Am I responsible for the one I helped lead to Islam?
Assalamualaikum dear brothers and sisters. May Allah have mercy on you all.
I have a question which is going in my mind now. What I want to ask is when there is someone helping a person to convert to Islam, does that someone have the responsibility about the person? What I mean here is does that someone have the responsibility to guide that person to learn about Islam?
And will that someone be said to sin if the person converting to Islam doesn't practice Islam fully? I mean, if s/he again did any wrong thing after converting to Islam.
I had helped a friend of mine to convert to Islam. She is my junior and we are now in the same University. She converted about 3 months ago. She told me about her past, she did many wrong things, she used to drink alcohol, go to night club and one thing which surprised me a lot is that she had committed zina.
However, I didn't give enough time for her as I was busy with myself and I also had problems at that period of time. I'm also now in my last year of study so I go to campus quite rarely and it makes us difficult to meet. Hence, I couldn't focus on her and now I realize this.
Now, I seriously want to help her learning more about Islam In Shaa Allah with little knowledge I have. I tried to contact her constantly but there was no response. However, I will In Shaa Allah not give up, I will keep contacting her.
In conclusion, I was not there for her for 3 months, so was I sinning to do so? However, I'm really aware of helping her now and I will do my best In Shaa Allah. And as she also had done wrong things in her past, should I tell her to make Taubat first for the sins she did in the past or has it been forgiven by Allah as she did it when she was not a Muslim and she didn't know it?
Jasakallah Khoiron Katsiran,
-Sofia
3 Responses »
Leave a Response
Entries(RSS)
Salamu'alaikum,
Sister, you did your work by calling the friend to Islam. Thank Allah that He led a person to Guidance through you.
calling is what you can do, Guidance is given by Allah.
When a person accepts Islam, s/he becomes equal to the other Muslims in following Islam or practicing it. If you can teach the person about Islam, it is great, because you'd get the reward for teaching, and if s/he practices it, then you'd get the reward equal to the one practicing it, without any decrease, insha Allah.
But if that person sins, then you are not responsible for the sins. But if you come to know that s/he has sinned, you have to advise her/him that it is a sin and should be abstained from.
And insha Allah, the sins your friend commited before Islam have no relevance, because Allah forgives all sins of those who revert to Islam from Kufr and Shirk. It is as though she was just born, when she reverted to Islam (my analogy).
Allah is The Most Merciful and The Most Just. His Law is the best possible Law. and truly, His Mercy overpowers His Anger.
May Allah Guide us all and Guide others through us, and May He be Pleased with us.
Aameen
Wassalamu'alaikum
Muhammad Waseem
Salaams,
If we are talking about hindsight being 20/20, and you were too busy for her after she took her shahadah to help educate her yourself, the best thing you could've done at that time is let her know your limitations (out of adab) and at least have referred her to a local masjid or MSA, or another sister who could've helped her out.
But, what happened is past. You didn't make the worst of mistakes but at the same time there was a better adab you could've followed. At this point, you are already doing all you can to link back up with her and make up your error. If it ends up that you don't end up reaching her, you've done the best you can. Make dua for her continued guidance and strengthening of faith, and take what happened as a lesson to learn from if insha'Allah you are used to give another sister shahadah.
-Amy
IslamicAnswers.com Editor
Jasakallah for the helpful replies my brother and sister.
Sister Amy, I did ask a help from others actually but it didn't work the way I expected to. As time goes by, I realize this and I also now Alhamdulillah can manage my time better so I am willing to help her learning about Islam further. Even though now, I find her who doesn't have much interest in learning it. May Allah forgive me to have this negative thought. I concluded it as I tried to contact her continuously but there was no respond at all. Yesterday, we met and I asked her but she said she never received any message from me. I don't know why but I think she is behaving that way because she was not getting to know about Islam for about 3 months ago. May Allah give me strength to keep approaching her with her soft reluctance.