Changing the name of the religion for a worldly purpose
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Among the rulings on apostasy
Question: What is the ruling on one who apostatizes from Islam and then returns to it? Does he have to repeat the acts of worship he missed from the pillars of Islam, such as Hajj, fasting, and prayer, or is his repentance and return to Islam sufficient, and he starts anew?
Answer: The correct opinion among the scholars is that if an apostate repents to Allah and enters Islam again, repentant and turning back to Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He), he does not repeat the acts of worship he performed before the apostasy; because Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) made the condition for the nullification of deeds by apostasy that a person dies upon it.Allah the Exalted said: [al-Baqarah: 217], so the condition for the nullification of deeds is that a person continues in apostasy until he dies.
The verse indicates by its implication that if he repents before death, then his deeds that he performed before the apostasy are valid and sufficient, if Allah wills.
Changing the name of the religion for
a worldly purpose
Question: A young Muslim, holding a university degree in engineering, traveled to one of the Arab countries in search of work, but he did not succeed in that. Meanwhile, he found that non-Muslims are more accepted and preferred over other Muslims in his field of specialization. He concluded that his failure to get a job was due to his being a Muslim, so he decided to return to his country in an attempt to change the name of the religion in his passport. Indeed, he traveled to one of the African countries and obtained a passport from there with a religion other than Islam. Then he traveled again to one of the Arab countries and found acceptance and obtained a job. However, he is pained by changing the name of the religion in his passport, even though internally he believes in Islam and takes pride in it as his religion. Therefore, he asks about the ruling on his action, and the ruling on earning money in this way?
Answer: First, it is obligatory for the Muslim to hold fast to his religion and not to compromise it under any circumstances; because the religion is the capital, and it is upon it that salvation from the punishment of Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) depends, and it is for it that Allah created man.As Allah the Exalted said: [al-Dhariyat: 56].
It is obligatory for the Muslim to hold fast to his religion no matter what price it costs him. What you did, as mentioned in the question, where you went and changed the name of the religion to a religion other than Islam to get a job, this is a serious matter and is considered apostasy from the religion of Islam; because you did this and displayed a religion other than Islam, and claimed affiliation with a religion other than
Islam. It is not permissible for a Muslim to do that. He must hold fast to his religion, take pride in his religion, and not compromise it for any of the desires of this world. Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) did not make an exception for a person to utter any of the words of disbelief except in the case of compulsion that saves him.As in the saying of Allah the Exalted: [al-Nahl: 106, 107]. So you displayed a religion other than Islam and claimed affiliation with a religion other than Islam for the sake of this world and the desire for this world. You did not reach the level of compulsion that would excuse you. The obligatory thing for you is to repent to Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He), to hasten to change this affiliation, and to hasten to write the correct Islamic religion on your work paper, along with repentance to Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He), regret for what has passed, and the resolve not to return to such a thing. Perhaps Allah will accept our repentance and yours. Then, it is obligatory for the responsible Muslim authorities and Muslim governments not to put Muslims in such a difficult position, such that they prefer the people of the disbelieving religions over Muslims in employing them in jobs and appointing them to positions; because this may be a plot by the enemies of Muslims to divert people from their religion, and to divert the ignorant from their religion, as happened to this questioner. So it is obligatory for the Muslim authorities and Islamic governments to be aware of this, and not to put Muslims in such a situation as this person fell into. May Allah guide them all.
Question: What is the ruling on what he earned from salaries or money in this way?
Answer: This is forbidden earnings; because he took it by a forbidden method and trick. But he must repent to Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) and leave this thing.
Question: What is the ruling on one who apostatizes from Islam and then returns to it? Does he have to repeat the acts of worship he missed from the pillars of Islam, such as Hajj, fasting, and prayer, or is his repentance and return to Islam sufficient, and he starts anew?
Answer: The correct opinion among the scholars is that if an apostate repents to Allah and enters Islam again, repentant and turning back to Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He), he does not repeat the acts of worship he performed before the apostasy; because Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) made the condition for the nullification of deeds by apostasy that a person dies upon it.Allah the Exalted said:
And whoever of you reverts from his religion [to disbelief] and dies while he is a disbeliever - for those, their deeds have become worthless in this world and the Hereafter, and those are the companions of the Fire, they will abide therein eternally.
وَمَنْ يَرْتَدِدْ مِنْكُمْ عَنْ دِينِهِ فَيَمُتْ وَهُوَ كَافِرٌ فَأُولَئِكَ حَبِطَتْ أَعْمَالُهُمْ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ وَأُولَئِكَ أَصْحَابُ النَّارِ هُمْ فِيهَا خَالِدُونَThe verse indicates by its implication that if he repents before death, then his deeds that he performed before the apostasy are valid and sufficient, if Allah wills.
Changing the name of the religion for
a worldly purpose
Question: A young Muslim, holding a university degree in engineering, traveled to one of the Arab countries in search of work, but he did not succeed in that. Meanwhile, he found that non-Muslims are more accepted and preferred over other Muslims in his field of specialization. He concluded that his failure to get a job was due to his being a Muslim, so he decided to return to his country in an attempt to change the name of the religion in his passport. Indeed, he traveled to one of the African countries and obtained a passport from there with a religion other than Islam. Then he traveled again to one of the Arab countries and found acceptance and obtained a job. However, he is pained by changing the name of the religion in his passport, even though internally he believes in Islam and takes pride in it as his religion. Therefore, he asks about the ruling on his action, and the ruling on earning money in this way?
Answer: First, it is obligatory for the Muslim to hold fast to his religion and not to compromise it under any circumstances; because the religion is the capital, and it is upon it that salvation from the punishment of Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) depends, and it is for it that Allah created man.As Allah the Exalted said:
And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me.
وَمَا خَلَقْتُ الْجِنَّ وَالْإِنْسَ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُونِIt is obligatory for the Muslim to hold fast to his religion no matter what price it costs him. What you did, as mentioned in the question, where you went and changed the name of the religion to a religion other than Islam to get a job, this is a serious matter and is considered apostasy from the religion of Islam; because you did this and displayed a religion other than Islam, and claimed affiliation with a religion other than
Islam. It is not permissible for a Muslim to do that. He must hold fast to his religion, take pride in his religion, and not compromise it for any of the desires of this world. Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) did not make an exception for a person to utter any of the words of disbelief except in the case of compulsion that saves him.As in the saying of Allah the Exalted:
(106) Whoever disbelieves in Allah after his belief... except for one who is forced [to renounce his religion] while his heart is secure in faith. But those who [willingly] open their breasts to disbelief, upon them is wrath from Allah, and for them is a great punishment; (107) That is because they preferred the worldly life over the Hereafter and that Allah does not guide the disbelieving people.
مَنْ كَفَرَ بِاللَّهِ مِنْ بَعْدِ إِيمَانِهِ إِلَّا مَنْ أُكْرِهَ وَقَلْبُهُ مُطْمَئِنٌّ بِالْإِيمَانِ وَلَكِنْ مَنْ شَرَحَ بِالْكُفْرِ صَدْرًا فَعَلَيْهِمْ غَضَبٌ مِنَ اللَّهِ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ ذَلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمُ اسْتَحَبُّوا الْحَيَاةَ الدُّنْيَا عَلَى الْآخِرَةِQuestion: What is the ruling on what he earned from salaries or money in this way?
Answer: This is forbidden earnings; because he took it by a forbidden method and trick. But he must repent to Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) and leave this thing.