The scholars state that there is no difference in disbelief between the one who is joking and the one who is serious. Is this rule general, and does it include these theatrical performances that contain

Al-Halabi : Like the issue you mentioned a moment ago, the issue of these people who act and prostrate, and so on. Now, the scholars of tawhid (the oneness of Allah) mention here, to complete the discussion, that there is no difference in disbelief between the one who is joking, the one who is teasing, and the one who is laughing. This rule is absolute. Then, does it apply in this case, or are there obstacles to applying it?

The Shaykh : No. I do not believe that this case applies to this ruling, because these people fall under [it], even though this is not easy either. They think they are serving Islam with this, and then their sin and responsibility may fall upon those who permit them to do such acts, from those who adopt in practice and belief a disbelieving rule. I do not think a Muslim would dare to confess or state openly that it is an Islamic rule, namely their saying, "The end justifies the means." So I return to say that I do not imagine a Muslim would dare to say this is an Islamic rule. Rather, I hear many saying this is a European, Western rule, the rule of those whom Allah the Exalted described in the Noble Qur'an by His saying: They are the disbelievers. So I do not believe a Muslim can confess or state openly that this is an Islamic rule. No. But unfortunately, many Muslims now proceed from this rule and make permissible what was forbidden, with the same meaning: "The end justifies the means." But they do not state it openly, as long as we have seen, in the past and the present. In the past, the meticulous scholars used to deny the celebration of what is called the Prophet's birthday, and they used to criticize these celebrations from various aspects, some of which are fundamental and original, and some are incidental. The fundamental and original aspect is that this celebration of the birth of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is from the innovations, indeed from the newly invented matters that were not in the first three centuries, which are attested to as the best. This alone is sufficient to prevent Muslims from introducing into the religion what was not in the first centuries, implementing the like of his saying (peace and blessings be upon him) in the well-known hadith: and other hadiths that encourage the Muslim to hold fast to what the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was upon, and what our righteous predecessors of the first generation were upon. This is the fundamental aspect. The meticulous scholars used to deny the celebration of the Prophet's birthday. Then they used to criticize and deny this celebration regarding the incidental matters. They used to deny the mixing of women and men, and this is agreed upon by the scholars. Even some books of history speak of obscenities and abominations that occurred at the celebration of the noble Prophet's birthday due to this mixing. We find that history seems to repeat itself, as some festivals began to appear, and women mix in them—not the old women, but the young women, the educated and the learned, and perhaps they are university students. They know that this mixing is forbidden, but "the end justifies the means." But we want to show people that Muslims are alive, not dead. But here it is said, as was said in the past:
"Sa'd brought it, and Sa'd was wrapped up. This is not, O Sa'd, how camels are brought in."
The Shaykh: And so, proceeding from this rule is very, very dangerous. It causes Muslims to be afflicted with what afflicted the first of the Jews and the Christians, who changed their religion and altered the rulings of their religion. But Allah the Exalted has promised us what He did not promise those before us, by His saying: And the preservation of the Noble Qur'an is by preserving the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), because it is that which clarifies the summarized rulings that came in the Noble Qur'an. And it is not possible to dispense with the correct Sunnah in favor of the Qur'an alone, because Allah the Exalted is the One who says in the Noble Qur'an: meaning the Qur'an, O Messenger of Allah, meaning to clarify by your Sunnah what is mentioned in the Qur'an, . So returning to the Sunnah and holding fast to it is salvation in every time and in every place, as he (peace and blessings be upon him) testified to in more than one hadith, among them the famous and well-known hadith to you all: . So the Sunnah, the Sunnah, and the strangeness, the strangeness in the strangeness... Please, my brother.