Shar‘i Ruling on Mocking Religious Teachings Through Humorous Statements
Some statements are being circulated on social media such as:
❝I had heard that one ḥāfiẓ (memorizer of the Qur’an) can secure forgiveness for his entire family—today I believe it.❞
❝Just look at the Sharif family; all past and future sins are forgiven.❞
Do such statements fall under the category of mocking the religion?
Shaykh Abdul Wakeel Nasir (ḥafiẓahullāh)
Such remarks fall under the mockery of Islamic symbols and teachings, and whether made knowingly or unknowingly, the following points must be understood:
Mocking religion, its symbols, or the teachings of the Qur’an and Sunnah is an extremely grave sin and may even verge on disbelief (kufr) if done intentionally and deliberately.
If someone makes such remarks unintentionally or out of ignorance, they should be advised with love and wisdom, so they may realize their mistake and refrain from repeating it.
If someone intentionally mocks the religion, they must be dealt with firmly.
Such a person is obligated to make sincere repentance (tawbah) to Allah and must completely abstain from uttering such blasphemous words in the future.
In today’s atheistic and secular environment, it has become common to mock the symbols of Islam and its scholars.
This attitude is not always due to ignorance, but sometimes reflects deliberate malice and animosity towards the religion.
◈ These statements constitute mockery of religion and must be corrected.
◈ Those who say them unknowingly should be advised gently.
◈ Those who intentionally mock must be encouraged to repent and their behavior should be publicly condemned in accordance with Sharī‘ah.
❖ Question:
Some statements are being circulated on social media such as:
❝I had heard that one ḥāfiẓ (memorizer of the Qur’an) can secure forgiveness for his entire family—today I believe it.❞
❝Just look at the Sharif family; all past and future sins are forgiven.❞
Do such statements fall under the category of mocking the religion?
❖ Answer by:
Shaykh Abdul Wakeel Nasir (ḥafiẓahullāh)
❖ These Statements Are a Form of Mockery of Religious Symbols
Such remarks fall under the mockery of Islamic symbols and teachings, and whether made knowingly or unknowingly, the following points must be understood:
➊ Ruling on Mocking the Religion
Mocking religion, its symbols, or the teachings of the Qur’an and Sunnah is an extremely grave sin and may even verge on disbelief (kufr) if done intentionally and deliberately.
➋ Correcting Those Who Speak Unknowingly
If someone makes such remarks unintentionally or out of ignorance, they should be advised with love and wisdom, so they may realize their mistake and refrain from repeating it.
➌ Dealing with Deliberate Mockery
If someone intentionally mocks the religion, they must be dealt with firmly.
Such a person is obligated to make sincere repentance (tawbah) to Allah and must completely abstain from uttering such blasphemous words in the future.
➍ A Common Problem in Today’s Era
In today’s atheistic and secular environment, it has become common to mock the symbols of Islam and its scholars.
This attitude is not always due to ignorance, but sometimes reflects deliberate malice and animosity towards the religion.
❖ Summary
◈ These statements constitute mockery of religion and must be corrected.
◈ Those who say them unknowingly should be advised gently.
◈ Those who intentionally mock must be encouraged to repent and their behavior should be publicly condemned in accordance with Sharī‘ah.
