What Is the Final Abode of a Muslim Who Leaves Islam and Dies Upon That?
ولد إنسان مسلما ثم ترك الإسلام واعتنق دينا آخر حتى مات عليه، فما هي عاقبته؟
Whoever abandons Islam and dies as a believer of another creed will have died having beliefs that Allah the Almighty never accepts.
(Whoever seeks a way other than Islam, it will never be accepted from them, and in the Hereafter they will be among the losers.) [Al-Imran 3:85]
Note: The earlier published Arabic labelled this verse Al-Imran 3:185; it is verse 85 of Al Imran, so it was corrected.
Accordingly, this man has lost all his deeds.
(And whoever among you renounces their own faith and dies a disbeliever, their deeds will become void in this life and in the Hereafter. It is they who will be the residents of the Fire. They will be there forever.) [Al-Baqara 2:217]
من ترك دين الإسلام ومات على غيره فقد مات على دين لا يقبله الله منه.
(وَمَن يَبْتَغِ غَيْرَ الْإِسْلَامِ دِينًا فَلَن يُقْبَلَ مِنْهُ وَهُوَ فِي الْآخِرَةِ مِنَ الْخَاسِرِينَ) [آل عمران 3: 85]
ملاحظة: جاء رقم هذه الآية في النص العربي المنشور سابقا (آل عمران 3: 185)، وهي الآية 85 من سورة آل عمران، فصُحح.
وبناء عليه فشأن هذا الإنسان أنه قد خسر أعماله كلها.
(وَمَن يَرْتَدِدْ مِنكُمْ عَن دِينِهِ فَيَمُتْ وَهُوَ كَافِرٌ فَأُولَٰئِكَ حَبِطَتْ أَعْمَالُهُمْ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ ۖ وَأُولَٰئِكَ أَصْحَابُ النَّارِ ۖ هُمْ فِيهَا خَالِدُونَ) [البقرة 2: 217]
1. No Religion Other Than Islam Is Accepted | فلن يقبل منه
Allah says: Whoever seeks a way other than Islam, it will never be accepted from them, and in the Hereafter they will be among the losers (3:85). Ibn Kathir explains: whoever follows a way other than the one Allah has legislated, it will not be accepted from him, as the Prophet said in the authentic hadith: Whoever does a deed that is not in accordance with our matter, it will be rejected (Sahih Muslim 1718).
وَمَن يَبْتَغِ غَيْرَ الْإِسْلَامِ دِينًا فَلَن يُقْبَلَ مِنْهُ وَهُوَ فِي الْآخِرَةِ مِنَ الْخَاسِرِينَ (سورة آل عمران: 85)
قال تعالى: (ومن يبتغ غير الإسلام دينا فلن يقبل منه وهو في الآخرة من الخاسرين) (آل عمران 3: 85)، قال ابن كثير: أي: من سلك طريقا سوى ما شرعه الله فلن يقبل منه، كما قال النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم في الحديث الصحيح: "من عمل عملا ليس عليه أمرنا فهو رد" (صحيح مسلم 1718).
2. If You Associate Others, Your Deeds Are Void | لئن أشركت ليحبطن عملك
The voiding of deeds that the scholar describes is the same warning Allah gave His prophets: It has already been revealed to you, and to those prophets before you, that if you associate others with Allah, your deeds will certainly be void and you will truly be one of the losers (39:65). Ibn Kathir links it to His words about the prophets: Had they associated others with Him in worship, their good deeds would have been wasted (6:88). How faith and good deeds belong together is explained in whether faith is sufficient without good deeds.
وَلَقَدْ أُوحِيَ إِلَيْكَ وَإِلَى الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِكَ لَئِنْ أَشْرَكْتَ لَيَحْبَطَنَّ عَمَلُكَ وَلَتَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الْخَاسِرِينَ (سورة الزمر: 65)
قال تعالى: (ولقد أوحي إليك وإلى الذين من قبلك لئن أشركت ليحبطن عملك ولتكونن من الخاسرين) (الزمر 39: 65)، قال ابن كثير: وهذه كقوله: (ولو أشركوا لحبط عنهم ما كانوا يعملون) (الأنعام 6: 88).
3. Dying in Disbelief | ثم ماتوا وهم كفار
What decides the final abode is the state in which a person dies. Allah says: Surely those who disbelieve, hinder others from the Way of Allah, and then die as disbelievers; Allah will never forgive them (47:34). Ibn Kathir explains it by His words: Indeed, Allah does not forgive associating others with Him in worship, but forgives anything else of whoever He wills (4:48).
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا وَصَدُّوا عَن سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ ثُمَّ مَاتُوا وَهُمْ كُفَّارٌ فَلَن يَغْفِرَ اللَّهُ لَهُمْ (سورة محمد: 34)
قال تعالى: (إن الذين كفروا وصدوا عن سبيل الله ثم ماتوا وهم كفار فلن يغفر الله لهم) (محمد 47: 34)، قال ابن كثير: كقوله: (إن الله لا يغفر أن يشرك به ويغفر ما دون ذلك لمن يشاء) (النساء 4: 48).
4. The Door of Repentance Before Death | إلا الذين تابوا من بعد ذلك
Ibn Kathir reports from Ibn Abbas that a man of the Ansar accepted Islam, then left it and joined the idolaters; then he regretted it and sent word to his people to ask the Messenger of Allah whether he could repent, and Allah revealed: How will Allah guide a people who chose to disbelieve after they had believed (3:86) up to: As for those who repent afterwards and mend their ways, then surely Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful (3:89). It is in Sunan an-Nasa’i 4068 with a chain graded sahih, and Ibn Hibban and al-Hakim also reported it. Ibn Kathir adds that this is from His kindness and mercy to His creation: whoever turns to Him in repentance, He turns to him. The Prophet said: Allah accepts the repentance of a servant as long as his soul has not reached his throat (Jami’ at-Tirmidhi 3537, hasan). The conditions are explained in the conditions for Allah to accept someone’s repentance.
إِلَّا الَّذِينَ تَابُوا مِن بَعْدِ ذَٰلِكَ وَأَصْلَحُوا فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ (سورة آل عمران: 89)
قال ابن عباس رضي الله عنهما: كان رجل من الأنصار أسلم ثم ارتد ولحق بالشرك، ثم ندم، فأرسل إلى قومه: أن سلوا لي رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم هل لي من توبة؟ فنزلت: (كيف يهدي الله قوما كفروا بعد إيمانهم) إلى قوله: (إلا الذين تابوا من بعد ذلك وأصلحوا فإن الله غفور رحيم) (آل عمران 3: 86-89)، رواه النسائي (4068) بإسناد صحيح، ورواه ابن حبان والحاكم، وقال ابن كثير: وهذا من لطفه وبره ورأفته ورحمته وعائدته على خلقه: أنه من تاب إليه تاب عليه، وقال النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم: "إن الله يقبل توبة العبد ما لم يغرغر" (جامع الترمذي 3537، حسن).
Frequently Asked Questions | الأسئلة الشائعة
What happens to one who leaves Islam and dies upon another religion?
He has died upon a religion that Allah never accepts (3:85); his deeds become void in this life and the Hereafter, and he will be among the residents of the Fire, remaining there forever (2:217).
Is any religion other than Islam accepted by Allah?
No. Whoever seeks a way other than Islam, it will never be accepted from them (3:85).
Can someone who left Islam repent?
Yes. Ibn Abbas reported that 3:86-89 were revealed about a man who left Islam and regretted it, ending with: As for those who repent afterwards and mend their ways, Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.
Until when is repentance accepted?
The Prophet said: Allah accepts the repentance of a servant as long as his soul has not reached his throat (Jami at-Tirmidhi 3537, hasan).