I Said That I Am an Atheist Without Meaning It. What Should I Do?
Answered by Shaykh Jamir Meah
Question: Assalamu alaykum
I am in a deep state of confusion, depression and uneasiness. A person said out of anger that he is an atheist but did not really mean it. Would it be sufficient if the person repents and recites the two testimonies of faith?
Answer: Wa’alaykum assalam. I pray you are well.
Dear brother, do not despair of Allah’s Mercy. Allah Most High is aware of our inner most intentions, and that we have moments of weakness that we make mistakes. We simply have to find out what is the right thing to do and then move on.
It would be sufficient for such a person to repent for any words said that may be problematic (by praying two cycles of prayer and making du’a), and reaffirm the Testification, on their own. They do not need to say reaffirm the Shahada in front of anyone else.
After this, there is nothing more to think about, other than strengthening one’s faith, practice and religious knowledge.
Please also refer to the following answers:
Misgivings Regarding Apostasy and How to Deal with Them
May Allah grant you the highest level of Iman.
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.
