What is your opinion regarding what is spreading among the youth concerning declaring specific individuals disbelievers? We ask for clarification on this issue.

The questioner: His EminenceThe Shaykh : , Peace be upon you and Allah's mercy and blessings. What is your opinion regarding what is spreading among the youth concerning declaring specific individuals disbelievers? We ask for clarification on this issue with evidence?

The Shaykh: Declaring what disbelievers?

The questioner: Declaring specific individuals disbelievers.

The Shaykh: Declaring a specific person a disbeliever, this is also one of the important issues in these days, unfortunately; it is the haste in applying the term of disbelief to a Muslim, either because of his deviation in understanding some of the correct Islamic rulings or beliefs, or because of his neglect in performing some of the pillars or obligatory duties. Today, there is a group of Muslims known as "the Group of Takfir" or "the Group of Takfir and Emigration." In the past, they had an idea that was later clarified to them that the idea of emigration is not applicable at all; therefore, they settled for keeping the first part of their previous slogan, which is declaring Muslims disbelievers. This is not declaring a specific person as mentioned in the question, but rather declaring [people] disbelievers in some countries "by the heap," meaning collectively. This is because we find, with great regret, in the Islamic countries... most of the laws are not Sharia-compliant, and it is true of them that they are ruling by other than what Allah has revealed. Accordingly, these people who are called "the Group of Takfir" declared the rulers who rule by... Islamic countries like India, Pakistan, Syria, Jordan, and Egypt had been ruled and colonized by some... disbeliever countries, so they imposed their laws that contradict the Islamic Sharia on those countries by force. Then the colonizer left and left behind its laws, ideas, and customs, and so on. And still, with great regret, many of these countries have not changed anything but a very small amount of those laws, especially those rulings related to what is called today personal status. These groups observe that as long as the ruling is by laws, then these rulers are disbelievers. They cite the well-known verse, which is His saying (Glorified and Exalted is He): , and in the second verse: , and in the third: . But this verse, as in the tafsir of Ibn Jarir al-Tabari and Ibn Kathir al-Dimashqi, has a meaning different from the meaning to which these people who have exaggerated in declaring Muslims disbelievers are heading, as will be explained. Ibn Jarir says: The meaning of the verse is that it refers to the Jews and those who share their belief in ruling by other than what Allah has revealed; that is, whoever does not rule by what Allah has revealed is either doing so out of belief that ruling by other than what Allah has revealed is correct, and that ruling by what Allah has revealed is not suitable for this time, and this is disbelief itself; this is the truth. But if the ruler rules by other than the Sharia of Islam in many or most of his rulings while believing that he is wrong in what he does, but desire has overcome him, as desire overcomes those who, for example, deal in riba (usury or interest), deal in deception, steal, plunder, commit zina (unlawful sexual intercourse), and drink khamr (intoxicants); all these people are undoubtedly sinners. But these sinners, starting from the one who rules by other than what Allah has revealed to the one who smokes and drinks alcohol, have two states; one of two states:
Either they consider these forbidden things permissible in their hearts and say, as they say in our region of Sham: "No halal, no haram"; there is no longer halal and haram. This is disbelief itself; because he believes that the Sharia does not have to be followed.
But if he says, as some sinners say, when you remind him of his sin, his open sinfulness, and his lewdness, he says: "Allah is Forgiving and Merciful; Allah will accept our repentance." This means he admits his sin and acknowledges that he deserves to be punished, but Allah is Forgiving and Merciful. This is not like that type of disbelievers who do not acknowledge the Sharia of Islam. There is no difference between one sin and another, and the most serious is ruling by other than what Allah has revealed. If the one who rules by other than what Allah has revealed sees that the Sharia is no longer suitable, then he is an apostate from his religion. But if he believes in the depths of his heart, and Allah knows that truly, and he may say so to some of the people around him; then at that time, he is a disbeliever with practical disbelief. Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) divides disbelief into two types, and this division is very precise scientifically; he sometimes mentions that disbelief is belief-based disbelief and practical disbelief, and sometimes he says: heart-based disbelief and verbal disbelief. The first type is that which takes its owner out of the religion if his disbelief is heart-based and belief-based. As for the second type, if it is verbal or practical disbelief, this does not make him a disbeliever in a way that takes him out of the religion, but rather he is a sinner among the sinners, and his case is left to Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He), as He said: . These people we are speaking about in absolute terms, the rulers who rule by other than what Allah has revealed, have one of two states in the depths of their souls: either they acknowledge the Sharia and believe that their action is contrary to the Sharia; then their disbelief is practical disbelief that does not take them out of the religion. But if they believe—and this is not suitable for some rulers to be of this type—like the one who, for example, forbade fasting in Ramadan, saying: "To conserve strength and health, and that the people need to save time and effort, and so on." There is no doubt in his disbelief. But the research now, in general terms regarding detail and looking into what is in the hearts, we have no way of knowing it unless he expresses it with his tongue, like the example we mentioned earlier; then this is evidence that his disbelief is belief-based. As for me, I do not know what is in his chest or heart, so we say: his ruling by other than what Allah has revealed is not like the ruling of the Jews; because the Jews did not believe in the legitimacy of what Allah has revealed. But this Muslim who rules by other than what Allah has revealed believes in the legitimacy, but does not act on it, like the one who believes in the prohibition of riba (usury or interest) but practically eats riba, or the one who commits zina believing that zina is haram but practically commits zina. So, is the one who commits a sin, whether it is major or minor, declared a disbeliever?
You have understood the answer from the mentioned verse: . And the research in this is also long, and the time has ended. But I feel I must provide a very important benefit on the occasion of this verse: . You must know well that every disbelief is shirk (associating partners with Allah), and every shirk is disbelief, and that we do not distinguish in the Sharia between disbelief and shirk. Everyone who disbelieves has associated partners with Allah, even if it does not appear clear to you that this one who disbelieved has associated partners with Allah. Many people assume that disbelief is broader than shirk, and shirk is narrower than disbelief. For example, we are now dealing with ruling by other than what Allah has revealed; if we see a ruler who rules by other than what Allah has revealed and believes that Allah's Sharia is not suitable for this time, what do we say about him? He is an apostate from his religion. Is he a mushrik (one who associates partners with Allah)?

Another questioner : No.

The Shaykh : Correct, this is the answer, and this is the very error. He is not a mushrik (one who associates partners with Allah) linguistically, but he is a mushrik in terms of the Shari'ah. This is what I wanted to point out. Why? We said that he judged by other than what Allah revealed and believed that this judgment is permissible. Thus, he committed disbelief and apostatized from his religion. But is he a mushrik? The answer is yes: ... To put it briefly: everyone who makes it permissible to follow his own desires has made his desire his god, and he is a mushrik. This is ... serious; because first of all, you may be surprised. Now, what about the one who judges by other than what Allah legislated and says that the Shari'ah is not suitable for this time? Is it possible that Allah will forgive him or not? You will all say the same thing: No, our Lord will not forgive him. They will demand evidence. What is the evidence? You will say: ... The answer is that this is what he associated with Allah. So how can you say he will not be forgiven? Did you notice the precision in this matter? However, if you understand that everyone who commits disbelief has committed shirk (associating partners with Allah), and vice versa, and that there is no separation between disbelief and shirk in the legal language—unlike the legal language of the state, which is often broader and sometimes narrower—and the research is long, but the conclusion is:
The Shaykh : I remind you of some Qur'anic evidence that gives you this meaning, so that you can explain it. It is the story that our Lord (Mighty and Majestic) narrated in Surat al-Kahf between the believer and the disbeliever: . Now, the question is: according to the common understanding, did he commit disbelief or shirk?

The questioner : He committed both disbelief and shirk.

The Shaykh: Huh?

The questioner : He committed both disbelief and shirk.

The Shaykh : No, I say: according to the common understanding.

Those present : Disbelief.

The Shaykh : The audience : Disbelief. The Shaykh : Disbelief; this is what I want to point out. He committed disbelief because he denied the resurrection, or at least he doubted the resurrection and the rising . This is disbelief, not shirk. , . Why did he say to him: ? Because that disbelief is shirk. Because when he was certain that there is no resurrection and no rising, and then he wished upon Allah and said: ; thus, he associated his mind with his Lord, so he judged by other than His judgment and other than His knowledge; and so on. Then, our Lord followed up the story of the dialogue between the two. What does He say at the end? Where is his shirk? The one who does not know this legal reality asks, "Where is his shirk...?" He did not associate partners, but know that every disbeliever is a mushrik, let alone that every mushrik is a disbeliever. Thus, if it is said that he judges by other than what Allah revealed, making it permissible in his heart, then he has committed disbelief and apostatized from his religion. Will he be forgiven? The answer is no. When we cite the verse , we interpret it to mean that he is declared a disbeliever, because every disbelief is shirk. This is what I wanted to conclude this session with, and praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds.