The Ruling on Cursing Allah and His Messenger and Repentance Therefrom
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The questioner : The questioner asks: If someone curses Allah the Exalted and His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) and the religion of Islam, is there any repentance for him? And what is the position of the one who does this?
The Shaykh : Yes, cursing Allah Mighty and Majestic and His Messenger is disbelief, and there is no greater disbelief than it. He curses the One who created him, brought him into existence, prepared for him, and provided for him from when he was in his mother’s womb until he dies. Can anyone rationally bear that? I answer: No, by Allah. If a person gave you a small gift, you would love it.
So how about the Creator who brought you into existence, provided for you, prepared for you, and gave you sustenance from when you were in your mother’s womb until you die? Cursing Him is among the greatest of blessings, and I seek refuge in Allah. Therefore, we say that whoever curses Allah is a disbeliever, even if he curses Him in jest, or laughs, or jokes; he is a disbeliever.
We have nothing but his speech, and he has spoken in disbelief, so we declare him a disbeliever. If he comes and says he was joking or mocking, we say: It is none of our concern. You have now spoken in disbelief, so you are a disbeliever. And listen to the saying of Allah Mighty and Majestic:[At-Tawbah 9:64]. What comes after that? [At-Tawbah 9:65] Allah Mighty and Majestic said: Say, meaning say to them in response to their saying "We were only joking and playing": [At-Tawbah 9:65-66].
So, the one who curses Allah is a disbeliever, there is no doubt in this. In fact, I doubt the disbelief of the one who does not declare him a disbeliever; meaning, the one who does not declare the mocker of Allah a disbeliever is himself a disbeliever, because he is denying the Qur'an. So, we have finished with that. Does he have any repentance?
The scholars (may Allah have mercy on them) differed. Some people of knowledge said there is no repentance for him, because his crime is great, contrary to hearing, reason, tastes, and customs, so we cannot accept his repentance. We kill him and his case is left to the Hereafter. This is the well-known position of the school of Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal (may Allah have mercy on him). I have not reviewed the other schools; I do not know if they agree with this or not. The important thing is that whoever curses Allah is killed in any case, even if he says "I bear witness that Allah is the King of kings, the Great, the Subduer." He is killed. And his repentance is to Allah Mighty and Majestic. Are you with us? Good.
The second opinion is that if he repents and we know his repentance is sincere, then we accept his repentance. This is due to the generality of the saying of Allah the Exalted:[Az-Zumar 39:53]. This is a sentence affirmed by both "in" and "qul" (Say).
So, when he repents and we know that the man is sincere in his repentance, we say: Whoever repents, Allah accepts his repentance, and we release him. As for the one who curses the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), he is a disbeliever by the consensus of the Muslims, and no one can say that he is not a disbeliever, and he has cursed Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). So, if he curses the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), he is an apostate disbeliever who must be killed. If he repents.
If he repents, we say: Between you and your Lord, your case is left to Allah. But between you and us, the Ummah of Muhammad, we do not accept it from you; we must kill you. Therefore, whoever curses the Messenger is killed in any case, even if he repents and declares that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, that he is the Seal of the Prophets, that there is no prophet after him, that he is truthful in what he says, and just in what he judges; we kill him. We take revenge for the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). We curse our Messenger and remain silent?
So, if someone asks: How do you say that the one who curses Allah and repents is accepted and the killing is lifted from him, while you say that the one who curses the Messenger does not have the killing lifted from him? I say the difference is clear. The right of Allah: Allah Himself took charge of forgiving him through repentance, and we do not precede Allah. The right belongs to Allah, and He (Exalted and Majestic is He) has forgiven him. But the right of the Messenger is a right of a human being. If the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) were alive and said, "Since this man has repented to Allah, I have forgiven him," we would lift the killing from him. Therefore, there are people who cursed the Messenger during his lifetime and he forgave them. Are you with us? But Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, has died, and we are his Ummah. We take revenge and kill this one who cursed. And if we kill him and his repentance is sincere, it does not harm him, because he repented to Allah and became one of the people of Paradise.
The most he gains is that he loses only this world. If his repentance is sincere, he has the Hereafter. Pay attention to this difference. Whoever curses Allah is a disbeliever apostate, and if he repents, his repentance is accepted according to the stronger opinion; his repentance is accepted and the killing is lifted from him. Whoever curses the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) is a disbeliever apostate, and if he repents, we kill him. But if we know that his repentance is sincere, he is a Muslim. We wash him, shroud him, pray over him, and bury him as Muslims. But his killing is necessary. It is similar to this killing being from the category of hudud (fixed punishments), meaning a hudud punishment, not for disbelief. As long as his repentance is true, he is a Muslim, but he must be killed. If a person hears someone cursing Allah or cursing His Messenger
The Shaykh : Yes, cursing Allah Mighty and Majestic and His Messenger is disbelief, and there is no greater disbelief than it. He curses the One who created him, brought him into existence, prepared for him, and provided for him from when he was in his mother’s womb until he dies. Can anyone rationally bear that? I answer: No, by Allah. If a person gave you a small gift, you would love it.
So how about the Creator who brought you into existence, provided for you, prepared for you, and gave you sustenance from when you were in your mother’s womb until you die? Cursing Him is among the greatest of blessings, and I seek refuge in Allah. Therefore, we say that whoever curses Allah is a disbeliever, even if he curses Him in jest, or laughs, or jokes; he is a disbeliever.
We have nothing but his speech, and he has spoken in disbelief, so we declare him a disbeliever. If he comes and says he was joking or mocking, we say: It is none of our concern. You have now spoken in disbelief, so you are a disbeliever. And listen to the saying of Allah Mighty and Majestic:
They hypocrites are apprehensive lest a surah be revealed about them, informing them of what is in their hearts. Say, "Mock [as you wish]; indeed, Allah will expose that which you fear."
يَحْذَرُ الْمُنَافِقُونَ أَن تُنَزَّلَ عَلَيْهِمْ سُورَةٌ تُنَبِّئُهُم بِمَا فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ قُلِ اسْتَهْزِئُوا إِنَّ اللَّهَ مُخْرِجٌ مَّا تَحْذَرُونَAnd if you ask them, they will surely say, "We were only conversing and playing."
وَلَئِن سَأَلْتَهُمْ لَيَقُولُنَّ إِنَّمَا كُنَّا نَخُوضُ وَنَلْعَبُIs it Allah and His verses and His Messenger that you were mocking?" (66) Make no excuse; you have disbelieved after your belief.
أَبِاللَّهِ وَآيَاتِهِ وَرَسُولِهِ كُنتُمْ تَسْتَهْزِئُونَ لَا تَعْتَذِرُوا قَدْ كَفَرْتُم بَعْدَ إِيمَانِكُمْSo, the one who curses Allah is a disbeliever, there is no doubt in this. In fact, I doubt the disbelief of the one who does not declare him a disbeliever; meaning, the one who does not declare the mocker of Allah a disbeliever is himself a disbeliever, because he is denying the Qur'an. So, we have finished with that. Does he have any repentance?
The scholars (may Allah have mercy on them) differed. Some people of knowledge said there is no repentance for him, because his crime is great, contrary to hearing, reason, tastes, and customs, so we cannot accept his repentance. We kill him and his case is left to the Hereafter. This is the well-known position of the school of Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal (may Allah have mercy on him). I have not reviewed the other schools; I do not know if they agree with this or not. The important thing is that whoever curses Allah is killed in any case, even if he says "I bear witness that Allah is the King of kings, the Great, the Subduer." He is killed. And his repentance is to Allah Mighty and Majestic. Are you with us? Good.
The second opinion is that if he repents and we know his repentance is sincere, then we accept his repentance. This is due to the generality of the saying of Allah the Exalted:
Say, "O My servants who have transgressed against themselves [by sinning], do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins.
قُلْ يَا عِبَادِيَ الَّذِينَ أَسْرَفُوا عَلَىٰ أَنفُسِهِمْ لَا تَقْنَطُوا مِن رَّحْمَةِ اللَّهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًاSo, when he repents and we know that the man is sincere in his repentance, we say: Whoever repents, Allah accepts his repentance, and we release him. As for the one who curses the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), he is a disbeliever by the consensus of the Muslims, and no one can say that he is not a disbeliever, and he has cursed Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). So, if he curses the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), he is an apostate disbeliever who must be killed. If he repents.
If he repents, we say: Between you and your Lord, your case is left to Allah. But between you and us, the Ummah of Muhammad, we do not accept it from you; we must kill you. Therefore, whoever curses the Messenger is killed in any case, even if he repents and declares that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, that he is the Seal of the Prophets, that there is no prophet after him, that he is truthful in what he says, and just in what he judges; we kill him. We take revenge for the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). We curse our Messenger and remain silent?
So, if someone asks: How do you say that the one who curses Allah and repents is accepted and the killing is lifted from him, while you say that the one who curses the Messenger does not have the killing lifted from him? I say the difference is clear. The right of Allah: Allah Himself took charge of forgiving him through repentance, and we do not precede Allah. The right belongs to Allah, and He (Exalted and Majestic is He) has forgiven him. But the right of the Messenger is a right of a human being. If the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) were alive and said, "Since this man has repented to Allah, I have forgiven him," we would lift the killing from him. Therefore, there are people who cursed the Messenger during his lifetime and he forgave them. Are you with us? But Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, has died, and we are his Ummah. We take revenge and kill this one who cursed. And if we kill him and his repentance is sincere, it does not harm him, because he repented to Allah and became one of the people of Paradise.
The most he gains is that he loses only this world. If his repentance is sincere, he has the Hereafter. Pay attention to this difference. Whoever curses Allah is a disbeliever apostate, and if he repents, his repentance is accepted according to the stronger opinion; his repentance is accepted and the killing is lifted from him. Whoever curses the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) is a disbeliever apostate, and if he repents, we kill him. But if we know that his repentance is sincere, he is a Muslim. We wash him, shroud him, pray over him, and bury him as Muslims. But his killing is necessary. It is similar to this killing being from the category of hudud (fixed punishments), meaning a hudud punishment, not for disbelief. As long as his repentance is true, he is a Muslim, but he must be killed. If a person hears someone cursing Allah or cursing His Messenger
Source
قناة «فضيلة الشيخ محمد بن صالح العثيمين»، 30 - 41- دروس وفتاوى المسجد الحرام للعام 1419 هـ - الدرس الثلاثون - الشيخ محمد بن صالح العثيمين — youtube.com (33:02)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.