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:

Is it a sin to enter temple and church. What is the punishment for such a doing? How can one ask for forgiveness for such an act if it is a sin?

 

(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:

 

Enter temple or church

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 none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

 

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 1.1  Narrated by Umar bin Al Khattab

I heard Allah's Messenger (saws) saying, "The reward of deeds depends upon the intentions and every person will get the reward according to what he has intended.”

 

If one were to or had to enter a temple or a church for some genuine need, or to simply observe what happens in there so that he may be better equipped to guide someone to the Truth of Islam, or to invite someone in there to the Truth of Islam, etc….there is absolutely no harm.

 

But if one were to go to a temple or a church with the intention to participate in one of their pagan rites or rituals, or to celebrate one of their pagan festivals, or to invoke the pagan deities, or participate in their worship of their deities, etc….then indeed that would constitute a grave sin in the Sight of Allah Subhanah.

 

One is not prohibited from entering a temple or a church, but it is the intentions behind the decision to enter them which would make their act a virtue or a sin.

 

Fiqh-us-Sunnah Fiqh 2.75

Topic: Churches and synagogues

Hadrat Abu Musa al-Ash'ari (r.a.) and 'Umar ibn 'Abdulaziz prayed in a church. Ash-Sh'abiy, 'Ata, and Ibn Sireen did not see anything wrong with praying in a church [if one happened to be in a church at the time of salah]. Al-Bukhari says: "Ibn 'Abbas would pray in churches [under unusual circumstances] except for those with statues or sculptures." The Muslims of Najran wrote to Hadrat Umar (r.a.) saying that they found no place cleaner or better to pray in than a church. Umar (r.a.) wrote to them: "Sprinkle it with water and leaves and pray therein." According to the Hanafi and Shaf'i schools, it is disliked to pray in such places in general, but not prohibited.

 

Your Question: How can one ask for forgiveness for such an act if it is a sin?

If one entered a temple, or church, or any pagan place of worship and (Allah forbid) participated in a pagan rite or ritual of worship, etc…..then indeed it would constitute the grave and heinous sin of ‘shirk’ in the Sight of Allah Subhanah.  Thus one who did so in ignorance, should turn back to their Lord in ‘taubah’ seeking sincere repentance….it is expected that they will find their Lord Forgiving and Merciful.

 

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 39 Surah Zumur verses 53-54:

(O Prophet) say: “O My servants who have wronged their own souls….Do not despair of Allah’s Mercy!  Surely,  Allah forgives all sins.   He indeed is the All Forgiving,  All Merciful.   Return to your Lord and submit to Him before the scourge overtakes you;  for then you may get no help from anywhere.”

 

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 3 Surah Ale Imraan verse 135-136:

Allah likes such good people very much, who,  if ever they commit a base deed or wrong their own soul by the commission of a sin,  remember Allah instantly,  and ask for forgiveness from Him for their shortcomings.  For who,  but Allah,  can forgive sins?   (And Allah loves those) who do not knowingly persist in the wrongs they did.   These will be rewarded with forgiveness from Allah,  and with Gardens beneath which canals flow,  and they will reside therein forever!   How excellent is the reward of those who do good deeds!

 

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 6 Surah Anaam verse 54:

When those come to you who believe in Our Signs,  say: "Peace be on you!  Your Lord had inscribed for Himself (the rule of) Mercy.  Verily if any of you did evil in ignorance,  and thereafter repented and amended (his conduct),  Lo! He is Oft-Forgiving,  Most Merciful."

 

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 2357        Narrated by Abdullah ibn Mas'ud

Allah's Messenger (saws) said, "He who repents of a sin is like him who has committed no sin."

 

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

 

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

 

 

Burhan