Hadith In Muslim (57f) That A Believer Is Not A Believer When He Commit Sins

[Dr. Irfan Shahzad]

Such acts are a complete denial of God and his commands, therefore they are blatant violation of faith. after the act is done and man feels repentance only then he attains his state of faith. A Muslims is not technically kafir for doing such acts, still his persistence can make him a kafir in spirit, i.e, the one who believes in God but is as adamant as devil, who also believes in God but stand against him.

[Mohammed Zubair Alam]

So, from what I understood, this hadith is pointing to those who are persistent in such acts without repenting, or any feel of guilt or remorse.

A kafir is someone who deliberately denies the truth. Deliberately denying the truth is a form of arrogance infront of God. So in this way, if a muslim persists in such grave sins without repenting, or trying to stop, are also falling in the category of arrogance.

So such acts do not make a person non muslim but can put a person in the category of arrogance infront of God.

This is what you mean by kafir in spirit, right?.

[Dr. Irfan Shahzad]

Partially yes. But doing such a sinful act even for the first time is a denial to God and faith in him. If he doesn’t repent after his act this makes the denying the faith as he doesn’t seems to have any care for the hereafter, unless he repents.

[Mohammed Zubair Alam]

You are right but I think “denial of god” is not the right word in every case.

Suppose a person was not a concious muslim and this led him to drink wine regularly but when he realized it, he was already addicted. Alcohol is a dangerous addiction. And then his attitude will decide after his realization. If he contiues to do so without any care, then it will show that he doesn’t seem to have any care for hereafter, but if he takes steps to stop it, it doesn’t show an arrogant atttitude.

Another case, is that if a person is a concious muslim then did such an act and did not even repent, this shows the denial of God’s command, unless he repents.

And this hadith is also refering to those whose attitude is just like that of a kafir ?. And that’s why “repentence maybe accepted after that” is also mentioned in this hadith. So the person who commits such acts and does not repent is showing the same attitude of kafir who knows truth but denies it deliberately. Once a kafir changes his atttitude of arrogance and accepts the truth , he is no longer a kafir.Similarly once such a muslim repents ,he is no longer having the same attitude as a kafir.