The Shaykh al-Islam’s division of disbelief into practical disbelief and creedal disbelief.
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The Shaykh : Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) divides disbelief into two types, and this division is extremely precise scientifically. He sometimes mentions that disbelief is creedal disbelief and practical disbelief, and sometimes he says: disbelief of the heart and verbal disbelief. The first type is that which causes its owner to exit the religion, if his disbelief is a creedal, heart-based disbelief.
As for the second type, if it is verbal or practical disbelief, this does not constitute disbelief that causes one to exit the religion; rather, he is a sinner among the sinners, and his case is left to Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He), as He said:[An-Nisa 4:48] These are the ones we are speaking about in absolute terms: the rulers who judge by other than what Allah has revealed. In the depths of their souls, they are in one of two states:
Either they profess the Shari'ah and believe that their action is contrary to the Shari'ah, in which case their disbelief is practical disbelief that does not cause them to exit the religion.
Or if they believe— and it is not impossible that some rulers are of this type— like the one who, for example, forbade fasting in Ramadan, saying: “To conserve strength and health, and because the people need to save time and effort, and so on.” There is no doubt in his disbelief, but the current inquiry is general, in terms of detail and looking into what is in the hearts. We have no way of looking into it unless he says it with his tongue, like the example we mentioned earlier. In that case, this becomes evidence explicitly stating that his disbelief is creedal disbelief.
As for the second type, if it is verbal or practical disbelief, this does not constitute disbelief that causes one to exit the religion; rather, he is a sinner among the sinners, and his case is left to Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He), as He said:
Indeed, Allah does not forgive association with Him, but He forgives what is less than that for whom He wills
إن الله لا يغفر أن يشرك به ويغفر ما دون ذلك لمن يشاءEither they profess the Shari'ah and believe that their action is contrary to the Shari'ah, in which case their disbelief is practical disbelief that does not cause them to exit the religion.
Or if they believe— and it is not impossible that some rulers are of this type— like the one who, for example, forbade fasting in Ramadan, saying: “To conserve strength and health, and because the people need to save time and effort, and so on.” There is no doubt in his disbelief, but the current inquiry is general, in terms of detail and looking into what is in the hearts. We have no way of looking into it unless he says it with his tongue, like the example we mentioned earlier. In that case, this becomes evidence explicitly stating that his disbelief is creedal disbelief.