Is action a condition for the validity of faith?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Question:
He says: Your Eminence the Shaykh, is action a condition for the validity of faith absolutely, or is there a distinction?
Answer:
There is a distinction. One must worship Allah alone, and one must perform the obligatory acts and avoid the prohibitions. If one does not perform the obligatory acts or commits some of the prohibitions, there is a distinction in that. Abandoning the prayer is disbelief according to the correct view. As for abandoning zakah, abandoning fasting, and abandoning Hajj while having the ability, that is a major sin among the major sins. Likewise, committing zina or drinking intoxicants is among the sins and major sins; one does not become a disbeliever by that. However, if one commits shirk (associating partners with Allah), he becomes a disbeliever. Calling upon the dead, seeking aid from the dead or from the jinn, or prostrating to other than Allah—this makes him a disbeliever with major shirk. Or insulting the religion, insulting Allah, insulting the Messenger, or mocking the religion makes him a disbeliever. We ask Allah for safety. As for merely committing zina, that is a sin. Or committing the act of drinking intoxicants or riba (usury or interest), that is a sin. But if he considers it lawful, saying "riba is lawful," he becomes a disbeliever. Or saying "zina is lawful," he becomes a disbeliever. Or saying "drinking intoxicants is lawful," he becomes a disbeliever. But if he commits it knowing that it is forbidden, he is a sinner with deficient religion and deficient faith. Likewise, if he abandons fasting or abandons zakah, he is a sinner and threatened with the Fire. But if he says "zakah is not obligatory," or "Ramadan is not obligatory to fast," he becomes a disbeliever. Or if he says "Hajj is not obligatory with the ability," he becomes a disbeliever, because he is lying to Allah. So the matter has a distinction. We ask Allah for safety and well-being.
And if he does any of shirk, he becomes a disbeliever. Seeking aid from other than Allah, seeking aid from the dead, seeking aid from the jinn, seeking aid from the stars, sacrificing to the mountains or to idols, prostrating to other than Allah, insulting the religion, insulting Islam, insulting Allah, and insulting His Messenger, mocking the religion, considering the forbidden lawful, saying "zina is lawful," or saying "intoxicants are lawful," he becomes a disbeliever. Or saying "the prayer is not obligatory," or "zakah is not obligatory," or "fasting is not obligatory," or "Hajj is not obligatory with the ability," that is sufficient. Because he is lying to Allah. We ask Allah for safety.
He says: Your Eminence the Shaykh, is action a condition for the validity of faith absolutely, or is there a distinction?
Answer:
There is a distinction. One must worship Allah alone, and one must perform the obligatory acts and avoid the prohibitions. If one does not perform the obligatory acts or commits some of the prohibitions, there is a distinction in that. Abandoning the prayer is disbelief according to the correct view. As for abandoning zakah, abandoning fasting, and abandoning Hajj while having the ability, that is a major sin among the major sins. Likewise, committing zina or drinking intoxicants is among the sins and major sins; one does not become a disbeliever by that. However, if one commits shirk (associating partners with Allah), he becomes a disbeliever. Calling upon the dead, seeking aid from the dead or from the jinn, or prostrating to other than Allah—this makes him a disbeliever with major shirk. Or insulting the religion, insulting Allah, insulting the Messenger, or mocking the religion makes him a disbeliever. We ask Allah for safety. As for merely committing zina, that is a sin. Or committing the act of drinking intoxicants or riba (usury or interest), that is a sin. But if he considers it lawful, saying "riba is lawful," he becomes a disbeliever. Or saying "zina is lawful," he becomes a disbeliever. Or saying "drinking intoxicants is lawful," he becomes a disbeliever. But if he commits it knowing that it is forbidden, he is a sinner with deficient religion and deficient faith. Likewise, if he abandons fasting or abandons zakah, he is a sinner and threatened with the Fire. But if he says "zakah is not obligatory," or "Ramadan is not obligatory to fast," he becomes a disbeliever. Or if he says "Hajj is not obligatory with the ability," he becomes a disbeliever, because he is lying to Allah. So the matter has a distinction. We ask Allah for safety and well-being.
And if he does any of shirk, he becomes a disbeliever. Seeking aid from other than Allah, seeking aid from the dead, seeking aid from the jinn, seeking aid from the stars, sacrificing to the mountains or to idols, prostrating to other than Allah, insulting the religion, insulting Islam, insulting Allah, and insulting His Messenger, mocking the religion, considering the forbidden lawful, saying "zina is lawful," or saying "intoxicants are lawful," he becomes a disbeliever. Or saying "the prayer is not obligatory," or "zakah is not obligatory," or "fasting is not obligatory," or "Hajj is not obligatory with the ability," that is sufficient. Because he is lying to Allah. We ask Allah for safety.
Source
فضل العلم وآدابه — islamhouse.com (37:07)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.