Does the belief of a person leave if he commits fornication? The following is stated in a hadith: "A person is not a believer while he is committing fornication."
Dear Brother / Sister,
Hz. Abu Hurayra narrates: The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said,
"When a person commits fornication, belief departs from him and there is something like a canvas roof over his head; and when he quits that action, belief returns to him." [Abu Dawud, Sunnah 16, (4690); Tirmidhi, Iman 11, (2627).]
Tirmidhi has the following extra information:
"Abu Jafer al-Baqir Muhammed Ibn Ali said, He said, ‘like this’" and he interlocked his fingers; then, he separated his fingers and said, ‘When he repents, it returns.’ Then, he interlocked his fingers again."
In Hakim, an explanation from Abu Hurayra is included. The explanation is as follows:
"If a person commits fornication or drinks alcohol, Allah removes belief from him, just like a person taking off his sweater from his head."
The extra information in Tirmidhi brought about the following interpretation:
"Abu Ja'far separated belief from Islam and gave belief a special identity. Thus, a person remains in Islam even if he exits from belief. Ibn Hajar states that this interpretation is compatible with the statement of the majority of fiqh scholars: "What is meant by the belief in the hadith is perfect belief, not belief itself."
(Prof. Dr. İbrahim Canan, Kütüb-i Sitte)
Questions on Islam
- Will you write the hadith about the Prophet’s (pbuh) advice to the young person who wanted to commit fornication?
- Abu Ubayda bin Jarrah (r.a.)
- How should the phrase "Allah wondered and laughed" mentioned in the hadith be understood?
- Will you give information about mutashabih hadiths? (He will open His leg and show His thigh; artists; in a cloud...)
- Are some patients who undergo depression held responsible because of attempting to commit suicide?
- Abu Aqil (r.a.)
- Said bin Zayd (r.a.)
- Abu Hurayra (r.a.)
- Abu Qatada (r.a.)
- Abu Dujana (r.a.)

