Convert or Revert?

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Is every child born a Muslim?636227225989015538-1172236555_islam-5


Abu Hurayrah (Allah be pleased with him) narrates, the Prophet (Allah’s peace and blessing be upon him) said, ‘Every child is born in a state of fitrah, and then his parents make him into a Jew, a Christian or a Magian.’ (Bukhari & Muslim).


The Hadith does NOT say every child is born a “Muslim.” The word fitrah can be translated as ‘natural disposition’ or ‘natural instinct’; upon this understanding one can take fitrah to be in some sense a kind of innate characteristic. This Hadith is commonly misunderstood, it does not mean every child is born a Muslim. What it actually means is, every child is born upon nature. And the natural state of every human being is one of clarity, purity, of being in a pristine form, of being unpolluted and unadulterated by external factors. That natural state is conducive to a person accepting Islam and inclines one towards the beauty of Islam. But not exactly makes him a Muslim. As that child grows up those external factors influence him. If the external factor is corrosive and corrupting, they will becomes disinclined towards Islam. But they will not made apostates in childhood. The full Hadith narrated by Imam Bukahri, Imam Malik, Imam Muslim and Imam Ibn Hibban continues… The Prophet asked the Sahabah, “Do you see any animal mutilated when it is born?” Then the Sahabah asked, “What if that child died in his infancy?” The Prophet replied, “When Allah created them Allah knew best what they were going to do.” *End of the Hadith.*

If every child was born a Muslim, there would have been no need for the Sahabah to ask that question: “What if that child died in his infancy?” As all babies are born Muslim – but this is incorrect. We abstain from commenting on the children of the Christians, Jews, and polytheists who die in infancy.

If every child WAS born a Muslim, we could use the term “revert” when they revert back to Islam. But every child is born upon Fitrah, which means they are ‘inclined’ towards Islam, BUT NOT BORN MUSLIM as many assume. Had they all been born Muslim, this would mean they left Islam i.e. became Murtad (apostate) and then returned back to Islam. My question is when did they become Murtad? The answer is never. Hence it is wrong to use the term “revert.”

So every child is not born a Muslim, please see video for further misunderstood verses by Shaykh Riyadh Haq:

Please click here


حَدَّثَنَا الْقَعْنَبِيُّ، عَنْ مَالِكٍ، عَنْ أَبِي الزِّنَادِ، عَنِ الأَعْرَجِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏”‏ كُلُّ مَوْلُودٍ يُولَدُ عَلَى الْفِطْرَةِ فَأَبَوَاهُ يُهَوِّدَانِهِ وَيُنَصِّرَانِهِ كَمَا تَنَاتَجُ الإِبِلُ مِنْ بَهِيمَةٍ جَمْعَاءَ هَلْ تُحِسُّ مِنْ جَدْعَاءَ ‏”‏ ‏.‏ قَالُوا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَفَرَأَيْتَ مَنْ يَمُوتُ وَهُوَ صَغِيرٌ قَالَ ‏”‏ اللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا كَانُوا عَامِلِينَ ‏”

Abu Hurairah reported the Messenger of Allah (May peace be upon him) as saying :

Every child is born on Islam, but his parents make him a Jew and a Christian, just as a beast is born whole. Do you find some among them (born) maimed? The people asked : Messenger of Allah! What do you think about the one who died while he was young? He replied : Allah knows best what he was going to do. (Abu Dawood)

Ismail Ibn Nazir Satia (one who is in dire need of Allah’s forgiveness, mercy and pleasure)

8 Rajab 1439