a few minutes a day and devoting it to praying to the Almighty. 

What God wants from us is not that much, and all the benefit will come back to us. 

Avoiding sin is one side of religion, and indeed an important side, but so is participation. A Muslim must try to practice as much of Islam as possible, furthering his or her spiritual progress. 

Change will occur when you put your mind to feeling God in your practical life. When you surround yourself with Allah ta'ala, you will automatically turn to following His commands. You will feel an inner strength, and this will make your go through the transform that you need. 

Living an Islamic lifestyle will give you the enlightenment that you need as a human being, and it will fulfill your purpose in this dunya.

I would encourage you to read books on Islamic Akhlaq, like certain books written by the late Shaheed Ayatullah Dastghayb.

Wassalam
How can someone repent from backbiting and slandering?
Sayyed Mohammad Al-Musawi

Backbiting is a major sit which mentioned in Quran as eating the flesh of your dead brother. (And do not backbite each other, does any one from you like eating the flesh of his  dead brother, then you will hate him).

Backbiting is (Mentioning any Momin with anything which he / she does not like to be mentioned). If it was a true, then it s backbiting, but it was untrue then iy will be allegation which more dangerous.

Repenting from backbiting is Must otherwise it will lead to hellfire.

As it is a sin concerning others, we must seek pardon from them and request them to sincerely forgive us. If this is not possible either if the person is no more alive or he is not contactable a all or it might be more harmful to inform him, then we need to pray for him and gift him good deeds which will make him in the Day of Judgment forgive us.

Wassalam