Sins Alone Do Not Negate the Shahadah

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ 

Imam Abu Ja’far Ahmad ibn Muhammad ath-Thahawi, (r.a.) wrote his ‘Aqidat ath-Thahawiyyah to faithfully propagate the views of Imam Abu Hanifah Nu’man ibn Tsabit (r.a.).  He wrote, “We do not consider any of the people of our qiblah to be unbelievers because of any wrong action they have done, as long as they do not consider that action to have been lawful,” meaning that the commission of sin does not negate the shahadah unless there is the belief that a sin is not a sin. 

And he wrote, “Nor do we say that the wrong action of a man who has belief does not have a harmful effect on him,” meaning the affirmation that sins have a consequence even for a Muslim. 

And he wrote, “We hope that Allah (s.w.t.) will Pardon the people of right action among the believers and Grant them entrance into the Garden through His Mercy, but we cannot be certain of this, and we cannot bear witness that it will definitely happen and that they will be in the Garden.  We ask Forgiveness for the people of wrong action among the believers and, although we are afraid for them, we are not in despair about them.”  And this means that although we hope that good deeds expiate sins, Allah (s.w.t.) is Sovereign, and He Does as He Wills.  However, we have faith in His Mercy without taking it for granted.  In the same way, we believe in asking Forgiveness for sins and believe in His Forgiving without taking it for granted.