The Shaykh’s explanation that disbelief is divided into two categories: practical and creedal

The Shaykh : So, if a Muslim ruler is in the position of the Jews and Christians who do not believe in the rulings of Islam, then his disbelief is apostasy, and he has no connection to Islam whatsoever. But if his disbelief is practical disbelief, meaning he believes that these rulings are the truth and are the Shari'ah, and that they should be implemented, but he finds an excuse for himself—though it is not an excuse in the Shari'ah—the important point is that he acknowledges these Shari'ah rulings but does not implement them. Ibn 'Abbas called this type of ruler's disbelief "practical disbelief." Why? This is a very important reality because it differs from those who deny ruling by what Allah has revealed in their hearts and on their tongues. If we find a person of this type who rejects Allah's Shari'ah and Allah's rulings with his tongue and his heart, then he is certainly not a Muslim. If we find another person who testifies and acknowledges that this is Islam and that it should be implemented, but in practice he does not implement it, then there is a similarity between him and the first category in terms of practice. Those people disbelieved in it with their hearts and denied it with their actions as well. As for this Muslim, he affirmed Allah's (Mighty and Majestic) ruling in his heart, but he did not implement it with his action. So in his action, he does the action of a disbeliever. Therefore, this reality becomes clear to you when you hear the Prophet's (peace and blessings be upon him) sermon in the Farewell Pilgrimage. Among the things he preached to the Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), admonishing and reminding them, he said to them: What does "disbelievers" mean? Does it mean atheists? Does it mean you deny Allah's Shari'ah after you have believed in it and acted upon it? No, that is not the intended meaning. Rather, it means do not return after me as disbelievers by your actions, doing the actions of disbelievers, striking one another's necks. This is the meaning of "disbelievers" here in this hadith. Similarly, the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in the authentic hadith: is like his saying in the hadith before it: "Fighting is disbelief," meaning the actions of disbelievers who do not prevent themselves, despite being in one religion, from killing one another. So do not do the actions of disbelievers. Therefore, the scholars say: "Disbelief is of two types: creedal disbelief and practical disbelief". So whoever disbelieves with creedal disbelief is not among the Muslims. And whoever disbelieves with practical disbelief, meaning he does the actions of disbelievers but does not consider it permissible in his heart, and does not say it is lawful, but rather acknowledges that it is forbidden, but "Allah curses the Shaytan" as the sinners say. Therefore, you must know that if we do not distinguish between the one who considers sin permissible in his heart and the one who considers sin permissible in his action but not in his heart, there would be no Muslim left except that one should rule him a disbeliever. Why? If a thief steals, do we declare him a disbeliever? Theft and zina, and the like, are like killing; both are forbidden. If the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said that a Muslim fighting his Muslim brother is disbelief, and it is not interpreted as creedal disbelief, but rather as practical disbelief, then if a Muslim commits zina, is he a disbeliever with apostasy? The answer is that detail is necessary. This is the fornicator, that is the thief, and that is the liar, and every person who commits a sin. It is necessary to distinguish between the case where he considers it permissible in his heart, in which case he is a disbeliever who has apostatized from his religion, and the case where he does not consider it permissible in his heart, but he considers it permissible in his action, so he does the actions of disbelievers who do not declare things lawful or forbidden. So the one who considers sin permissible in his action, not in his heart, is a Muslim who is an open sinner, and not a disbeliever, because he has not disbelieved in Allah and His Messenger in his heart and his belief. This is what must be distinguished so that we do not suffer what befell the Khawarij before, who fought 'Ali ibn Abi Talib because they declared the Muslims disbelievers based on their mere suspicion. If only they had been correct in ruling that they judged by other than what Allah revealed. So he (peace be upon him) said regarding these people: