The Ruling on Takfir and Its Conditions

Question:
May Allah grant you success. If a person commits one of the acts of disbelief, is he immediately declared an apostate and a disbeliever, or are there necessary conditions? And who is the one who declares a person to be an apostate or a disbeliever?

Answer:
O my brothers, these matters require knowledge; they require fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence). The nullifiers of Islam are established and explained.
It is not permissible for everyone who wants to declare someone a disbeliever because they differ with him, saying, "You have become a disbeliever." This is not permissible; it is not permissible except for the people of knowledge, the people of insight, and the people of understanding. Furthermore, it is necessary to inquire into the details with the person, for perhaps he is ignorant, perhaps he was coerced, or perhaps he is interpreting the text figuratively.
One should not rush into this. This is known only by the people of knowledge. It is not known by the unlearned, nor by those who follow the beginners and the enthusiasts. They do not know these matters; they do not know the nullifiers of Islam, nor do they know when to declare a person a disbeliever. Even if he commits something that is among the nullifiers of Islam, one does not declare him a disbeliever immediately. Perhaps he was coerced, perhaps he was ignorant, perhaps he was interpreting the text figuratively, or perhaps he was following a scholar. These excuses must be removed, and this is possible only for the scholars who are firmly grounded in knowledge.