The ruling on one who says the two testimonies and slaughters for other than Allah
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What is your opinion of one who says: [He says] "There is no god but Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah," and then slaughters for other than Allah. Is he a Muslim? Knowing that he grew up in the lands of Islam?The Shaykh: The one who draws near to other than Allah by slaughtering is a mushrik (one who associates partners with Allah) committing major shirk (associating partners with Allah).And his saying: [He is not a Muslim], whether he says "There is no god but Allah," or prays, or fasts, or does anything else. May Allah except the one who grew up in distant lands, who does not know this ruling, like one who lives in distant lands where they slaughter for other than Allah, slaughter for graves, and slaughter for the awliya (close friends of Allah), and they have no objection to this, and they do not know that this is shirk (associating partners with Allah) or haram (forbidden), and the argument has not been established against them regarding it. Then this person is excused due to his ignorance.
As for a person who is told: This is kufr (disbelief).
So he says: No, and I do not leave the slaughter for the wali (close friend of Allah). In this case, the argument has been established against him, so he becomes a kafir (disbeliever).If he is advised and told: If this is shirk (associating partners with Allah), and the evidence for it has been clarified to him, and the legal argument has been established against him, but he did not care and did not take it seriously, he becomes a mushrik (one who associates partners with Allah), a kafir (disbeliever), and a murtadd (apostate). He is to be given the opportunity to repent; if he repents, well and good, otherwise he is to be killed.
The questioner: And is there a difference between apparent matters and hidden matters?The Shaykh: The hidden [issue] is clear,If we suppose that in this issue he says: I live among people who slaughter for the awliya (close friends of Allah), and I do not know that this is haram (forbidden). This would be a hidden [issue]; because the distinction between hidden and apparent matters is relative. What is apparent to me may be hidden from you, and what is apparent to you may be hidden from me.
The questioner: How do I establish the argument against him? And what is the argument that I establish against him? -The Shaykh: The argument against him is what came in the saying of Allah the Exalted: [Al-An'am: 162-163] And Allah the Exalted said: [Al-Kawthar: 1-2] This is evidence that slaughtering for the purpose of drawing near and honoring is worship, and whoever directs worship to other than Allah is a mushrik (one who associates partners with Allah).
Therefore, it is obligatory to establish the argument before declaring someone a disbeliever (takfir), and this applies to all issues that people might be ignorant of. So we do not divide issues into apparent issues and hidden issues; because the distinction between apparent and hidden is relative. An issue may be apparent to me and hidden to someone else. Therefore, it is necessary to establish the argument and not to rush into declaring someone a disbeliever (takfir); because removing a man from the religion of Islam is not a light matter. And there are impediments that prevent declaring a person a disbeliever, even if he says or does what is kufr (disbelief),Among them: [such as] error,The man who said: (O Allah, You are my slave and I am your Lord) He said words of kufr (disbelief), and yet he was not declared a disbeliever; because he erred due to the intensity of his joy.
Likewise, if a man is forced into kufr (disbelief) and speaks it, he is not declared a disbeliever if his heart is at rest with faith,because of His saying, the Exalted: [An-Nahl: 106] And the scholars who say: "A word of kufr (disbelief) does not apply to its speaker," this is if the argument has not been established against him and we do not know about his state. But if we know about his state, what remains?We say: Is he not declared a disbeliever?Its meaning is: Is no one a disbeliever?Meaning: No one remains to be declared a disbeliever,Even the one who does not pray, we say: Is he not declared a disbeliever?Even Ibn Taymiyyah says: If the argument reaches him, the argument is established against him.
As for a person who is told: This is kufr (disbelief).
So he says: No, and I do not leave the slaughter for the wali (close friend of Allah). In this case, the argument has been established against him, so he becomes a kafir (disbeliever).If he is advised and told: If this is shirk (associating partners with Allah), and the evidence for it has been clarified to him, and the legal argument has been established against him, but he did not care and did not take it seriously, he becomes a mushrik (one who associates partners with Allah), a kafir (disbeliever), and a murtadd (apostate). He is to be given the opportunity to repent; if he repents, well and good, otherwise he is to be killed.
The questioner: And is there a difference between apparent matters and hidden matters?The Shaykh: The hidden [issue] is clear,If we suppose that in this issue he says: I live among people who slaughter for the awliya (close friends of Allah), and I do not know that this is haram (forbidden). This would be a hidden [issue]; because the distinction between hidden and apparent matters is relative. What is apparent to me may be hidden from you, and what is apparent to you may be hidden from me.
The questioner: How do I establish the argument against him? And what is the argument that I establish against him? -The Shaykh: The argument against him is what came in the saying of Allah the Exalted:
(162) Say, "Indeed, my prayer, my rites of sacrifice, my living and my dying are for Allah, Lord of the worlds. (163) No partner has He. And this I have been commanded, and I am the first [among you] of the Muslims."
قُلْ إِنَّ صَلاتِي وَنُسُكِي وَمَحْيَايَ وَمَمَاتِي لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ * لا شَرِيكَ لَهُ وَبِذَلِكَ أُمِرْتُ وَأَنَا أَوَّلُ الْمُسْلِمِينَ(1) Indeed, We have granted you, [O Muhammad], al-Kawthar. (2) So pray to your Lord and sacrifice [to Him alone].
إِنَّا أَعْطَيْنَاكَ الْكَوْثَرَ * فَصَلِّ لِرَبِّكَ وَانْحَرْTherefore, it is obligatory to establish the argument before declaring someone a disbeliever (takfir), and this applies to all issues that people might be ignorant of. So we do not divide issues into apparent issues and hidden issues; because the distinction between apparent and hidden is relative. An issue may be apparent to me and hidden to someone else. Therefore, it is necessary to establish the argument and not to rush into declaring someone a disbeliever (takfir); because removing a man from the religion of Islam is not a light matter. And there are impediments that prevent declaring a person a disbeliever, even if he says or does what is kufr (disbelief),Among them: [such as] error,The man who said: (O Allah, You are my slave and I am your Lord) He said words of kufr (disbelief), and yet he was not declared a disbeliever; because he erred due to the intensity of his joy.
Likewise, if a man is forced into kufr (disbelief) and speaks it, he is not declared a disbeliever if his heart is at rest with faith,because of His saying, the Exalted: