The error of the one who says: that practical disbelief does not amount to major shirk
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The error of the one who says: That practical disbelief does not amount to major shirk
His Eminence the Shaykh: I heard one of the scholars say: that disbelief is either creedal or practical, and that the practical kind is only minor shirk, and does not include major shirk, whether it is leaving the prayer or doing any other action?
This is a principle held by some scholars that disbelief does not occur except through belief, whereas the disbelief of action does not; but the correct view is the opposite. The correct view is that disbelief can be practical, such as leaving the prayer, for example; because the Qur'an, the Sunnah, and the statements of the Companions indicate that the one who leaves the prayer is a disbeliever with a disbelief that takes him out of the religion, even if he believes in its obligation. This is the stronger position.
But on this occasion, I do not want our brothers and our youth to make their greatest concern searching for the disbelief of rulers or non-rulers; as if they were not created except to search for whether this one is a disbeliever or not. They should search for the clarification of the limits of what Allah revealed to His Messenger, of the acts of worship and other matters. As for the matter of occupying themselves with saying that this one is a disbeliever, or that one is not, that is an error, and a waste of time with no benefit. Even if they ultimately reach the conclusion that a ruler is a disbeliever, what will they do? They will not be able to do anything except cause fitnah, the removal of security, and the occurrence of evil that has no end. Moreover, they may also declare the ruler a disbeliever based on their desires, not based on the requirement of evidence. They have, for example,Religious or non-religious emotion, they say: This one is a disbeliever, and it is not the case that whoever says the word of disbelief or does the act of disbelief becomes a disbeliever; the Qur'an and the Sunnah indicate that.
So in the Qur'an: Allah the Mighty and Majestic says: [Al-Nahl: 106] So He lifted the ruling of disbelief from the one who is coerced, even though he says the word of disbelief and does the act of disbelief.
And in the Sunnah: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) informed about (a man who was extravagant with himself, so he instructed his family that when he died, they should burn him and scatter his ashes in the sea. He said: If Allah has power over me, He will surely punish me with a punishment He does not inflict on anyone else. When they did so, Allah the Exalted gathered him and asked him why he did that?He said: O my Lord! I did that out of fear of You) knowing that in that state, when he made the will, he was doubting the power of Allah, thinking that Allah could not bring him back.
And likewise he informed that: (Allah rejoices in the repentance of His believing servant, as the joy of a man who lost his camel, on which was his food and drink, so he lay down under a tree waiting for death, when he saw the camel,So he took its reins and said: O Allah, You are my servant and I am your Lord, he erred out of excessive joy) And this word: (O Allah, You are my servant and I am your Lord) is a word of disbelief, there is no doubt in it; but because it was an error out of excessive joy, he was forgiven.
So my advice, by which I am accountable to Allah,And I hope for our children and our youth to act upon it: is that their greatest concern and occupation not be this,Meaning: what do you say about such-and-such a ruler? And such-and-such a ruler is a disbeliever, and the like of that; because this does not benefit anything. And we have a close example in what happened in Algeria, for example. What happened in Algeria? It happened that fifty thousand were killed in three years, without right, whether the government kills these people, or they kill those whose blood is protected. All of this is from evil and affliction.
Therefore, it is obligatory for the youth and the people of good to turn away from this completely; because it never benefits, but rather it causes evil, fitnah, and chaos. And praise be to Allah, as long as we are not able to change anything, even if we see clear disbelief for which we have proof from Allah, what is the benefit? Then we must think and look at all the countries where revolutions occurred; did they not increase after the revolution except in evil in their religion and their worldly affairs?
The questioner: What is the ruling on the one who leaves the prayer, O Shaykh?The Shaykh: The one who leaves the prayer, in my view, there is no doubt that he is a disbeliever with a disbelief that takes him out of the religion,Even if he said: I testify that it is obligatory, and that it is a pillar of Islam; but he does not pray, so he is a disbeliever.
His Eminence the Shaykh: I heard one of the scholars say: that disbelief is either creedal or practical, and that the practical kind is only minor shirk, and does not include major shirk, whether it is leaving the prayer or doing any other action?
This is a principle held by some scholars that disbelief does not occur except through belief, whereas the disbelief of action does not; but the correct view is the opposite. The correct view is that disbelief can be practical, such as leaving the prayer, for example; because the Qur'an, the Sunnah, and the statements of the Companions indicate that the one who leaves the prayer is a disbeliever with a disbelief that takes him out of the religion, even if he believes in its obligation. This is the stronger position.
But on this occasion, I do not want our brothers and our youth to make their greatest concern searching for the disbelief of rulers or non-rulers; as if they were not created except to search for whether this one is a disbeliever or not. They should search for the clarification of the limits of what Allah revealed to His Messenger, of the acts of worship and other matters. As for the matter of occupying themselves with saying that this one is a disbeliever, or that one is not, that is an error, and a waste of time with no benefit. Even if they ultimately reach the conclusion that a ruler is a disbeliever, what will they do? They will not be able to do anything except cause fitnah, the removal of security, and the occurrence of evil that has no end. Moreover, they may also declare the ruler a disbeliever based on their desires, not based on the requirement of evidence. They have, for example,Religious or non-religious emotion, they say: This one is a disbeliever, and it is not the case that whoever says the word of disbelief or does the act of disbelief becomes a disbeliever; the Qur'an and the Sunnah indicate that.
So in the Qur'an: Allah the Mighty and Majestic says:
Whoever disbelieves in Allah after his belief... except for one who is forced [to renounce his religion] while his heart is secure in faith. But those who [willingly] open their breasts to disbelief, upon them is wrath from Allah, and for them is a great punishment;
مَنْ كَفَرَ بِاللَّهِ مِنْ بَعْدِ إِيمَانِهِ إِلَّا مَنْ أُكْرِهَ وَقَلْبُهُ مُطْمَئِنٌّ بِالْأِيمَانِ وَلَكِنْ مَنْ شَرَحَ بِالْكُفْرِ صَدْراً فَعَلَيْهِمْ غَضَبٌ مِنَ اللَّهِ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌAnd in the Sunnah: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) informed about (a man who was extravagant with himself, so he instructed his family that when he died, they should burn him and scatter his ashes in the sea. He said: If Allah has power over me, He will surely punish me with a punishment He does not inflict on anyone else. When they did so, Allah the Exalted gathered him and asked him why he did that?He said: O my Lord! I did that out of fear of You) knowing that in that state, when he made the will, he was doubting the power of Allah, thinking that Allah could not bring him back.
And likewise he informed that: (Allah rejoices in the repentance of His believing servant, as the joy of a man who lost his camel, on which was his food and drink, so he lay down under a tree waiting for death, when he saw the camel,So he took its reins and said: O Allah, You are my servant and I am your Lord, he erred out of excessive joy) And this word: (O Allah, You are my servant and I am your Lord) is a word of disbelief, there is no doubt in it; but because it was an error out of excessive joy, he was forgiven.
So my advice, by which I am accountable to Allah,And I hope for our children and our youth to act upon it: is that their greatest concern and occupation not be this,Meaning: what do you say about such-and-such a ruler? And such-and-such a ruler is a disbeliever, and the like of that; because this does not benefit anything. And we have a close example in what happened in Algeria, for example. What happened in Algeria? It happened that fifty thousand were killed in three years, without right, whether the government kills these people, or they kill those whose blood is protected. All of this is from evil and affliction.
Therefore, it is obligatory for the youth and the people of good to turn away from this completely; because it never benefits, but rather it causes evil, fitnah, and chaos. And praise be to Allah, as long as we are not able to change anything, even if we see clear disbelief for which we have proof from Allah, what is the benefit? Then we must think and look at all the countries where revolutions occurred; did they not increase after the revolution except in evil in their religion and their worldly affairs?
The questioner: What is the ruling on the one who leaves the prayer, O Shaykh?The Shaykh: The one who leaves the prayer, in my view, there is no doubt that he is a disbeliever with a disbelief that takes him out of the religion,Even if he said: I testify that it is obligatory, and that it is a pillar of Islam; but he does not pray, so he is a disbeliever.