Is it the fornicator from whom the perfection of faith is negated, or from whom it is lifted?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : May Allah reward you. We mentioned at the beginning of the previous discussion that if one commits fornication or theft, faith is negated from him. Then, at the end, we said that the negation here is a negation of perfection. What is the difference between the two expressions?
The Shaykh : It is this: if he had the perfection of faith, he would not commit fornication. But when he commits fornication, you find his heart empty of faith, or of the perfection of faith.
The questioner : He said, "O Shaykh: it is lifted and then returns to him, as mentioned in the hadith that it is lifted like a cloud."
The Shaykh : It is lifted, either entirely or partially, depending on the person's state. People differ, even in their commission of these sins, at the time they commit them. In that moment, a person may have no concern for a Lord who commands or a Messenger to follow, in which case faith is negated from him. Or, in that moment, he may have some fear of Allah (Mighty and Majestic), but his desire and his self overcame him, so he committed the act.
The Shaykh : It is this: if he had the perfection of faith, he would not commit fornication. But when he commits fornication, you find his heart empty of faith, or of the perfection of faith.
The questioner : He said, "O Shaykh: it is lifted and then returns to him, as mentioned in the hadith that it is lifted like a cloud."
The Shaykh : It is lifted, either entirely or partially, depending on the person's state. People differ, even in their commission of these sins, at the time they commit them. In that moment, a person may have no concern for a Lord who commands or a Messenger to follow, in which case faith is negated from him. Or, in that moment, he may have some fear of Allah (Mighty and Majestic), but his desire and his self overcame him, so he committed the act.