The ruling on one who performed all the pillars of Islam but fell into major shirk (associating partners with Allah)?
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The questioner:
If a Muslim dies after having performed all the pillars of Islam, but he fell into major shirk (associating partners with Allah), such as slaughtering for other than Allah, circumambulating graves, and the reason is that he was ignorant of it, believing that it is part of the religion because of the misguided scholars in his land, and the truth was not conveyed to him, is he ruled to be a disbeliever and to remain in the Fire eternally? We ask your eminence to clarify.
The Shaykh:
We rule on him based on what he died upon. If he dies while calling upon other than Allah, slaughtering for other than Allah, and circumambulating graves, we rule that he is a mushrik (one who associates partners with Allah). We do not believe in anything but the apparent; we rule that he is a mushrik and treat him as a mushrik because he died upon shirk (associating partners with Allah). Ignorance is not always an excuse. The one who lives among Muslims, in Muslim lands, hears the Qur'an, hears the words of the scholars of knowledge, and remains as he is without moving, is not excused, because the argument reached him. The argument reached him, but he did not pay attention to it. His following of the misguided scholars is not an excuse for him, nor is it an excuse for a sane, simple person.
The fact that he hears the verses, hears the hadiths, and hears the words of the scholars of knowledge, and does not listen to them, but rather follows the misguided scholars, this is not an excuse for him before Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He); because the argument was established against him, but he did not care about it and did not pay attention to it, and he wants to remain as so-and-so and so-and-so, and such-and-such a Shaykh and such-and-such a scholar, will not benefit him before Allah on the Day of Resurrection.
The questioner:
And he asks, may Allah reward you, about the ruling on this regarding eternal abode in the Fire?
The Shaykh:
Yes, if he dies upon shirk (associating partners with Allah), he will be among the people of the Fire, remaining in it eternally.
If a Muslim dies after having performed all the pillars of Islam, but he fell into major shirk (associating partners with Allah), such as slaughtering for other than Allah, circumambulating graves, and the reason is that he was ignorant of it, believing that it is part of the religion because of the misguided scholars in his land, and the truth was not conveyed to him, is he ruled to be a disbeliever and to remain in the Fire eternally? We ask your eminence to clarify.
The Shaykh:
We rule on him based on what he died upon. If he dies while calling upon other than Allah, slaughtering for other than Allah, and circumambulating graves, we rule that he is a mushrik (one who associates partners with Allah). We do not believe in anything but the apparent; we rule that he is a mushrik and treat him as a mushrik because he died upon shirk (associating partners with Allah). Ignorance is not always an excuse. The one who lives among Muslims, in Muslim lands, hears the Qur'an, hears the words of the scholars of knowledge, and remains as he is without moving, is not excused, because the argument reached him. The argument reached him, but he did not pay attention to it. His following of the misguided scholars is not an excuse for him, nor is it an excuse for a sane, simple person.
The fact that he hears the verses, hears the hadiths, and hears the words of the scholars of knowledge, and does not listen to them, but rather follows the misguided scholars, this is not an excuse for him before Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He); because the argument was established against him, but he did not care about it and did not pay attention to it, and he wants to remain as so-and-so and so-and-so, and such-and-such a Shaykh and such-and-such a scholar, will not benefit him before Allah on the Day of Resurrection.
The questioner:
And he asks, may Allah reward you, about the ruling on this regarding eternal abode in the Fire?
The Shaykh:
Yes, if he dies upon shirk (associating partners with Allah), he will be among the people of the Fire, remaining in it eternally.
Source
قناة «العلامة الدكتور صالح الفوزان»، حكم من أدى جميع أركان الإسلام ووقع في الشرك الأكبر؟ لمعالي الشيخ صالح الفوزان — youtube.com
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.