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Fatwa CenterExecution of Hadd not condition for acceptance of repentance
Question
Assalaamu alaykum wa rahmatullaahi wa barakaatuhu. I believe I have done a lot of grave sins; some of the biggest are:
1. I used to commit homosexual acts.
2. I used to be involved in groups that promote homosexuality as a human right.
I like to think that I repented before two Ramadans ago. I began searching for ways to find peace of mind in Islam. I then realized that I could only find peace through a death sentence. I asked several Islamic teachers about this, but they discouraged me from going forward with this idea. Their reasons are:
1. The death penalty can only be exectuted by the state, and if the state is not Islamic, then it does not count as valid.
2. Repenting sincerely is hopefully enough.
My main question, then, is: If I still want to go forward with it but no one is willing to help me get a death penalty, is killing myself permissible in place of getting executed? Forgive me for being so straightforward, but believe me, I have given this a long and careful thought. I am really looking forward to reading your answer.
Wassalaamu alaykum wa rahmatullaahi wa barakaatuhu.
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.
The conviction that you have reached, that you must be executed to purify yourself from the sins that you have committed, is absolutely wrong and totally deviant from the Straight Path without any doubt; rather, it is the work of Satan. You should know that no matter how grave the sins are, whenever the sinner repents to Allah, He accepts his repentance and pardons him. Allah, The Exalted, says (what means): {Say: O My servants who have transgressed against themselves (by sinning), do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Indeed, it is He Who is the Forgiving, the Merciful.} [Quran 39:53]
The Prophet, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said, "The one who repents from sin is like one who did not sin." [Ibn Maajah]
It is sufficient for you to repent to Allah, The Exalted, of the sins that you have committed, between you and Him, and He will forgive you and pardon your sins as long as your repentance is sincere. The execution of the relevant Hadd (i.e. corporal punishment prescribed for certain crimes set by the Sharia) is not a condition for the acceptance of repentance. Rather, when a sinner repents to Allah, The Exalted, of his sin, his repentance is sufficient, and it is better to conceal his sin instead of reporting it to the ruler to subject him to the Hadd, if he lives in a country that applies the Hudood (pl. of Hadd).
You should know that killing yourself is an even graver sin that is more serious than the sins you have committed. If you kill yourself, you will be subject to the stern warnings addressed to the one who commits this sin. So beware of such satanic thoughts. Instead, you should strive in carrying out good deeds; sincerely repent to Allah, The Exalted; and perform many acts of obedience to Allah. Verily, good deeds do away with bad deeds.
For more benefit, please refer to Fatwas 86527, 84052and 34194.
Allah knows best.
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