What is your opinion of the one who says that lying about the Messenger of Allah is disbelief, because this means spreading false laws and defective rulings among people as if they were revelation?
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The questioner : The questioner asks, "O honorable Shaykh, what is your opinion of the one who argues that lying about the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) is disbelief, because lying about the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) means establishing false laws and spreading defective rulings among people as if they were revelation from Allah, Mighty and Majestic? He says that the one who does this indicates the weakness of his religion, the corruption of his creed, and his mockery of Allah and His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). It is not far-fetched that he may be a disbeliever, an apostate, whose blood and wealth are lawful. How is it when the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered the killing of the one who writes revelation and changes the Merciful for the Forgiving, or alters the verses from his own self? Lying in hadith is like that, because it spreads rulings as if they were revelation from Allah."
The Shaykh : ... In response to this question, we must return to the topic of disbelief and what the scholars said regarding its division into two categories: practical disbelief and creedal disbelief. If a person lies about the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) while believing that it is permissible, there is no doubt that his disbelief is apostasy. If a person lies about the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) to achieve a purely worldly aim or a desire he seeks to fulfill, his disbelief is practical disbelief, because he does not consider lying about the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) permissible in his heart. This is the case with all actions that come from a Muslim; it is not appropriate for us to conclude that he considered them permissible in his heart and his action, or that he considered them permissible in his action without his heart. This matter returns to Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, first and secondly... from his action in some cases, and from his statement, because he considers it permissible in his heart. In this case, he is ruled to be an apostate. He is then invited to repent; if he repents, well and good, otherwise he is killed for apostasy. On this occasion, I greatly appreciate what the Shaykh of Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) mentioned regarding the one who abandons prayer. He stated that the scholars differed when a person who abandons prayer is found or brought in, and he is ordered to pray but does not respond, so he is killed. This is the view of the majority of them, including Imam al-Shafi'i, let alone Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on them both), Blessed and Exalted is He. However, Imam al-Shafi'i, as they reported from him, said he is killed for disbelief and buried in the Muslim cemeteries. As for Imam Ahmad, he said he is killed for disbelief and not buried in the Muslim cemeteries. The Shaykh of Islam says...
The questioner : No, he is killed as a hudud punishment.
The Shaykh : How?
Another questioner: He is killed as a hudud punishment.
The questioner : He is killed as a hudud punishment.
The Shaykh : Be patient, my brother. Yes.
The questioner : First, is he killed as a hudud punishment or for disbelief?
Another questioner: Al-Shafi'i, al-Shafi'i.
The Shaykh : Al-Shafi'i said hudud, Ahmad said disbelief.
The questioner : Because it was a slip of the tongue.
The Shaykh : Yes, this is part of human nature, especially for someone like me. May Allah reward you with good.
The point is that Ibn Taymiyyah brings a decisive statement on the subject. He says: If he is invited to repent and ordered to pray, but he does not accept and prefers killing over life with prayer, there is no doubt that this person is a disbeliever in his heart. It is not conceivable for a person who believes in the obligation of prayer to be given the choice between being killed for abandoning his prayer or praying and being spared from killing. If he prefers killing, he is killed for disbelief and not buried in the Muslim cemeteries. There is no regret or sorrow for him. Here, note that Imam Ibn Taymiyyah addresses a practical, apparent issue: it is not conceivable that a person would prefer death over life with prayer unless he has a disbelieving creed in his heart, like the communists and their like.
In that case, he is killed for disbelief and not buried in the Muslim cemeteries. This is the detail that should be stated regarding all actions, some of which may have an explicit text stating that the action is disbelief, such as prayer, for example, or fighting a Muslim brother, and the like. It is possible that his disbelief is creedal disbelief, according to the aforementioned detail, in which case he is killed for disbelief, not as a hudud punishment. It is also possible that his disbelief is practical, in which case his action is the action of disbelievers and his belief is the belief of Muslims. In this case, the belief takes precedence over the action. This is the case with many of the sinners today who consume riba (usury or interest), consume the wealth of people by right, such as bribery and the like, steal, and commit zina (unlawful sexual intercourse). All these are sins, some of which are major sins. Is disbelief ruled upon them? The aforementioned detail is necessary. This is what I testify to before Allah, and Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, knows best. Yes.
The Shaykh : ... In response to this question, we must return to the topic of disbelief and what the scholars said regarding its division into two categories: practical disbelief and creedal disbelief. If a person lies about the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) while believing that it is permissible, there is no doubt that his disbelief is apostasy. If a person lies about the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) to achieve a purely worldly aim or a desire he seeks to fulfill, his disbelief is practical disbelief, because he does not consider lying about the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) permissible in his heart. This is the case with all actions that come from a Muslim; it is not appropriate for us to conclude that he considered them permissible in his heart and his action, or that he considered them permissible in his action without his heart. This matter returns to Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, first and secondly... from his action in some cases, and from his statement, because he considers it permissible in his heart. In this case, he is ruled to be an apostate. He is then invited to repent; if he repents, well and good, otherwise he is killed for apostasy. On this occasion, I greatly appreciate what the Shaykh of Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) mentioned regarding the one who abandons prayer. He stated that the scholars differed when a person who abandons prayer is found or brought in, and he is ordered to pray but does not respond, so he is killed. This is the view of the majority of them, including Imam al-Shafi'i, let alone Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on them both), Blessed and Exalted is He. However, Imam al-Shafi'i, as they reported from him, said he is killed for disbelief and buried in the Muslim cemeteries. As for Imam Ahmad, he said he is killed for disbelief and not buried in the Muslim cemeteries. The Shaykh of Islam says...
The questioner : No, he is killed as a hudud punishment.
The Shaykh : How?
Another questioner: He is killed as a hudud punishment.
The questioner : He is killed as a hudud punishment.
The Shaykh : Be patient, my brother. Yes.
The questioner : First, is he killed as a hudud punishment or for disbelief?
Another questioner: Al-Shafi'i, al-Shafi'i.
The Shaykh : Al-Shafi'i said hudud, Ahmad said disbelief.
The questioner : Because it was a slip of the tongue.
The Shaykh : Yes, this is part of human nature, especially for someone like me. May Allah reward you with good.
The point is that Ibn Taymiyyah brings a decisive statement on the subject. He says: If he is invited to repent and ordered to pray, but he does not accept and prefers killing over life with prayer, there is no doubt that this person is a disbeliever in his heart. It is not conceivable for a person who believes in the obligation of prayer to be given the choice between being killed for abandoning his prayer or praying and being spared from killing. If he prefers killing, he is killed for disbelief and not buried in the Muslim cemeteries. There is no regret or sorrow for him. Here, note that Imam Ibn Taymiyyah addresses a practical, apparent issue: it is not conceivable that a person would prefer death over life with prayer unless he has a disbelieving creed in his heart, like the communists and their like.
In that case, he is killed for disbelief and not buried in the Muslim cemeteries. This is the detail that should be stated regarding all actions, some of which may have an explicit text stating that the action is disbelief, such as prayer, for example, or fighting a Muslim brother, and the like. It is possible that his disbelief is creedal disbelief, according to the aforementioned detail, in which case he is killed for disbelief, not as a hudud punishment. It is also possible that his disbelief is practical, in which case his action is the action of disbelievers and his belief is the belief of Muslims. In this case, the belief takes precedence over the action. This is the case with many of the sinners today who consume riba (usury or interest), consume the wealth of people by right, such as bribery and the like, steal, and commit zina (unlawful sexual intercourse). All these are sins, some of which are major sins. Is disbelief ruled upon them? The aforementioned detail is necessary. This is what I testify to before Allah, and Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He, knows best. Yes.