Is seeking the aid of disbelievers apostasy?

The questioner : O Shaykh, regarding the issue of seeking the aid of mushriks (those who associate partners with Allah) and showing loyalty to mushriks, is this considered apostasy or not?

The Shaykh : In my opinion, the questioner believes, as I do, that disbelief (kufr) is divided into two categories based on its nature: creedal disbelief and practical disbelief. Is that not so? You agree with us on this classification, or do you not have a clear idea about it?

The questioner : I have an idea about this issue.

The Shaykh : Very good. And to complete the idea, any action accompanied by an intention, if we want to give an answer to your question—whether showing loyalty to disbelievers is apostasy or not—we must apply the previous definition. Disbelief is of two types: disbelief of the heart and practical disbelief. So your question either relates to what concerns the heart, negatively or positively, and it is given its ruling. If the one who shows loyalty to disbelievers does so believing that it is permissible, it is known that this is not permissible in the Shari'ah by the consensus of scholars. This is complete apostasy. And if he only does what he does of loyalty as the sinners all do, practically deeming permissible what Allah has forbidden, yet the scholars do not take them out of the circle of Islam unless it appears from one of them that he does not deem permissible what he does of the forbidden things practically only, but also in his heart. Then we say he has apostatized from his religion. Perhaps I have answered your question?

The questioner : Just the definition of this, O Shaykh. How do we know it, given that we do not know the unseen? We judge by the apparent. How do we know it, O Shaykh?

The Shaykh : Well, in the same way you will know how we judge this one who eats riba (usury or interest). Is his action apostasy or practical disbelief? How do you know?
The questioner : ... O Shaykh ... .
The Shaykh : I am hearing a whisper. I do not know, is it a whisper or a suggestion? Something like that?

Another questioner : A whisper. I tell him he must go and convey the message to them...

The questioner : I mean establishing the proof and the evidence? Or do you not see, O Shaykh, that these people, by virtue of living, for example, in a Muslim country—and I do not mean those who allied with each other—do you not intend that they live among scholars and in a Muslim town? How is the proof established against them when they are... .

The Shaykh : This is a problem. Is the whisper still present? I mean, if some individuals live in a society that has scholars, does that mean this society does not disobey Allah?

The questioner : It disobeys Allah, O Shaykh. But here it is different; this is not disobedience.

The Shaykh : Our discussion is not about whether it is different or not. We must proceed to clarify matters, not by jumping, because that does not benefit, for the one who jumps quickly falls quickly. Was there, in that society which was afflicted, unfortunately, with loyalty to disbelievers, before this affliction, anyone who dealt in riba? Were there banks dealing in riba?

The questioner: Yes.

The Shaykh : Okay, was there a difference between those who eat riba and give riba in those lands and those in this other land in terms of the legal ruling? Why? What do you observe when you say here there is no difference and there you say there is a difference? Look now how the hasty person falls into what he does not like. What is the difference between this and that? And is my speech not clear? It is not clear. Where is the one who was whispering?