The Ruling on Excusing Ignorance in Matters of Tawhid (the Oneness of Allah)

The questioner:
May Allah bless you and make Islam and the Muslims benefit from you. Here is a set of questions. The questioner asks: Is there an excuse of ignorance in matters of tawhid (the oneness of Allah)? And how do we answer the one who argues that there is an excuse in matters of tawhid, citing the man who ordered his sons to burn him, who denied the power of Allah, and for whom Allah provided an excuse? And citing the statement of Shaykh Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab: "I do not declare a disbeliever the one who circumambulates the grave of al-Kawaz."

The Shaykh:
My brother, the excuse of ignorance is valid only when it is not possible to remove the ignorance. If it is not possible to remove the ignorance, and you have no one to teach you, and you are cut off from the scholars in a distant land where nothing reaches you, then you are excused for your ignorance. But as for the person who has access to knowledge and to asking the scholars, and he says, "I am excused for my ignorance," you are the one who has been negligent. You are the one who has been negligent because you did not seek knowledge and you did not ask. So how can he be excused for his ignorance?
So there is ignorance that cannot be removed, which is that of the one who lives in isolation and finds no one, and there is the one who lives among people and among scholars, who hears the Qur'an and hears the Sunnah, and he says, "I am excused for my ignorance?" No, you are the one who has been negligent. As for that one who lives in isolation, he has not been negligent; he did not find anyone, so he has not been negligent because he did not find anyone. He is excused for his ignorance. So ignorance that cannot be removed is an excuse, but ignorance that can be removed through learning and asking the scholars is not an excuse. So be aware of this.
Because among people there are those who have taken this issue and they repeat it: "He is excused for his ignorance, he is excused for his ignorance," always, absolutely. No. There must be a distinction. Also, the issues are not all the same. The obscure issues that require scholars and require explanation, yes, one is excused for ignorance in them until he finds someone to teach him. But the clear issues that do not require explanation, such as shirk (associating partners with Allah), shirk, and tawhid (the oneness of Allah), one is not excused for ignorance in them because they are clear. Allah the Exalted said: Is this obscure or clear? It is clear. Tawhid is clear, and shirk is clear. So in the apparent issues, no one is excused for his ignorance. But the obscure issues that require clarification from the scholars, one is excused for ignorance in them. The issues are not all the same. Yes, so this distinction is necessary in the excuse of ignorance. Yes.

The presenter:
May Allah reward you.

The Shaykh:
And Shaykh Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab said, "I do not declare disbelievers those who worship the idol on the dome of al-Kawaz, because they have no one to teach them." He did not say, "They are excused," and stop. He said, "They have no one to teach them." But these people have those who can teach them and those who can clarify for them. But they did not ask and did not seek knowledge. So how can they be excused for their ignorance? Yes.

The presenter:
May Allah reward you,