What is the ruling on making an exception in faith?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : May Allah reward you. What is the ruling on making an exception in faith?
The Shaykh : And what is the meaning of making an exception in faith?
The questioner : A person says, "I am a believer, if Allah wills."
The Shaykh : Yes, that is fine. If a person says, "I am a believer, if Allah wills," and his intention is seeking blessing, or that his faith occurred by the will of Allah, then this is true and there is no problem with it. It is permissible if he intends what? Seeking blessing. And the second one is what? That his faith occurred by the will of Allah. Then this is permissible.
And if he is hesitating, such that when he is told, "You are a believer," he says, "If Allah wills," meaning that he is hesitating that it may be so or it may not be, then this is disbelief that expels one from the religion. Why? Because hesitation in faith is not faith, because faith is certainty. So how many categories are there?
The student: ...
The Shaykh : Fine, the first one?
The student: The first one is with the intention of seeking blessing, or...
The Shaykh : Or that his faith is by the will of Allah.
The student: Or that his faith is by the will of Allah, then this is permissible.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The student: But if he doubts the foundation of faith or is hesitating... it is disbelief that expels one from the religion.
The Shaykh : Well done. This is regarding the creed of faith. As for deeds, deeds are part of faith without doubt, due to his saying (peace and blessings be upon him):Sahih Muslim 35b If he intended deeds and said, "I am a believer, if Allah wills," meaning that I am maintaining all the attributes of faith, then this is also correct. That is, not every believer performs all the ordinances. Yasar? You came here by trickery, I say you came here by trickery, yes, do you accept... the trickery, or shall we leave it for later... does his turn come here? Do you accept his trickery on the condition that he does not...
The questioner : We accept it, O Shaykh...
The Shaykh : On the condition... you do not come... he asks
The questioner : ...
The Shaykh : Leave this, leave this... open it
The Shaykh : And what is the meaning of making an exception in faith?
The questioner : A person says, "I am a believer, if Allah wills."
The Shaykh : Yes, that is fine. If a person says, "I am a believer, if Allah wills," and his intention is seeking blessing, or that his faith occurred by the will of Allah, then this is true and there is no problem with it. It is permissible if he intends what? Seeking blessing. And the second one is what? That his faith occurred by the will of Allah. Then this is permissible.
And if he is hesitating, such that when he is told, "You are a believer," he says, "If Allah wills," meaning that he is hesitating that it may be so or it may not be, then this is disbelief that expels one from the religion. Why? Because hesitation in faith is not faith, because faith is certainty. So how many categories are there?
The student: ...
The Shaykh : Fine, the first one?
The student: The first one is with the intention of seeking blessing, or...
The Shaykh : Or that his faith is by the will of Allah.
The student: Or that his faith is by the will of Allah, then this is permissible.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The student: But if he doubts the foundation of faith or is hesitating... it is disbelief that expels one from the religion.
The Shaykh : Well done. This is regarding the creed of faith. As for deeds, deeds are part of faith without doubt, due to his saying (peace and blessings be upon him):
Faith has over seventy branches or over sixty branches, the most excellent of which is the declaration that there is no god but Allah, and the humblest of which is the, removal of what is injurious from the path: and modesty is a branch of faith.
الإيمان بضع وسبعون شعبة أعلاها قول لا إله إلاّ الله وأدناها إماطة الأذى عن الطّريق، والحياء شعبة من الإيمانThe questioner : We accept it, O Shaykh...
The Shaykh : On the condition... you do not come... he asks
The questioner : ...
The Shaykh : Leave this, leave this... open it