Declaring a specific person a disbeliever and who issues the ruling of takfir
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner:
He asks: Is it permissible to declare a specific person a disbeliever if the conditions for takfir are met?
The Shaykh:
This is the principle: we do not look beyond the apparent. So if a person commits shirk (associating partners with Allah) or kufr (disbelief), we rule accordingly. As for his state between him and Allah, we do not know about it. But we apply the rulings of the disbeliever and the one who associates partners with Allah to him in terms of not inheriting from him, not leading the Muslims in his funeral prayer, and not burying him in the Muslims' cemeteries. We apply the apparent rulings. Yes.
The questioner:
Now, our Shaykh, who are the ones entrusted with issuing these rulings of takfir? Who are the ones entrusted with issuing these rulings of takfir, even if the conditions are met?
The Shaykh:
The people of knowledge. They are the ones entrusted with this: the people of knowledge who are firmly grounded in knowledge. They are not students, or those who claim knowledge, or beginners in seeking knowledge. Yes.
The presenter:
May Allah reward you,
He asks: Is it permissible to declare a specific person a disbeliever if the conditions for takfir are met?
The Shaykh:
This is the principle: we do not look beyond the apparent. So if a person commits shirk (associating partners with Allah) or kufr (disbelief), we rule accordingly. As for his state between him and Allah, we do not know about it. But we apply the rulings of the disbeliever and the one who associates partners with Allah to him in terms of not inheriting from him, not leading the Muslims in his funeral prayer, and not burying him in the Muslims' cemeteries. We apply the apparent rulings. Yes.
The questioner:
Now, our Shaykh, who are the ones entrusted with issuing these rulings of takfir? Who are the ones entrusted with issuing these rulings of takfir, even if the conditions are met?
The Shaykh:
The people of knowledge. They are the ones entrusted with this: the people of knowledge who are firmly grounded in knowledge. They are not students, or those who claim knowledge, or beginners in seeking knowledge. Yes.
The presenter:
May Allah reward you,
Source
قناة «العلامة الدكتور صالح الفوزان»، 01 من 04/شرح كتاب نواقض الإسلام (شرح ثان مختصر)/من الأول إلى الرابع/صالح الفوزان/العقيدة — youtube.com (57:35)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.