Back to search

Does saying "I have left my religion" and tearing clothes in a fit of rage necessitate anything other than performing ghusl, wudu, uttering the two declarations of faith (Shahadatayn), and prayer?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

The word mentioned is egregious and diminishes one's faith if uttered by a person willingly, intentionally, and with full knowledge of its meaning. Whoever speaks a word of disbelief, whether in jest or play, disbelieves. And whoever utters a statement that takes him out of Islam is a disbeliever. However, Allah Almighty has not caused anyone to despair of His mercy. Therefore, whoever falls into such a situation needs only to pronounce the Shahada, perform ghusl, and offer sincere repentance with its conditions. As for the marriage contract, if the wife apostatizes from Islam and then returns to it while she is still in her waiting period ('iddah), she remains in her original marriage according to the preponderant opinion. The marriage does not become nullified unless she persists in her apostasy until her waiting period expires.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

Read the full answer on Ftawy