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6 Guidelines on How to Fix Errors of Misguiding Others!

29 March, 2022
Q I was wondering if someone commits a sin where they may have influenced someone indirectly to commit shirk or beleive in a religion that is not islam, how can this person get out of this continous sin? If This person watched a video made by a person who was Christian, and the act of him watching the video contributed to the video's views, and the person knew that he may have been influencing people in a wrong way, but continued with the intention of just asking for forgiveness after afterwards, how can they fix this mistake. What if This person deeply regrets the sin, and wants to correct it. How can this person do it? What if the person does not know who they might have influenced, but they know people who may have been influenced? Can this person just get rid of this sin by sincerely asking allah swt for forgiveness? Or do they have to try to contact anyone who they may have influenced? If this person is a muslim, and believes in allah and him being the only god, will he be sent straight to the hell fire for comitting this even though he is a muslim? If the person has the intention of asking for forgiveness for influencing people to commit shirk or believe in not islm afterwards, and continues to watch the video, is his intention now to influence people to commit shirk and beleive in religions except islam? Is there any good deeds the person can do to completely expiate this sin? How should this person correct the sin that I have explained? Since shirk is the one unforgiveable sin after one dies, will he be sent to hell even though he himself is a believer but he may have influenced others to commit shirk? Is beleiving in Christianity a form of shirk? Is Being a Christian, or being part of a religion that is not Islam, a continous sin? If a person is not muslim, will they be getting a sin every second for believing in a wrong religion, since all religions except islam are wrong? Thank you, and please answer these questions for me. Salam

Answer

Dr. Mohsen Haredy
29 March, 2022

Short Answer:

  • In the case of the person who was the reason behind other people’s leaving Islam and following another religion, he should do his utmost to correct the situation.
  • For example, he can write a comment on the video he watched and explain to people the reasons why he recanted his previously-held views. There is a chance that some people who followed his earlier views will read the comment and correct their beliefs.
  • If that is not feasible, this person should repent and his repentance is enough. We should know that if a person repents sincerely to Allah for whatever sins he committed, Allah the Most Compassionate and the Most Merciful will forgive his sins and admits him to Paradise. 

………….

Salam dear questioner,

Thank you for your question.

Consequences of Inviting Others to Follow Error

Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said,

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“If anyone calls others to follow right guidance, his reward will be equivalent to those who follow him (in righteousness) without their reward being diminished in any respect, and if anyone invites others to follow error, the sin, will be equivalent to that of the people who follow him (in sinfulness) without their sins being diminished in any respect”. (Muslim)

Scholars maintain that the one who invites others to follow error must repent sincerely to Allah and ask for His Forgiveness. If he’s able to remove the impact of misguiding others, he must do that. If he cannot do that, he has to repent to Allah and his repentance will be accepted.

Open Invitation to Repent

Allah the Almighty, out of His Infinite Mercy, calls the believer to repent to him. Here are a few verses:

*{O you who have believed, repent to Allah with sincere repentance. Perhaps your Lord will remove from you your misdeeds and admit you into gardens beneath which rivers flow…}* (Quran 66:8)

*{Say, “O My servants who have transgressed against themselves [by sinning], do not despair of the mercy of Allah . Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, it is He who is the Forgiving, the Merciful.”}* (Quran 39:53)

Except for those who repent, believe and do righteous work. For them Allah will replace their evil deeds with good. And ever is Allah Forgiving and Merciful. (Quran 25:70)

Without opening the door of repentance, people will lose hope in Allah’s mercy and will continue committing sins until they die. 

Conditions of Repentance

In order for repentance to be accepted, one should:

  1. Repent sincerely for Allah alone;
  2. Feel remorse and guilt over committing the sin
  3. Give up the sin; and
  4. Have a strong resolve not to commit the sin again.

What About the Misguided People?

Now, in the case of the person who was the reason behind other people’s leaving Islam and following another religion, he should do his utmost to correct the situation. For example, he can write a comment on the video he watched and explain to people the reasons why he recanted his previously-held views. 

There is a chance that some people who followed his earlier views will read the comment and correct their beliefs. If that is not feasible, this person should repent and his repentance is enough. 

We should know that if a person repents sincerely to Allah for whatever sins he committed, Allah the Most Compassionate and the Most Merciful will forgive his sins and admits him to Paradise. 

This person must stop watching this video in order not to have the thought of misguiding others. 

Good Deeds Do Away with Misdeeds

As for the good deeds that this person can do, they are many. Allah made it clear in the Quran what good deeds do away with the misdeeds. 

*{And establish prayer at the two ends of the day and at the approach of the night. Indeed, good deeds do away with misdeeds. That is a reminder for those who remember.}* (Quran 11:114)

Prophet Muhammad said: 

“Fear Allah wherever you are, do good deeds after doing bad ones, the former will wipe out the latter, and behave decently towards people”. (At-Tirmidhi)

This person can do any of the following good deeds:

  1. Offering voluntary prayer;
  2. Offering voluntary fasting;
  3. Making a lot of dhikr and supplications;
  4. Helping the poor and the needy;
  5. Giving out in charity;
  6. Helping the Muslim community in his neighborhood.

Offering sincere repentance after inviting others to follow error will admit this person to Paradise even though those who were misguided by his actions continue their wrong doings. 

Never Lose Hope

Allah’s mercy and forgiveness is much greater than the sins of the whole creation. It is Allah alone who forgives sins. We read in the Quran:

*{And those who, when they commit an immorality or wrong themselves [by transgression], remember Allah and seek forgiveness for their sins – and who can forgive sins except Allah ? – and [who] do not persist in what they have done while they know.}* (Quran 3:135)

We should trust Allah and have hope in His Mercy. When we ask Allah for forgiveness, our hearts should be at peace and our souls should be at test. We should never lose hope or despair. 

Following a Religion Other Than Islam

For sure, Islam is the only accepted religion in the sight of Allah. Anyone who embraces another religion and dies, he will be dying in a state of disbelief and his destiny is left to Allah alone. We are not in a position to decide on the fate of people in the Hereafter. We read in the Quran: 

*{And whoever desires other than Islam as religion – never will it be accepted from him, and he, in the Hereafter, will be among the losers.}* (Quran 3:85)

We hope this answers your question.

And Allah knows best.

I hope this helps.

Salam and please keep in touch.

Please continue feeding your curiosity, and find more info in the following links:

How Do I Fix My Intention?
Will I Ever Be Forgiven?
He Killed 99 People and Was Still Forgiven!
About Dr. Mohsen Haredy
Dr. Mohsen Haredy holds a PhD in Hadith literature from Leiden University, the Netherlands. He is the former Executive Manager and Editor-in-Chief of E-Da`wah Committee in Kuwait, and a contributing writer and counselor of Reading Islam. He graduated from Al-Azhar University and earned his MA in Hadith literature from Leiden University.