Cancel culture has become a powerful social tool—used to de-platform individuals who have committed past wrongs or who promote harmful ideologies.

It is often seen as a means of protecting communities from hate speech and accountability evasion. But the question remains: Is there space for cancel culture in Islam?

In Islam, justice is balanced with mercy. The concept of Tawba (repentance) is central—allowing individuals who make mistakes the opportunity to change, grow, and be forgiven.

When we dig into the Islamic tradition, we find that canceling someone for past wrongs, especially if they have repented or if the wrong did not harm others, contradicts the very foundations of our faith.

One powerful example is found in Surah At-Tawbah. Three companions of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ stayed back from a battle due to personal concerns. They made no excuses—they owned up to their mistake. The Prophet ﷺ, upon divine instruction, ordered the community to temporarily isolate them.

But soon, Allah revealed verses declaring their repentance accepted. This story ends not with exclusion but with joy, forgiveness, and reintegration into the community. One of them would never forget the companion who ran to him to share the news of his forgiveness—highlighting the beauty of Rahmah (mercy) in practice.

Cancel culture, as we see it today, often leaves no room for growth. It assumes that people cannot change and should forever be defined by their worst moments. But in Islam, this mindset is utterly un-Islamic. It erases Tawba, ignores Allah’s covering (Sitr), and removes the door of mercy which is always open for those who sincerely seek it.

Of course, those who persist in harmful behavior or preach hatred are another matter. Communities have the right to protect themselves. But for those who have erred, repented, and are making amends, to continue dragging their past into the present is both unjust and spiritually dangerous.

Let’s remember: If Allah covers a person’s faults, who are we to uncover them? On the Day of Judgment, some of us may have to answer not for what others did, but for how we publicly humiliated them in the name of “justice.”

In the end, none of us are sinless. And if we want Allah’s mercy, we must show it to others. Islam does not believe in cancel culture. It believes in transformation.

Allahu A‘lam.