The Six Categories of Major Disbelief
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The questioner : With this, we have concluded the discussion on faith, albeit in a very brief manner. However, given the time you have allowed us, we will address the topic of declaring someone a disbeliever. There is no doubt that disbelief is of two types: major disbelief and minor disbelief. The focus of our discussion with you is major disbelief, which expels one from the religion.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : There is no doubt that the disbelief which expels one from the religion, as held by the people of the Sunnah and the community, is of six types, not just one: denial, rejection, stubbornness, hypocrisy, turning away, and doubt. This diversity in the types of disbelief is due to the difference in people's positions toward the truth with which Allah sent the messengers and sent down the books. Some people disbelieve with their tongues and their hearts, and this is the disbelief of denial. The predominant characteristic of these people is that they do not have a comprehensive understanding of what Allah has sent down, so they disbelieved and denied it. Indicating this is the statement of our Lord:[An-Naml 27:83-84] And some people are certain in their hearts that it is the truth, but they conceal it and deny it with their tongues.
The Shaykh : Excuse me, could we pause at the first type? It seems to me there is something in it. You mentioned the meaning that they did not have a comprehensive understanding. Did you say, "Did not have a comprehensive understanding"?
Another questioner : Repeat the verse...
The questioner : I say that the predominant characteristic of these people is that they denied it.
The Shaykh : Ah
The questioner : [They denied] Islam because they did not have a comprehensive knowledge of it.
The Shaykh : Yes, let us pause here.
The questioner : They did not have a comprehensive knowledge of Islam.
The Shaykh : They did not have a comprehensive knowledge of it.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Is this a condition?
The questioner : I say it is the predominant characteristic, as evidenced by the statement of our Lord.
The Shaykh : Comprehensive knowledge of Islam, Professor? I mean, it is barely possible to say that the Muslim scholars themselves, let alone the disbelievers who know only a little about Islam, have such comprehensive knowledge. I believe that using the word "comprehensive knowledge" here undermines our creed.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Because comprehensive knowledge has no limits. As is clear to you all, it is sufficient for a person to fall into disbelief that the meaning of the statement of the Exalted is realized in him:[An-Naml 27:14] If he knows that a verse from the Book of Allah was sent down by Allah, and then he rejects it. Here, there is no comprehensive knowledge, but there is a rejection of what his knowledge encompassed in this particular detail. It seems to me that placing the word "comprehensive knowledge" here is beneficial for defining the creed.
The questioner : The intended meaning, may Allah reward you, is that if a person denies Islam, it means either that he is ignorant of Islam and did not investigate it properly, and therefore he denied it. This is if he is denying with his heart and his tongue, meaning that in reality he is denying with his heart and is sincere in that denial in terms of reality. I said this to distinguish this type from the other type, which is the disbelief of rejection. The disbelief of rejection is when a person is certain in his heart that it is the truth, but he conceals it and denies it with his tongue. This is like the disbelief of Pharaoh regarding Moses, and the disbelief of the Jews regarding Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). In this regard, our Lord said, as you kindly mentioned earlier:[An-Naml 27:14] [Al-Baqarah 2:89] This is the disbelief of rejection. As for the disbelief of stubbornness, it is when a person acknowledges Islam inwardly and outwardly, with his heart and his tongue, but he does not submit to Islam out of hatred, arrogance, and opposition to Allah and His messengers. So, even though he believes in this truth, that stubbornness contradicts this belief. This is like the disbelief of the cursed Iblis, as our Lord said: [Al-Baqarah 2:34] As for the disbelief of turning away, it is when a person turns away from it; he neither believes in it nor denies it, and he does not listen to it at all, nor does he hear it intentionally, out of mockery and arrogance. As our Lord said: [Fussilat 41:3-4] Then He said: [Fussilat 41:5] This is like the disbelief of the cursed Iblis, as our Lord said: [Al-Baqarah 2:34] Then there is the disbelief of doubt. Some people remain in doubt and hesitation, not being decisive about anything. The last type is the disbelief of hypocrisy, which does not need explanation.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : There is no doubt that the disbelief which expels one from the religion, as held by the people of the Sunnah and the community, is of six types, not just one: denial, rejection, stubbornness, hypocrisy, turning away, and doubt. This diversity in the types of disbelief is due to the difference in people's positions toward the truth with which Allah sent the messengers and sent down the books. Some people disbelieve with their tongues and their hearts, and this is the disbelief of denial. The predominant characteristic of these people is that they do not have a comprehensive understanding of what Allah has sent down, so they disbelieved and denied it. Indicating this is the statement of our Lord:
(83) And [warn of] the Day when We will gather from every nation a company of those who deny Our signs, and they will be [driven] in rows (84) Until, when they arrive [at the place of Judgement], He will say, "Did you deny My signs while you encompassed them not in knowledge, or what [was it that] you were doing?"
وَيَوْمَ نَحْشُرُ مِنْ كُلِّ أُمَّةٍ فَوْجًا مِمَّنْ يُكَذِّبُ بِآيَاتِنَا فَهُمْ يُوزَعُونَ * حَتَّى إِذَا جَاءُوا قَالَ أَكَذَّبْتُمْ بِآيَاتِي وَلَمْ تُحِيطُوا بِهَا عِلْمًا أَمَّاذَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَThe Shaykh : Excuse me, could we pause at the first type? It seems to me there is something in it. You mentioned the meaning that they did not have a comprehensive understanding. Did you say, "Did not have a comprehensive understanding"?
Another questioner : Repeat the verse...
The questioner : I say that the predominant characteristic of these people is that they denied it.
The Shaykh : Ah
The questioner : [They denied] Islam because they did not have a comprehensive knowledge of it.
The Shaykh : Yes, let us pause here.
The questioner : They did not have a comprehensive knowledge of Islam.
The Shaykh : They did not have a comprehensive knowledge of it.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Is this a condition?
The questioner : I say it is the predominant characteristic, as evidenced by the statement of our Lord.
The Shaykh : Comprehensive knowledge of Islam, Professor? I mean, it is barely possible to say that the Muslim scholars themselves, let alone the disbelievers who know only a little about Islam, have such comprehensive knowledge. I believe that using the word "comprehensive knowledge" here undermines our creed.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Because comprehensive knowledge has no limits. As is clear to you all, it is sufficient for a person to fall into disbelief that the meaning of the statement of the Exalted is realized in him:
And they rejected them, while their [inner] selves were convinced thereof
وَجَحَدُوا بِهَا وَاسْتَيْقَنَتْهَا أَنْفُسُهُمْThe questioner : The intended meaning, may Allah reward you, is that if a person denies Islam, it means either that he is ignorant of Islam and did not investigate it properly, and therefore he denied it. This is if he is denying with his heart and his tongue, meaning that in reality he is denying with his heart and is sincere in that denial in terms of reality. I said this to distinguish this type from the other type, which is the disbelief of rejection. The disbelief of rejection is when a person is certain in his heart that it is the truth, but he conceals it and denies it with his tongue. This is like the disbelief of Pharaoh regarding Moses, and the disbelief of the Jews regarding Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). In this regard, our Lord said, as you kindly mentioned earlier:
And they rejected them, while their [inner] selves were convinced thereof, out of injustice and haughtiness
وَجَحَدُوا بِهَا وَاسْتَيْقَنَتْهَا أَنْفُسُهُمْ ظُلْمًا وَعُلُوًّاwhen there came to them that which they recognized, they disbelieved in it
فَلَمَّا جَاءَهُمْ مَا عَرَفُوا كَفَرُوا بِهِexcept for Iblees. He refused and was arrogant and became of the disbelievers.
إِلَّا إِبْلِيسَ أَبَى وَاسْتَكْبَرَ وَكَانَ مِنَ الْكَافِرِينَ(3) A Book whose verses have been detailed, an Arabic Qur'an for a people who know, (4) As a giver of good tidings and a warner; but most of them turn away, so they do not hear.
كِتَابٌ فُصِّلَتْ آيَاتُهُ قُرْآنًا عَرَبِيًّا لِقَوْمٍ يَعْلَمُونَ * بَشِيرًا وَنَذِيرًا فَأَعْرَضَ أَكْثَرُهُمْ فَهُمْ لا يَسْمَعُونَAnd they say, "Our hearts are within coverings from that to which you invite us, and in our ears is deafness, and between us and you is a partition, so work; indeed, we are working."
وَقَالُوا قُلُوبُنَا في أَكِنَّةٍ مِمَّا تَدْعُونَا إِلَيْهِ وَفِي آذَانِنَا وَقْرٌ وَمِنْ بَيْنِنَا وَبَيْنِكَ حِجَابٌ فَاعْمَلْ إِنَّنَا عَامِلُونَexcept for Iblees. He refused and was arrogant and became of the disbelievers.
إِلَّا إِبْلِيسَ أَبَى وَاسْتَكْبَرَ وَكَانَ مِنَ الْكَافِرِينَ
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.