The Meaning of “فليس منا” – Does It Indicate Expulsion from the Ummah?
Source: Fatāwā Rashidiyyah, p. 468
❖ Question:
The hadith states: “Whoever cheats, فليس منا (he is not from us),” and similarly: “Whoever does not show mercy to the young and respect to the elders, فليس منا (he is not from us).”
What is the meaning of this phrase?
Does it mean that such a person is expelled from the Ummah of Muhammad ﷺ and becomes a disbeliever, or does it have another meaning? Kindly explain in light of the Qur’an and Hadith.
❖ Answer:
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu wa-s-salāmu ‘alā Rasūlillāh, ammā ba‘d!
◈ Severe warnings are mentioned in the hadith against those who cheat, deceive, fail to show mercy to the young, or fail to respect the elders.
◈ However, the exact phrase “فهو ليس من أمتي” (he is not of my Ummah) is not used. Rather, the hadith uses “فليس منا”, which means:
“He is not upon our way.”
◈ It does not mean that the person is expelled from the Ummah of Muhammad ﷺ or that he has become a disbeliever.
If taken literally in that sense, it would imply that such a sinner becomes a kāfir and would never leave Hell—which contradicts the Qur’an and authentic Sunnah.
✿ Clarification from Qur’an and Sunnah
① The Qur’an states that except for shirk, Allah may forgive other major sins either initially or eventually.
② If “فليس منا” meant complete expulsion from the Ummah and disbelief, there would be no possibility of forgiveness, which contradicts clear Qur’anic texts and sahīḥ hadith.
❖ The True Meaning of “فليس منا”
◈ It means: “He is not following our noble way and character.”
◈ Example: A father may scold his disobedient son by saying, “You are not my son.”
- The meaning is not literal expulsion from parenthood.
- Rather, it implies: “You are behaving in a way unbefitting of being my obedient son.”
◈ Such expressions are used in all languages to emphasize severity and importance. They are figurative, metaphorical, or comparative, and understood according to context.
✿ Supporting Evidence from Other Hadith
① About envy, the Prophet ﷺ said:
“Envy consumes good deeds just as fire consumes wood.”
② In Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī:
- “A Muslim is one from whose tongue and hand other people are safe.”
- “He is not a complete believer whose neighbor is not safe from his harm.”
These do not imply expulsion from Islam, but a negation of completeness of faith.
❖ Matters of Rights and Accountability
- If a person fulfills acts of worship like ṣalāh sincerely for Allah, they will not be wasted.
- However, if he wrongs others and fails to seek forgiveness in this world, then in the Hereafter:
➤ His good deeds will be given to the oppressed.
➤ If his good deeds finish while rights remain, he will be thrown into Hell.
➤ But since he maintained faith and tawḥīd, Allah’s mercy will eventually grant him salvation.
This is established by authentic hadith.
Conclusion:The phrase “فليس منا” does not mean expulsion from Islam or the Ummah. Rather, it is a severe warning indicating that such a person’s actions are unworthy of the Prophet’s followers, and that he is not upon the noble way of the Prophet ﷺ and his companions. Ultimately, if he maintains īmān and tawḥīd, he will not remain in Hell forever.
