The Ruling on Declaring Governments and Peoples Disbelievers

Question:
Some currents of the Islamic awakening movement adopt the practice of declaring people, governments, and nations to be disbelievers. What is Your Eminence’s opinion on this serious matter?

Answer:
This is not permissible. It is not permissible to force this. Declaring someone a disbeliever must be based on proof and clarification. One must know the belief, actions, and statements of the person being declared a disbeliever so that the causes of his disbelief are made clear. The nullifiers of Islam must be known. The scholars have written a chapter in their books titled “The Chapter on the Ruling on Apostates.” It is obligatory for the student of knowledge and the people of knowledge to review this chapter, pay attention to it, and verify the details so that they know the nullifiers of Islam and the things that are not nullifiers. It is not permissible to be general or sweeping, for there is great danger in this. No one is to be declared a disbeliever except for a clear sin that he believes in, which nullifies his faith, or says, which nullifies his faith, or does, which nullifies his faith. As for generalizing about governments, or individuals, or the people of such-and-such a country, or such-and-such a region, no rational person says this; only the ignorant say it. Islam is not nullified by a single sin, and a government is not declared a disbeliever by its sins; it is declared a disbeliever by the nullifiers of Islam. As for generalization and sweeping statements, this is not permissible. Yes.