What is the rule for distinguishing between one type of disbelief and another?

The questioner : So, what is the rule for distinguishing between one type of disbelief and another, as Ibn Abbas said regarding the one who does not judge by what Allah has revealed, that it is a lesser disbelief? What is the rule for distinguishing between this?

The Shaykh : It is this: creedal disbelief and practical disbelief. Creedal disbelief and practical disbelief. So, if a person has creedal disbelief in his heart, this is the one who exits the religion. If a person has practical disbelief in his being, where his action contradicts his belief, this is the lesser disbelief by which one is not declared a disbeliever. Here is a point that is somewhat subtle, and the attendees must know it. Just as there are two types of disbelief, there are also two types of hypocrisy. Today, the fact that there are two types of disbelief is raised among people, but the fact that there are two types of hypocrisy is not raised, and this is also an important matter. Whoever conceals disbelief in his heart is a disbeliever; it is creedal disbelief, correct? But he says, "I bear witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah," and he may fast with the Muslims, and so on. This is part of the completeness of his hypocrisy; he is a disbeliever internally and a Muslim externally. Is this understood up to here? I think so. Creedal disbelief is the opposite of practical disbelief. The one who is practically a disbeliever has a belief according to the correct faith, but his action is the action of a disbeliever. The hypocrite is the opposite of the disbeliever in his action; his action is the opposite of the action of the Muslims, but his belief is the belief of the disbelievers. The Muslim whose belief is the belief of the Muslims but whose action is the action of the disbelievers is not declared a disbeliever, because his belief is the belief of the Muslims, whereas his action is the action of the disbelievers. If we understand this detail, we are saved from the problem of declaring Muslims disbelievers in the thousands. And then we understand his saying (peace and blessings be upon him): This is either creedal disbelief or practical disbelief. When is it this or that? If we know from him, in one way or another, that he believes in the legitimacy of prayer and admits in the depths of his heart that he is wrong with Allah, and says, "May Allah accept our repentance," then he is a believer in his heart with the Muslims, but he is with the disbelievers in his action, because the disbelievers do not pray. This is the difference between creedal disbelief and practical disbelief.