Title: Leaving Islam and Embracing Islam Question: I have 4 questions relating to the above questions: If a Muslim LEAVES (REJECTS) Islam and becomes a Christian then what will happen to her SINS AND GOOD DEEDS (Prayers, fasting etc.) which she did when she was a MUSLIM and how ISLAM sees this Christian who were a Muslim before? Will her GOOD DEEDS wash away? If the above person (who had converted to a Christian after being a Muslim all her life) after couple of years realizes the truth and becomes a MUSLIM again then what will happen to her GOOD DEEDS and SINS (like Drinking Alcohol, eating Pork and HARAM food, Wearing Half Naked Western Dresses etc.) which she did in her period of being Christian? And will her GOOD DEEDS in being a MUSLIM the first place (before converting to Christian) will still remain when she ACCEPTS Islam again? What does BIBLE (Old And New Testament) say to the people who converts to CHRISTIAN from any other religion (including Muslim) What will happen to the SINS AND GOOD DEEDS of a person who has been a CHRISTIAN all his/her life and becomes a MUSLIM? May Allah bless you all!! And show the right path to all the non-believers. Khalid Jamil Pakistan Answer: I will try to explain all parts of the query respectively. In my opinion we cannot ascertain the status of such an individual in this world for we have no means to know whether a certain individual has left Islam for Christianity knowing and admitting the veracity of Islam or she has some genuine confusion. She will have to answer before the Almighty on the Day of Judgment. If the person has a genuine and just reason for this change of religion, then the Merciful and Just God will have mercy on her and shall not subject her to any punishments. If the Almighty grants that person His mercy and forgives considering her true intent then she might be rewarded of the good deeds done all her life. For further details, please refer to one of our earlier responses to a related question titled: 'Renouncing Faith at the Time of Death' [1] . If such individual realizing the truth of the faith enters Islam she in fact repents and vows to live her life according to the directives contained in the Shari`ah . The Almighty has made it clear variously that true repentance washes away all of one's sins. He has informed us that even the worst of enemies of God and his Messengers are forgiven when they repent and enter the folds of Islam with true intent. The Almighty says: Those who hide the manifest proofs and the guidance which We revealed, after We had made it clear in the Scripture: such are accursed of Allah and accursed of those who have the power to curse. Except such of them as repent and amend and make manifest (the truth). These it is toward whom I relent. I am the Relenting, the Merciful. ( Al-Baqarah 2: 159 - 160) The above-mentioned verses refer to those of the people of the book who rejected the Prophet Muhammad [pbuh] while they knew that he was a true Prophet of God and afterwards repented and mended their behavior. Certainly these people were in more clear and manifest error than the person under consideration. It entails that all the bad deeds of this kind of person should be forgiven and the good deeds might be rewarded. At another place the Almighty says: And those who do not call any other god along with Allah, nor take the life which Allah has forbidden save in (course of) justice, nor commit adultery and whoso does this shall pay the penalty; The doom will be doubled for him on the Day of Resurrection, and he will abide therein disdained for ever; Save him who repents and believes and doth righteous work; as for such, Allah will change their evil deeds to good deeds. Allah is ever Forgiving, Merciful. ( Al-Furqaan 25: 69 - 71) The Holy Prophet is reported to have said to Amr Bin of Al`aas: Do you not know that entering Islam would do away with all of one's previously committed sins. (Muslim, Hadith No: 121) Christians claim to be the true followers of Jesus Christ (pbuh) who was primarily sent to the Israelites. He focused his attention on the clan and tried to revive the true spirit of the divine guidance among his addressees. He did not introduce a new religious code. However, after his demise his disciples established Christian religious tradition and began spreading their beliefs. It is a well-known Christian belief that any one who enters Christianity and believes in the doctrine of atonement will be saved from any suffering in the Hereafter. However, this belief has not been based on the Gospels. This part of the query has been dealt with under the second point. I hope this helps. Tariq Mahmood Hashmi June 15, 2003 [1] The referred response may be accessed at: http://www.understanding-islam.org/related/text.asp?type=question&qid=1691 .