A Guiding Word to Those Who Apply the Term of Disbelief to People, and When a Person Becomes a Disbeliever

The questioner : The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: As I have seen with many of the brothers, they learn a little and then begin to declare people disbelievers. Do you have a word for us?

The Shaykh : Is it?

The questioner : Do you have a guiding word regarding disbelief and when a person becomes a disbeliever?

The Shaykh : Yes.

The questioner : May Allah bless you.

The Shaykh : You have spoken well. First, it is not permissible for a scholar who is well-versed in the Book and the Sunnah to declare an individual or a group disbelievers in a blanket statement unless the proof has been established. This also requires that the scholar fully understand the view of the person he is about to declare a disbeliever. He must, above all, understand his view correctly and then present it to the evidence of the Book and the Sunnah. If this evidence testifies that this person deserves to be declared a disbeliever, it is still not permissible to issue the ruling against him unless the proof has been established against him. There is no doubt that this is not the domain of students of knowledge. It is sufficient for students of knowledge to keep in mind the saying of their Lord (Mighty and Majestic): Therefore, the student of knowledge must keep his distance and save himself from falling into what those who wish to apply the term of disbelief to others fall into. And his saying (peace and blessings be upon him): This contains a severe warning for the Muslim who rushes to apply the term of disbelief to a Muslim who testifies that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. And if this student of knowledge has a viewpoint...The student : ...he must present it to the person he intends to declare a disbeliever and discuss it with him. It may be that he is the one who is wrong, rather than the one he wants to declare a disbeliever. In summary, declaring someone a disbeliever is a serious matter, and a very serious one at that. Therefore, some scholars said: If there are one hundred opinions regarding a specific person, ninety-nine of which declare him a disbeliever and one which does not, then caution and prudence dictate that we adopt this unique, singular opinion and not the opinion of the ninety-nine, because there is danger in that. Then, if the person who is intended to be declared a disbeliever has actually committed disbelief, what harm is there to us if we exercise caution and preserve our own standing by not applying the term of disbelief? I believe that what you pointed out, the haste of some students of knowledge, is due to arrogance, self-admiration, and being deluded by this shallow, little knowledge that some of these students have acquired, while they think they are doing a good job. So the student of knowledge must truly remember the previous verse: This is my answer to what you asked, and I hope I have answered your question.