Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

I currently studying in a university.I`ve a big problem concern my religion.I already know islam is my religion and will be my religion for everlasting.But,I love my parent and my sister and brother at home.I can`t tell them/will not tell them forever about my faith is to islam.I fear I will lose this relationship,but my priority is of course my religion-islam.Please give me guide. 

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Invite family to Islam

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad(saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

If you feel and think that your parents, or your sister, or your brother or your near relatives who are non-muslims would break their relationship with you if you declared your conversion to Islam to them; and if you think that you would be in a better position to invite them to the Truth of Islam if you kept your conversion hidden from them; or you think that they would listen to your invitation to Islam with a much more open heart if you kept your conversion secret; there is absolutely no harm and no sin upon you in not openly declaring to them that you have converted to the Truth of Al-Islam.

The Messenger of Allah (saws) himself advised one of his most closest companion, Hadrat Abu Dharr Al Ghaffari (r.a.), to keep his conversion to Islam secret from his people for he (saws) feared they would harm him!

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 4.725 Narrated by Abu Jamra

Ibn 'Abbas said to us, "Shall I tell you the story of Abu Dhar's conversion to Islam?" We said, "Yes." He said, Abu Dhar said: -I was a man from the tribe of Ghifar. We heard that a man had appeared in Mecca, claiming to be a Prophet. I said to my brother, ‘Go to that man and talk to him and bring me his news.' He set out, met him and returned. I asked him, 'What is the news with you?' He said, 'By Allah, I saw a man enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil.' I said to him, 'You have not satisfied me with this little information.' So, I took a waterskin and a stick and proceeded towards Mecca. Neither did I know him (i.e. the Prophet (saws)), nor did I like to ask anyone about him. I kept on drinking Zam-zam water and staying in the mosque. Then 'Ali passed by me and said, 'It seems you are a stranger?' I said, 'Yes.' He proceeded to his house and I accompanied him. Neither did he ask me anything, nor did I tell him anything. Next morning I went to the mosque to ask about the Prophet but no one told me anything about him. Ali passed by me again and asked, 'Hasn't the man recognized his dwelling place yet?' I said, 'No.' He said, 'Come along with me.' He asked me, 'What is your business? What has brought you to this town?' I said to him, 'If you keep my secret, I will tell you.' He said, 'I will do,' I said to him, 'We have heard that a person has appeared here, claiming to be a Prophet. I sent my brother to speak to him and when he returned, he did not bring a satisfactory report; so I thought of meeting him personally.' Ali said (to Abu Dhar), 'You have reached your goal; I am going to him just now, so follow me, and wherever I enter, enter after me. If I should see someone who may cause you trouble, I will stand near a wall pretending to mend my shoes (as a warning), and you should go away then.' Ali proceeded and I accompanied him till he entered a place, and I entered with him to the Prophet (saws) to whom I said, 'Present (the principles of) Islam to me.' When he (saws) did, I embraced Islam immediately. He (saws) said to me, 'O Abu Dhar! Keep your conversion as a secret and return to your town; and when you hear of our victory, return to us. ' I said, 'By Him Who has sent you with the Truth, I will announce my conversion to Islam publicly amongst them (i.e. the infidels).’ Abu Dhar went to the mosque, where some people from Quraish were present, and said, 'O folk of Quraish! I testify that none has the right to be worshipped except Allah, and I (also) testify that Muhammad (saws) is Allah's Slave and His Messenger.' (Hearing that) the Quraishi men said, 'Get at this Sabi (i.e. Muslim)!' They got up and beat me nearly to death. Al 'Abbas saw me and threw himself over me to protect me. He then faced them and said, 'Woe to you! You want to kill a man from the tribe of Ghifar, although your trade and your communications are through the territory of Ghifar?' They therefore left me. The next morning I returned (to the Mosque) and said the same as I have said on the previous day. They again said, 'Get at this Sabi!' I was treated in the same way as on the previous day, and again Al-Abbas found me and threw himself over me to protect me and told them the same as he had said the day before.' So, that was the conversion of Abu Dhar to Islam."

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your Brother in Islam,

Burhan