The second question asks: If a Muslim utters an insult against the religion, not intentionally but as a slip of the tongue, and it falls under what is called *laghw* (casual speech), is he held accountable for it, or does it fall under...

The questioner : The second question asks: If a Muslim utters an insult against the religion, not intentionally but as a slip of the tongue, and it falls under what is called *laghw* (casual speech), is he held accountable for it, or does it fall under the saying of Allah the Exalted: And if it does not fall under it, what is the meaning of this verse then?

The Shaykh : Repeat the question?

The questioner : The question again asks: If a Muslim utters an insult against the religion, not intentionally but as a slip of the tongue, and it falls under what is called *laghw* (casual speech), is he held accountable for it, or does it fall under the saying of Allah the Exalted: And if it does not fall under it, what is the meaning of this verse then?

The Shaykh : Whoever insults the religion of Islam is a disbeliever, whether he is serious or joking, even if he claims to be a believer; he is not a believer. How can he be a believer in Allah (Mighty and Majestic), His Book, His religion, and His Messenger, while he insults the religion? How can he be a believer while he insults a religion about which Allah said: And Allah the Exalted said about it: And Allah said about it: How can one be a believer who insults this religion, even if he is joking, if he intended the speech? If one insults the religion of Islam, whether seriously or jokingly, he is a disbeliever with a disbelief that takes him out of the religion. He must repent to Allah (Mighty and Majestic). Insulting the religion jokingly is more severe and greater than insulting it seriously, because if one insults something seriously and that insult is directed at the thing itself, it may not be seen by people as being like one who insults it jokingly and mockingly, even if the thing has that quality. The Islamic religion, praise be to Allah, is a complete religion, as Allah the Exalted said: It is the greatest favor that Allah bestowed upon His servants, as He said: If anyone insults it, even jokingly, he becomes a disbeliever. He must repent to Allah, abandon what he did, and hold the religion of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) in high esteem in his heart, so that he worships Allah with it and submits to Allah by acting upon what came in this religion. As for something that slipped from his tongue, such as when he intended to praise the religion but said a word of insult without intention, merely as a slip of the tongue, this does not make him a disbeliever because he did not intend the insult. This is unlike the one who intends it while joking, for in that case there is an intention that occurred in his heart, so it carries the ruling of the serious case.
As for the one who did not intend it but it slipped from his tongue, this does not harm him. Therefore, it is established in the authentic hadith the story of the man who was in a desert, lost his mount on which he had his food and drink, and could not find it. Then he slept under a tree waiting for death, when he found his camel on top of him. He took its reins and said: "O Allah, You are my slave and I am your Lord." He made a mistake out of extreme joy, so he was not held accountable because this statement that came from him was not intended by him but slipped from his tongue. He made a mistake out of extreme joy. Such a thing does not harm a person because he did not intend it. We must know the difference between intention and lack of intention. And when we know this, and also before it passes, we must know the difference between intending the speech and not intending the speech, not just between intending the insult and not intending it, because here there are three stages.

The questioner : Yes.

The Shaykh : The first stage is to intend the speech and the insult. This is what the serious person does, as the enemies of Islam do by insulting Islam.
The second is to intend the speech but not the insult, meaning he intends what indicates an insult, but he is joking and not serious. Its ruling is like the first; he is a disbeliever.

The questioner : Yes.

The Shaykh : Because it is mockery and ridicule.
The third stage is to not intend the speech nor the insult, but his tongue slips and he speaks what indicates an insult without any intention at all, neither intending the speech nor intending the insult. This is the one who is not held accountable for it, and upon this falls the saying of Allah the Exalted: It is the statement of the man in the course of his conversation: "No, by Allah, and yes, by Allah," meaning he did not intend it. So this does not harm him, meaning it is not considered for him as the ruling of a binding oath. Everything that passes from a person's tongue without intention is not considered for him as a ruling. It may be said that if a person says in the course of his conversation: "No, by Allah, and yes, by Allah," he intended the words but did not intend to bind the oath.

The questioner : Yes.

The Shaykh : If this is the case, it distinguishes between the ruling of the oath and disbelief. Disbelief, even if one did not intend the insult, makes one a disbeliever as long as he intended the speech and the words. Yes.

The questioner : May Allah bless you.
This is a question from the listener Mahmoud Ali Muhammad from Nigeria.