A Discussion on the Issue of Declaring Someone a Disbeliever
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Your Eminence! Recently, some books, booklets, and pamphlets have come out from you that speak on a great issue, which is the issue of disbelief, and those who spoke on this issue divided into two groups: some are strict and declare governments and those who work with them disbelievers, and they also declare societies disbelievers.
And some of them—and this is the second type—Who was lenient in this matter and said: that disbelief does not occur in practical disbelief, meaning: it must be in belief, and it must be denial and rejection, and if it is not so, then there is no disbelief.
And in my hands is a treatise that spoke on this issue, and it spread among the people, and was printed in large quantities, and distributed to the people,And it is an issue: "Ihkam al-Taqdir fi Ahkam Mas'alat al-Takfir" by an author who named himself: Murad Shukri, and he mentioned many issues in this book; I will mention two examples, O Your Eminence.
He said on page seventeen: And these lines, my successful brother, summarized in them the statements of the narrators of the scholars of knowledge, and their great ones in every era, the people who know best the doctrines of the Salaf and those after them,And I repeat to you the summary, in a more concise form, once again: so one does not declare a disbeliever with certainty except the one who denies the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and the denial of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is not established except after the establishment of two things: the first: the establishment of the text with certainty by necessary, mass-transmitted consensus that it was issued from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).
And the second: The establishment of the meaning also by mass-transmitted necessary consensus that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) intended such and such.
And then we are certain that the one who opposes these two conditions is a denier, and the like of him is the rejecter; so he is a denier of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) without any doubt, and without any counter-interpretation; so he is a disbeliever. So know and strive for this verification, and secure your religion from the obsessives.
And he said on page twenty-eight, after mentioning the statements of the people: So these texts—Meaning: statements—The aforementioned is apparent and clear that disbelief is: Denying the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and rejection is the same as making lawful, stubbornness, denial, and negation, all are one meaning, and with this report, it is not possible for any of the actions to be a disbelief that removes one from the religion except if it includes necessarily and with certainty denial, and that is like: insulting Allah, or insulting the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), or prostrating to an idol, or throwing the mushaf in filth, and the like of that without any doubt that arises or problem that is assumed.
So what is your guidance, Your Eminence, regarding these two types?
This is an issue, as I mentioned, that is dangerous, and it is declaring someone a disbeliever, declaring someone an innovator, declaring someone an open sinner, and the like of that,You find some people avoid saying: that this is lawful or this is forbidden, except after that is established by the Shari'ah.
And he says: It is not for me to make lawful and make forbidden; making lawful and making forbidden is from Allah and His Messenger, but in the issue of declaring someone a disbeliever, he is lenient, and declares disbelievers those whom Allah and His Messenger did not declare disbelievers, and this poor man did not know that the danger of declaring someone a disbeliever is greater than the danger of making lawful and making forbidden; because the one who declares a disbeliever one who is not deserving, his disbelief returns to him, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) informed of that, whether we say: it returns to him by Shari'ah, or it returns to him by divine decree, so he will not be free from being a disbeliever if he declares a disbeliever one whom Allah and His Messenger did not declare a disbeliever.
And as for restricting the declaration of disbelief to belief, this is also an error and contrary to the Qur'an and the Sunnah and the statements of the Salaf: As for the Qur'an: Allah the Exalted mentioned about Iblis that he disbelieved, even though Iblis acknowledged Allah Mighty and Majestic and knew what He has of names and attributes and power, and with this he disbelieved by leaving the prostration that he was commanded, and this is not a disbelief of belief but it is a practical disbelief.
And as for the Sunnah: It was established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said: (Between the man and shirk and disbelief is leaving the prayer),And he said: (The covenant between us and them is the prayer, so whoever leaves it has disbelieved) and this is a practical disbelief where one disbelieves by leaving the prayer while believing in its obligation.
And as for his contradiction of the statements of the Salaf: So Abdullah ibn Shaqiq (may Allah have mercy on him) said: [The Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) did not see any of the actions—pay attention to his saying "of the actions"—leaving which is disbelief except the prayer].
So disbelief is of two types: Disbelief of rejection and denial, and disbelief of arrogance and refusal, and both are established.
And as for the one who goes to the extreme who declares every person a disbeliever who is not on his opinion, this is also in great danger, and it is likely that he is from the Khawarij who declare disbelievers by the major sin,And they say: that the doer of the major sin is a disbeliever who will remain in the Fire forever.
So you must follow the middle path, do not exceed what the Book and the Sunnah indicate, and the servants are the servants of Allah, He is the One who judges that this one is a disbeliever or this one is a Muslim, and you are not one who makes lawful or makes forbidden, nor one who declares a disbeliever or denies disbelief, the matter is to Allah Mighty and Majestic.
So my opinion is: That these are going to the extreme, and these are going to the extreme, so the one who declares everything a disbeliever is going to the extreme, and the one who denies practical disbelief is going to the extreme.
And some of them—and this is the second type—Who was lenient in this matter and said: that disbelief does not occur in practical disbelief, meaning: it must be in belief, and it must be denial and rejection, and if it is not so, then there is no disbelief.
And in my hands is a treatise that spoke on this issue, and it spread among the people, and was printed in large quantities, and distributed to the people,And it is an issue: "Ihkam al-Taqdir fi Ahkam Mas'alat al-Takfir" by an author who named himself: Murad Shukri, and he mentioned many issues in this book; I will mention two examples, O Your Eminence.
He said on page seventeen: And these lines, my successful brother, summarized in them the statements of the narrators of the scholars of knowledge, and their great ones in every era, the people who know best the doctrines of the Salaf and those after them,And I repeat to you the summary, in a more concise form, once again: so one does not declare a disbeliever with certainty except the one who denies the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and the denial of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is not established except after the establishment of two things: the first: the establishment of the text with certainty by necessary, mass-transmitted consensus that it was issued from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).
And the second: The establishment of the meaning also by mass-transmitted necessary consensus that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) intended such and such.
And then we are certain that the one who opposes these two conditions is a denier, and the like of him is the rejecter; so he is a denier of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) without any doubt, and without any counter-interpretation; so he is a disbeliever. So know and strive for this verification, and secure your religion from the obsessives.
And he said on page twenty-eight, after mentioning the statements of the people: So these texts—Meaning: statements—The aforementioned is apparent and clear that disbelief is: Denying the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and rejection is the same as making lawful, stubbornness, denial, and negation, all are one meaning, and with this report, it is not possible for any of the actions to be a disbelief that removes one from the religion except if it includes necessarily and with certainty denial, and that is like: insulting Allah, or insulting the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), or prostrating to an idol, or throwing the mushaf in filth, and the like of that without any doubt that arises or problem that is assumed.
So what is your guidance, Your Eminence, regarding these two types?
This is an issue, as I mentioned, that is dangerous, and it is declaring someone a disbeliever, declaring someone an innovator, declaring someone an open sinner, and the like of that,You find some people avoid saying: that this is lawful or this is forbidden, except after that is established by the Shari'ah.
And he says: It is not for me to make lawful and make forbidden; making lawful and making forbidden is from Allah and His Messenger, but in the issue of declaring someone a disbeliever, he is lenient, and declares disbelievers those whom Allah and His Messenger did not declare disbelievers, and this poor man did not know that the danger of declaring someone a disbeliever is greater than the danger of making lawful and making forbidden; because the one who declares a disbeliever one who is not deserving, his disbelief returns to him, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) informed of that, whether we say: it returns to him by Shari'ah, or it returns to him by divine decree, so he will not be free from being a disbeliever if he declares a disbeliever one whom Allah and His Messenger did not declare a disbeliever.
And as for restricting the declaration of disbelief to belief, this is also an error and contrary to the Qur'an and the Sunnah and the statements of the Salaf: As for the Qur'an: Allah the Exalted mentioned about Iblis that he disbelieved, even though Iblis acknowledged Allah Mighty and Majestic and knew what He has of names and attributes and power, and with this he disbelieved by leaving the prostration that he was commanded, and this is not a disbelief of belief but it is a practical disbelief.
And as for the Sunnah: It was established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he said: (Between the man and shirk and disbelief is leaving the prayer),And he said: (The covenant between us and them is the prayer, so whoever leaves it has disbelieved) and this is a practical disbelief where one disbelieves by leaving the prayer while believing in its obligation.
And as for his contradiction of the statements of the Salaf: So Abdullah ibn Shaqiq (may Allah have mercy on him) said: [The Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) did not see any of the actions—pay attention to his saying "of the actions"—leaving which is disbelief except the prayer].
So disbelief is of two types: Disbelief of rejection and denial, and disbelief of arrogance and refusal, and both are established.
And as for the one who goes to the extreme who declares every person a disbeliever who is not on his opinion, this is also in great danger, and it is likely that he is from the Khawarij who declare disbelievers by the major sin,And they say: that the doer of the major sin is a disbeliever who will remain in the Fire forever.
So you must follow the middle path, do not exceed what the Book and the Sunnah indicate, and the servants are the servants of Allah, He is the One who judges that this one is a disbeliever or this one is a Muslim, and you are not one who makes lawful or makes forbidden, nor one who declares a disbeliever or denies disbelief, the matter is to Allah Mighty and Majestic.
So my opinion is: That these are going to the extreme, and these are going to the extreme, so the one who declares everything a disbeliever is going to the extreme, and the one who denies practical disbelief is going to the extreme.