Question:

If i do something kufr what do I do? Do I make istigfar and say the shadada again? And how to make tawbah? What to say? I don’t know what to do. Here are some of the situations I am facing.

I read that we should send salawat before and after dua and tawba. I was going to say sayyidul istighfar and I couldn’t decide to say or not and then I said it is a tawba too so it is okay to say send salawat but I don’t know if by making a decide on my own like this, is kufr or not. I can’t decide if this is waswasa or did I commit kufr by making the desicion by my own mind. Please help

I can’t decide whether to start with basmalah when I eat or drink something after brushing my teeth because toothpaste contains alcholol and I can’t be sure if the alcholol is gone after I finish the toothbrushing. I don’t want to kufr. What do I do?

Should I send salawat after shadada? I was saying Elhamdülillah and sending salawat after saying shadada. Is it bidah?

Answer:

As salaamu ‘alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu,

At the outset, our goal in life is to worship Allah ta’ala as much as possible in an effort to strengthen our iman. As we travel in our journey to strengthen our imaan, Shaytan employs his means to ward us off of that path. Of the many obstacles Shaytan uses against us, one of them is misgivings and whispers. Shaytan uses wasawis (misgivings) to weaken our reliance on Allah. In your case, it is misgivings from Shaytan which are causing such thoughts to emerge in your mind.

It is noteworthy that you have zeal to make constant remembrance of Allah in all of your affairs. Shaytan will do what he can to deter you from this habit.

Please keep a few points in mind:

• As we struggle to strengthen our iman, we are prone to slip and fall. But our reliance should remain on Allah ta’ala to overlook our shortcomings.
• Rest assured that none of the situations you mentioned amounts to kufr.
• Make a habit of constantly reviving your imaan by reciting shaahada and istighfaar regularly and dedicating a few minutes to shahaada and istighfaar on a daily basis.
• Make a habit of reciting Mu’awwidhatain (Surah al Falaq and Surah an Naas), as they are effective in thwarting misgivings.
• Always make dua to Allah to protect you from the misgivings of Shaytaan and to overlook your shortcomings.

May Allah ta’ala keep you firm on your virtuous deeds and keep you from abandoning them due to misgivings from Shaytan. We strongly urge you recite Surah al Falaq and Surah an Naas in the mornings and evenings. It is also advisable to stay in touch with someone reliable for spiritual guidance who can help you navigate through these phases of life. They can prescribe dhikr for you to recite regularly to ward away whispers of Shaytan and ultimately to get you closer to Allah.

And Allah taʻālā knows best,

Maulana Taha Abdulkareem
Sarnia, Ontario, Canada

Checked and Approved by:

Mufti Faisal bin Abdul Hamīd al-Mahmudi
Darul Iftaa Canada (fatwa.ca)