When is a ruler or a student described as a takfirist (one who declares others disbelievers)?

The questioner : All right, Shaykh. When this fitnah (trial, discord or temptation) occurred, the issue of labeling people as innovators started. We have some young men, very, very weak in knowledge, who got involved in this fitnah, and it escalated until it reached picking up on the words of the great scholars, whether the deceased or the living. So I told the brothers that the cause of this is the lack of establishing the foundations in the issue of labeling people as innovators. May Allah choose the best. Do I understand correctly, what is your opinion, Shaykh?

The Shaykh : You mean by "tabligh" (conveying) that there is a lack of teaching? No. Yes, without a doubt, there is negligence in many scientific aspects and a lack of clear explanation to the people.

The questioner : If we find, Shaykh, a person who claims to be a Salafi (a follower of the Salaf) but we find him intentionally targeting the heads of the existing Salafi scholars, what is this person's status? It is a hint, Shaykh, that the man has something behind him.

The Shaykh : He may be a Salafi, my brother, but he lacks proper upbringing. The issue comes back to acting upon knowledge. He may be a Salafi in his 'aqidah (creed) but not a Salafi in his behavior. And it is not befitting for us to widen the breach regarding reality. In fact, we need to be precise and moderate, not to differentiate and exaggerate.

The questioner : If we know, Shaykh, that a student of knowledge has sincerity and does not follow his desires.

The Shaykh : And upon you be peace, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.

The questioner : And it becomes clear to him that some rulers are disbelievers, or he sees that some rulers are disbelievers. Is this man called a takfirist (one who declares others disbelievers)? And when is a man called a takfirist (one who declares others disbelievers) for using this word? Is it the one who declares the entire ruling class disbelievers without descending to the ministers and the existing hierarchy, or the one who declares the Muslim community disbelievers in general?

The Shaykh : First, my brother, there is no difference between the great ruler and the small ruler, and there is no difference between the ruler of the people and the ruler of the household. . So, if this man, the small ruler, does not rule by what Allah has revealed—meaning the husband, who does not rule in his household by what Allah has revealed—for example, he goes out with his wife and she is in tabarruj (a woman's display of her adornment), is this ruling by what Allah has revealed? No, of course not. So, do we say that he is a disbeliever? No, no. There is no difference between this small ruler and that great ruler. So when do we judge this small ruler or that great ruler to be a disbeliever who has apostatized from his religion? When we find from him a statement that he admits to, in which he has apostatized and disbelieved in Allah and His Messenger. This is the case today regarding the great rulers, let alone the small rulers. And this is, of course, a new philosophy you are hearing, because the narration is known, and it is almost an error from those who always talk about the great rulers.
And they forget the small rulers, and there may be among the small rulers one whose disbelief and apostasy we are certain of, yet we do not pay attention to it and we deal with him as if nothing is wrong. And regarding the great ruler, it is the exact opposite.
The important thing is that it is not permissible to declare a Muslim who testifies that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, even if only with his tongue, and Allah knows what is in his heart, to be a disbeliever, unless we see, as he said, a single act of kufr (disbelief). Therefore, this student to whom you are hinting, it is not befitting for him to utter such words that do not bring any benefit to the Muslims. It is enough that it will make other students of knowledge look at him in a way that does not reflect his reality. For example, they might say that he is one of the Khawarij (an early sect that declared sinners disbelievers), while he is not one of the Khawarij. So this enthusiasm of the youth is what is harming them and blinding their insight, until they become as Allah the Exalted commanded: . So we advise both conflicting groups.
Everyone should stay within the limits of the Shari'ah. These people have gone to one extreme, and those to the other, and the truth is . This is what should be done. We see that one of the two groups has been too lenient in their suspicion of the other, while the other group has been too lenient in stirring up people's emotions and inciting them, with no benefit returning to the Muslim community, but rather harm returning to the Muslim community. In my view, the cure is for them all to be occupied with purification and education.
And I believe that the Muslim world today does not benefit at all except from purification and upbringing. Jihad (struggle in the path of Allah) is a thing of the past until the Day of Resurrection. There is no jihad today. There is no one who fights in jihad. Not only the rulers, but even the ruled. They do not have the readiness.
If they had the readiness, they would fear Allah in themselves, in their families, in their children, and in their dealings.
Therefore, the way out is purification and upbringing. Two words that are light on the tongue but heavy in the scale.