Am I Sinning if I Have Friends that Swear in Public?
Answered by Shaykh Abdullah Anik Misra
Question
Am I sinning publicly if I have friends that swear? Will I have mercy after death?
Answer
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful and Compassionate
These are misgivings that should be ignored because for a relatively minor wrong [swearing] that you are not even doing yourself, you are questioning whether you will have mercy after death. Your friends swearing in public is not your wrong.
Allah says, “And no soul, already burdened [with its own sins] will bear the burden [sins] of another [soul].” [Quran, 35:18]
Allah’s Vast Mercy
Allah the Most Merciful’s divine mercy is vast and covers even those who did the worst major sins. Allah says, “O My Servants who have committed excesses against their own souls! Do not despair of the mercy of Allah! Indeed, Allah forgives sins – all of them! He is the Most Forgiving, the Most Merciful.” [Quran, 39:53]
Address Your Worries
Doubting whether you are a candidate for this is a sign that you need to step away from worrying about sins and religious questions and engage more in other healthy spiritual and physical activities, especially offline. Professional help can also be very helpful to explore why these misgivings and thoughts are coming and address them.
A good rule of thumb is once you think of any sin or have doubt whether you did anything correctly, remember Allah’s vast mercy through the verse above, and realize that even if you feel that you don’t measure up to Allah’s mercy, remember that Allah’s mercy certainly more than measures up to cover your sins (and much much more). Doubting that is a greater wrong than anything else you might be worried about.
May Allah the Merciful bless you always.
Wassalam,
[Shaykh] Abdullah Anik Misra
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Abdul-Rahim Reasat
Shaykh Abdullah Misra was born in Toronto, Canada, in 1983. His family hails from India, and he was raised in the Hindu tradition. He embraced Islam in 2001 while at the University of Toronto, from where he completed a Bachelor of Business Administration. He then traveled overseas in 2005 to study the Arabic language and Islamic sciences in Tarim, Yemen, for some time, as well as Darul Uloom in Trinidad, West Indies. He spent 12 years in Amman, Jordan, where he focused on Islamic Law, Theology, Hadith Sciences, Prophetic Biography, and Islamic Spirituality while also working at the Qasid Arabic Institute as Director of Programs. He holds a BA in Islamic Studies (Alimiyya, Darul Uloom) and authorization in the six authentic books of Hadith and is currently pursuing specialized training in issuing Islamic legal verdicts (ifta’). He holds a certificate in Counselling and often works with new Muslims and those struggling with religious OCD. He is an instructor and researcher in Sacred Law and Theology with the SeekersGuidance The Global Islamic Seminary. Currently, He resides in the Greater Toronto Area with his wife and children. His personal interests include Indian history, comparative religion, English singing, and poetry.
