Do Unlawful Relationships Deprive One of Faith?
Answered by Shaykh Jamir Meah
Question: Assalamu alaykum
I have read that a muslim gets deprived of his faith when he is involved in fornication. Can I get deprived my faith if I kiss and touch a girl?
Answer:Wa’alaykum assalam. Thank you for your question.
Major and minor sins, including zina, do not deprive one of faith. Disobedience to God can however decrease one’s faith, in the same way obedience to God can increase one’s faith [Jawharat al Tawhid].
Works and Faith
Faith is not only linked to belief but also acts and states. This is evident from the words of the Prophet ﷺ, ‘Faith has seventy-odd branches, the most virtuous of which is La ilaha illallah (there is none worthy of worship except Allah) and the least of which is removing something harmful from the road. And modesty (Al-Haya’) is a branch of faith.’ [Muslim]
Persistence in sin leads to the ruining of the soul. A brand new, unstained shirt, is not the same as a stained shirt that has to be washed, and a repeatedly soiled and used shirt, even if washed multiple times, is not the same as a shirt that is new, or washed once. Such is our heart and soul, the less we soil it, the more innocent and pure it remains, and the same applies to our faith. The more we increase in obedience, the stronger and purer our faith becomes.
The Power of Repentance
Through God’s infinite Mercy, the door of repentance is always open, and the chance to make amends and start afresh is always there. Each time we make sincere repentance, the sin is washed away and we start anew, albeit with a lesson learnt, insha’Allah.
Genuine repentance means that one:
1. Is truly repentant for their wrong doing
2. That they pray two cycles of prayer followed by sincere supplication
3. That they desist from the sin (meaning stop all contact with the other person in this case)
4. That they resolve not to return to the sin
I urge you to make tawba, and then work on increasing your faith through good works, fulfilling your obligations, and learning about the religion.
May Allah increase you and us in faith until it is complete.
Warmest salams,
[Shaykh] Jamir Meah
Shaykh Jamir Meah grew up in Hampstead, London. In 2007, he traveled to Tarim, Yemen, where he spent nine years studying the Islamic sciences on a one-to-one basis under the foremost scholars of the Ribaat, Tarim, with a main specialization and focus on Shafi’i fiqh. In early 2016, he moved to Amman, Jordan, where he continues advanced studies in a range of Islamic sciences, as well as teaching. Jamir is a qualified homeopath.
