Conditions and Guidelines for Boycotting an Innovator
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Question:
This questioner asks: What are the conditions and guidelines for boycotting an innovator?
Answer:
If it is established that he is an innovator, because some people declare others to be innovators or disbelievers, and it is the one who does this who is mistaken, because he does not understand what constitutes a religious innovation (bid'ah), nor does he understand the matters that constitute disbelief (kufr). Is it obligatory for him to remain silent until he learns and knows what a religious innovation is, and knows what apostasy (riddah) is and what associating partners with Allah (shirk) is?
To judge people as ignorant is an error. Second, a religious innovation differs; that is, if the innovation is one that entails disbelief and necessitates apostasy, such as supplicating to other than Allah or denying other than Allah, then he must be boycotted if he does not accept [the truth]; he must be boycotted. You will not find a people who believe in Allah and the Last Day loving those who oppose Allah and His Messenger, even if they are their fathers or their sons or their brothers or their kindred. Those are the ones in whose hearts Allah has written faith. If his innovation is one that entails disbelief, then [he is to be treated as such]. As for if his innovation is less than disbelief, then he is a Muslim. If his apostasy is less than disbelief, then he is a Muslim. If boycotting him serves as a deterrent for him so that he may repent and be guided, then [boycott him]. But if boycotting him increases his evil, so that he is not guided, then he is not to be boycotted; rather, he is to be advised, the truth is to be made clear to him, and it is to be established against him, so that perhaps he may repent. Yes.
The presenter:
May Allah reward you,
This questioner asks: What are the conditions and guidelines for boycotting an innovator?
Answer:
If it is established that he is an innovator, because some people declare others to be innovators or disbelievers, and it is the one who does this who is mistaken, because he does not understand what constitutes a religious innovation (bid'ah), nor does he understand the matters that constitute disbelief (kufr). Is it obligatory for him to remain silent until he learns and knows what a religious innovation is, and knows what apostasy (riddah) is and what associating partners with Allah (shirk) is?
To judge people as ignorant is an error. Second, a religious innovation differs; that is, if the innovation is one that entails disbelief and necessitates apostasy, such as supplicating to other than Allah or denying other than Allah, then he must be boycotted if he does not accept [the truth]; he must be boycotted. You will not find a people who believe in Allah and the Last Day loving those who oppose Allah and His Messenger, even if they are their fathers or their sons or their brothers or their kindred. Those are the ones in whose hearts Allah has written faith. If his innovation is one that entails disbelief, then [he is to be treated as such]. As for if his innovation is less than disbelief, then he is a Muslim. If his apostasy is less than disbelief, then he is a Muslim. If boycotting him serves as a deterrent for him so that he may repent and be guided, then [boycott him]. But if boycotting him increases his evil, so that he is not guided, then he is not to be boycotted; rather, he is to be advised, the truth is to be made clear to him, and it is to be established against him, so that perhaps he may repent. Yes.
The presenter:
May Allah reward you,
Source
شرح نواقض الإسلام [ صالح الفوزان ]، الناقض التاسع : من اعتقد أن بعض الناس يسعه الخروج عن شريعة محمد - صلى الله عليه وسلم - كما وسع الخضر الخروج عن شريعة موسى - عليه السلام -؛ فهو كافر — islamhouse.com (27:37)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.