Assalaamu alaykum. I am Muslim by birth, and I do practice the pillars of Islam, but most people I meet always refuse to accept the fact that I am Muslim. In fact, in my heart, I am Muslim. I always feel sad when people ask about my religion and I tell them that I am Muslim and they deny my belief. Please advise me, because I am very sad to hear that from people.

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

First of all, you did not mention why these people assumed that you are not Muslim.

There is no doubt that when one was born Muslim and there is nothing that is proven to necessitate his apostasy, he is still Muslim.

Indeed, it is very serious that someone believes that a Muslim is not Muslim without any sound Islamic reason.

Allah says (what means): {O you who have believed, when you go forth [to fight] in the cause of Allah, investigate; and do not say to one who gives you [a greeting of] peace "You are not a believer," aspiring for the goods of worldly life; for with Allah are many acquisitions. You [yourselves] were like that before; then Allah conferred His favor upon you, so investigate. Indeed Allah is ever, with what you do, Acquainted.} [Quran 4:94]

At-Tabari said about the interpretation of this verse, “Do not say to the one who surrendered to you and did not fight against you, showing to you that he is of the same religion like you, ‘you are not a believer’; and then you would kill him in order to gain some benefits of this worldly life.”

You should try to find out the reason why some people think bad of you – if there is a reason for that – and then work out to remove any confusion, and stay away from circumstances or places that would make people think ill of you, as a believer should stay away from such doubtful situations.

‘Ali ibn al-Husayn, may Allaah be pleased with both of them, said:

“Safiyyah, the wife of the Prophet told me that she went to visit the Prophet in the mosque while he was observing I`tikaaf (ritual seclusion) in the last ten days of Ramadhaan. She talked to him for a while and then got up to return home. The Prophet accompanied her. When they reached the gate of the mosque, opposite the door of Umm-Salamah, two Ansaari men were passing by, and they greeted the Prophet . He told them, ‘Do not hurry [as they started to speed away when they saw him with a woman, and they were embarrassed]!’ And he said to them, ‘She is (my wife) Safiyyah bint Huyayy.’ Both of them said, ‘Subhaan Allah (glory to Allah), (How dare we suspect you?) O Prophet of Allah! And they felt it.’ The Prophet said (to them), ‘Satan reaches everywhere inside the son of Adam as blood reaches. I feared that Satan might cast an evil thought into your hearts.’” [Al-Bukhaari]

An-Nawawi when interpreting Saheeh Muslim, said:

“This hadeeth proves the desirability of staying away from being exposed to the suspicion of people, being safe (from any doubt or assumption), and clarifying the truth with correct excuses, and that whenever a person does something that is right but which may seem to people to be suspicious, then he has to clarify his situation in order to repel any wrong assumption. The hadeeth also includes preparing to guard oneself against the plots of the devil because the latter reaches everywhere in the human body as blood reaches in it, so a person should be alert in guarding himself against the evil of the devil. Allah knows best.”

Allah knows best.