When someone says this to you or about you, why does it bother you so much?
Who, other than the Almighty, really has the right to decide whether or not you are?
And if someone decides that you aren’t, does that make you non-Muslim?
Do fatwas issued by ANYONE, really make a difference in your life?
Re: You are not a Muslim.
yes they do, if the person saying it has the ability to enforce his views.
consider a random person saying to you "you're not a pakistani". you wouldnt care. suppose now that that person happened to be the President and revoked your passport and wouldnt grant you a visa.
wouldnt that make a difference?
Re: You are not a Muslim.
Not to me..I am called a non-muslim all the time. I know that I am a muslim sometimes. So it really doesn't bother me. I do two hail marys and give them a finger, while reading my excellent copy of the quran all the while humming "Om Jai Jagdish Hare"
Re: You are not a Muslim.
It might not make any difference to the said, but it does for the one who is saying kafir to a Muslim. Calling a believer Kafir is extreemly prohibited in Islam because if the one who has been called as such does not have the traits which makes him a Kafir, then the one who says it will be held Kafir.
Re: You are not a Muslim.
^Are you schizophrenic?
Re: You are not a Muslim.
When someone says this to you or about you, why does it bother you so much?
It bothers me so much because Allah says in the Quran that one should not die except in a state when he/she is a muslim. So if someone thinks I am not a muslim, it has to bother me because I do not want to end up dying as a non-muslim. I have to see why he/she thinks I am not a muslim and what I am doing which goes against the teachings of Quran and Sunnah.
Who, other than the Almighty, really has the right to decide whether or not you are?
I guess anyone who has a proper understanding of Islam and its principles can tell whether someone, judging by his/her actions, is a muslim or not.
And if someone decides that you aren't, does that make you non-Muslim?
Depends on what the reasons are for the person to think so. Who knows, unknowingly I might actually be doing something thats not ni accordance with the teachings of the Quran and Sunnah.
Do fatwas issued by ANYONE, really make a difference in your life?
Depends who that ANYONE is.
Allah told the Prophet (saw) in the Quran about some bedouins to inform them that although they say they are believers, they are truly not so, since the faith has not entered their hearts. Now we can't have Allah sending down such verses for ech and every individual so we have to see the scholars' views.
Re: You are not a Muslim.
People call me often non muslim on different occasions without even knowing me.
Doesn't bother me anymore.
They can't read your heart and they're not with you 24 hours a day, how can they judge you? They're not the angels on your shoulders writing down everything, they're not Allah himself. They're not your hands, feet etc. which will talk on Judgement Day about everything you did.
Don't let people like that get to you. Just make sure you are following the right path and don't do something if you have doubts about it being halal.
Re: You are not a Muslim.
It bothers everyone because they are not used to be called a non-Muslim. Once you have heard it enough times it becomes kinda inane.
Re: You are not a Muslim.
Allah told the Prophet (saw) in the Quran about some bedouins to inform them that although they say they are believers, they are truly not so, since the faith has not entered their hearts.
Did Hazoor (saw) actually told those Bedouins which one of them is a Muslim and which one isn't? I haven't heard any such account but if you have, please do post.
Re: You are not a Muslim.
depends on whether the fatwa-giving authority is important in your opinion. otherwise it shudnt.
Re: You are not a Muslim.
amazing, just amazing…
but the last point…
that incident was about Eman and Islam:
said Allah:
“قَالَتِ الْأَعْرَابُ آمَنَّا قُل لَّمْ تُؤْمِنُوا وَلَكِن قُولُوا أَسْلَمْنَا”
"The bedouins say: “We believe.” Say: "You believe not but you only say, We have surrendered (in Islam), "
see there is a diffirance…
but also thank u very much:)
Re: You are not a Muslim.
Well it does matter...
One example i can think of is my shia friend who came to my college Jummah...he prayed with his arms at his side and afterwards some boys laid into him and said he couldnt pray with us...when people think you arent Muslim they exclude you from things...
A girl i know whose dad is Muslim and mother is Hindu...was constantly cussed at her mosque...so she says shes Hindu now cos they been a lot nicer to her and didnt always accuse her of not being Muslim...
And naturally its not a nice thing for someone to say to you...i hate hearing it...fair enough Allah knows the truth but its not something you want to hear...cant see you going to the mosque if everyone there treats you like a non believer...its natural human reaction...
And Armughal...you make good points...
Re: You are not a Muslim.
It does bother you to the extent that people should not go around around labeling what others are or not. Its a matter of manners.
Exactly, which is why the labelling is offensive.
Not really
yes, only however, if the fatwa giver is an authority in my faith, or if the fatwa causes people to react differently to me, positively or negatively.
Re: You are not a Muslim.
I would have to agree with Juni^boy and armughal.
Re: You are not a Muslim.
How is it permissible to enforce your belief on to someone else and then force him to lead his life according to your beliefs. By that, I mean, although if someone believes that a person is not musilm. Fine. But to enforce him to now act like a non - muslim is just ridiculus.
Unfortunately, Pakistan govt. has done the same in the name democracy.
Tomorrow if a majority of sunni decide that shias are kaafir. Would they then enforce them to not to say namaz, else they will be imprisoned? Ridiculous!
Re: You are not a Muslim.
slight correction.. the verse you are referring to is actually about the difference between a Believer and a Submitter. So the beduins were to be told they can call themself a Muslim (a submitter) but they cannot claim to be a believer unless they met the conditions prescribed in that verse.
which sheds more light on the subject.. we CANNOT judge if someone has accepted Allah as The One and has vowed not to ascribe partners to Him.. it’s in people’s hearts.. but we CAN see by their actions if they have achieved the higher status of being a Believer.
Re: You are not a Muslim.
I know about the Prophet :saw: and know about Allah :swt:…
Yet,
I will steal, lie, drink, take interest, be adulterous, eat pork, kill, murder, harm, curse, insult, make others unhappy, cheat and refrain from performing prayers, giving Zakat, not fasting, not believeing in doing Hajj, perform my religious rites combined with that from other religions and have the belief we only live once so one must enjoy…
If knowing and reading about the Prophet :saw: and Allah :swt: is the only criteria for being a Muslim, then I believe the entire world from Christians to Hindus are Muslims…
Like Morpheus said in Matrix: “There is a difference between knowing the path and walking the path…”
The idea is, if you are not walking the path of Islam as dictated by Quran and Sunnah, then what are you walking on?
Just knowledge? Knowledge without action is fruitless…One must not only be a Muslim but be recognized as one too…By the actions…
If the actions aren’t there, that means you don’t believe in the knowledge too…If you don’t believe in knowledge from Allah :swt:, then are you really a Muslim?
Re: You are not a Muslim.
as someone said, a person who drinks wine but admits that he does wrong, is still a muslim doing wrong....
but someone who does not drink, but will argue that wien is halaal, does not remain a muslim....
liekwise, if people like salman rushdi, irshad manji, rashad khalifah call themselves muslims, we muslims have to correct it and let them know that they r not muslims....
unless they repent from their actions and beliefs....
Re: You are not a Muslim.
^ you don’t count though mughy…to those folsk and others out there, it is between them and god. you can 
all you want…but they are muslims to themselves and others…and to God.
Re: You are not a Muslim.
Indeed made very good points, jazaa’kallah maan:)