The one who says: "Democracy is a legitimate method," is the person who explicitly states this word a disbeliever?

The questioner : Regarding the explicit statement of disbelief, does the explicit statement of disbelief by a person necessarily indicate what is in the heart, especially if... the one who says: "Democracy is a legitimate method" or "Democracy is...?"

The Shaykh : May Allah reward you. The wording may indicate what you mean, and it may not indicate what you mean; therefore, it is necessary to be specific, and this is essential... Now we gave some examples and asked: Who does such-and-such, has he committed disbelief? We said that it is possible that this is either doctrinal disbelief or practical disbelief. After this research, we moved to verbal disbelief and heart disbelief, and we stopped at verbal disbelief. We did not say that whoever utters the word of disbelief is immediately judged as a disbeliever; it is necessary to seek clarification.
Perhaps many of our brothers present remember an authentic hadith in which the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: What? . Now, if we hear someone who was in the pre-Islamic age of ignorance and lived in it, and then he said: "I bear witness that there is no deity but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah," what do we say about him? He has become a Muslim. If we then hear him swear by al-Lat and al-Uzza; what is he doing... Is he not an associate of partners with Allah? Good, do we immediately judge that he has associated partners with Allah and apostatized from the Islam he entered with the word of tawhid (the oneness of Allah)? The answer is: No. This hadith is among the evidence that makes us restrain our souls from rushing to declare as disbelievers those from whom we hear the word of disbelief. We restrain ourselves from rushing to declare as disbelievers those from whom we hear the word of disbelief. Look now, this hadith, in addition to what I am using as evidence that it is not permissible to rush to declare as disbelievers those from whom we hear the word of disbelief, gives us another benefit. The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) did not say: "Flog him." What does his oath mean, which is explicit shirk (associating partners with Allah), but he said: What? ? Why? Out of good opinion of this Muslim, because he did not enter Islam except after having disbelieved in al-Lat and al-Uzza. But the old custom of the pre-Islamic age of ignorance may overcome him, and his tongue may slip and he says the word of disbelief. So now we take a lesson and we take Islamic etiquette and knowledge that if we hear the word of disbelief from a Muslim, we do not rush to declare him a disbeliever, but rather, as you said earlier, we look at some examples and seek clarification from him. First, what did you say regarding a person who says: "Democracy is our Shari'ah (Islamic sacred law)"?

Those present : It is an obligatory religious duty.

The Shaykh : Oh? An obligatory religious duty, okay. Now, do you see, this one who says: "Democracy is an obligatory religious duty," does he mean by "legitimate" that it is Islamic? You now find many Muslim rulers expressing in some... that it is necessary to refer to international legitimacy; do you hear this word or not?

The questioner : ... .

The Shaykh : Oh? So, "Democracy is an obligatory religious duty," we need to seek clarification from him about these three names and titles, what does he mean by them? It is a serious issue, my brother. You are talking to a Muslim who bears witness that there is no deity but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. He may fast and pray with you in the mosque, and he said this word... Do you want to judge him? Do you...? But education is done in two ways; the way... We need to describe what democracy is. I am as certain as certainty that this man, first, will not... give you a comprehensive and exclusive definition as is said about democracy... The others, the democracy that contradicts the Islamic Shari'ah is an obligation, okay, the connection between me and him is cut off. But do you think that now, with any person you hear this word from, if you asked him: "The democracy I mean contradicts and opposes the Islamic Shari'ah, it is an obligation?" Do you think he will give you this answer? Or does he say a word he hears from so-and-so the writer, so-and-so the orator, so-and-so, and so on... And this often happens; we hear them swear by other than Allah; we say to them: My brother, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: ... The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: and so on, do not swear by your father or your brother, and so on; because this means exalting other than Allah, and Allah is greater than everything. So if you swear, swear by Allah (Mighty and Majestic). I give him this lesson. We have tested people. I give him a lesson the first time, the second time, and the third time... He comes back and swears. My brother, why are you swearing? By Allah, it is just a habit!!... That Islam has forbidden you from this, otherwise we would have fallen into...
Abu Malik: ... he says to you: .

The Shaykh : Allah is the Greatest! This is ignorance itself.