The Meaning of the Hadith: "The fornicator is not a believer while he is fornicating"

The questioner:
In the hadith, it is not possible for a person to walk while he is a believer.

The Shaykh:
What is wrong with you? What is wrong with you?

The questioner:
Good.

The Shaykh:
The hadith is authentic, and its meaning is not that the sinner commits disbelief and leaves the religion, but rather that he is not a believer with complete faith. The intended meaning is the negation of the perfection of faith, not the negation of the original faith. Those who say it is the negation of the original faith are the Khawarij and the Mu'tazilah. As for the people of the Sunnah, they say the intended meaning is the negation of the perfection of faith. And that a major sin, such as fornication and drinking intoxicants, diminishes faith significantly, such that perhaps only a weak faith remains with him, but he does not commit major shirk (associating partners with Allah).