The Criterion for Excuse Due to Ignorance
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Question:
A questioner says: The issue of excuse due to ignorance has been the subject of much debate, to the point that some of those who claim to be scholars seek an excuse based on ignorance for the grave-worshippers, and perhaps for the Hindus. The question is: When is one who has fallen into kufra (disbelief) excused due to ignorance, and when is he not excused? What is the criterion in this matter?
Answer:
The matter is that the issues of the Shari'ah and the rulings of Islamic law are not open for anyone to speak about, whether ignorant or pretentious; these are entrusted to the people of knowledge and insight. The people of knowledge have said that ignorance is of two types: ignorance that can be removed, where one can ask the people of knowledge but is negligent and does not ask; this person is not excused. And there is ignorance that cannot be removed because one lives in a place isolated from the scholars, has no contact with anyone, and nothing is conveyed to him; this person is excused for as long as nothing is conveyed to him, for as long as nothing is conveyed to him. But if it is conveyed to him, or if there are scholars and he can ask them, then he is not excused; he is not excused. And now, the entire world has almost been reached by the call of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him); the Qur'an has reached them. The Qur'an is now recited over the airwaves, and this is from the wisdom of Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) so that they will not say on the Day of Resurrection:[Al-Ma'idah 5:19] The Qur'an is now recited and reaches the east and the west, so that the proof is established against the creation. And this is among the miracles of this Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him): that when Allah sent him to the worlds, He facilitated the means by which his call would reach people, upon him be peace and blessings.
Is there any excuse for anyone given the existence of these means, and the spread of knowledge and the spread of the Qur'an? No, no one has an excuse, except for one who is cut off from the world, to whom no news reaches and nothing reaches him. Yes, this is rare, or perhaps it does not exist. Yes.
The presenter:
May Allah reward you, Honorable Shaykh,
A questioner says: The issue of excuse due to ignorance has been the subject of much debate, to the point that some of those who claim to be scholars seek an excuse based on ignorance for the grave-worshippers, and perhaps for the Hindus. The question is: When is one who has fallen into kufra (disbelief) excused due to ignorance, and when is he not excused? What is the criterion in this matter?
Answer:
The matter is that the issues of the Shari'ah and the rulings of Islamic law are not open for anyone to speak about, whether ignorant or pretentious; these are entrusted to the people of knowledge and insight. The people of knowledge have said that ignorance is of two types: ignorance that can be removed, where one can ask the people of knowledge but is negligent and does not ask; this person is not excused. And there is ignorance that cannot be removed because one lives in a place isolated from the scholars, has no contact with anyone, and nothing is conveyed to him; this person is excused for as long as nothing is conveyed to him, for as long as nothing is conveyed to him. But if it is conveyed to him, or if there are scholars and he can ask them, then he is not excused; he is not excused. And now, the entire world has almost been reached by the call of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him); the Qur'an has reached them. The Qur'an is now recited over the airwaves, and this is from the wisdom of Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) so that they will not say on the Day of Resurrection:
There came not to us any bringer of good tidings or a warner
مَا جَاءَنَا مِن بَشِيرٍ وَلَا نَذِيرٍIs there any excuse for anyone given the existence of these means, and the spread of knowledge and the spread of the Qur'an? No, no one has an excuse, except for one who is cut off from the world, to whom no news reaches and nothing reaches him. Yes, this is rare, or perhaps it does not exist. Yes.
The presenter:
May Allah reward you, Honorable Shaykh,
Source
75-اللقاء الأسبوعي مع الشيخ صالح الفوزان - 32 — archive.org (33:14)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.