I heard that disbelief is both belief-based and action-based, and that action-based disbelief is only minor disbelief, whether it is abandoning prayer or anything else. Is this correct?
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The questioner : May the Shaykh be respected, I heard a scholar say: that disbelief is belief-based and action-based, and that the action-based kind is only minor disbelief, and major disbelief does not fall under it, whether it is abandoning prayer or doing any other action?
The Shaykh : Yes, this is a principle held by some scholars that disbelief does not occur except through belief, and as for the disbelief of action, it does not. But the correct view is the opposite. The correct view is that disbelief can be action-based, such as abandoning prayer, because the Qur'an, the Sunnah, and the statements of the Companions indicate that the one who abandons prayer is a disbeliever with a disbelief that takes him out of the religion, even if he believes in its obligation. This is the stronger position.
But on this occasion, I do not want our brothers and youth to make their greatest concern searching for the disbelief of rulers or non-rulers, as if they were not created except to search for this: is he a disbeliever or not? They should search for explaining the limits of what Allah revealed to His Messenger regarding acts of worship and other matters. As for the issue of occupying themselves with whether such a person is a disbeliever or not, this is a mistake and a waste of time, and it has no benefit. Even if they ultimately reach the conclusion that a ruler is a disbeliever, what will they do? They will not be able to do anything except cause fitnah (trial, discord or temptation), the removal of security, and evil that has no end. Moreover, they may declare the ruler a disbeliever based on their desires, not based on the evidence they possess. For example, religious emotion and religious zeal: they say, "This is a disbeliever." But not everyone who says a word of disbelief or does an act of disbelief is a disbeliever. The Qur'an and the Sunnah indicate this. In the Qur'an, Allah the Exalted says:[An-Nahl 16:106] Thus, the ruling of disbelief was lifted from the one who is coerced, even though he says the word of disbelief and does the act of disbelief. And in the Sunnah, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) informed about knowing that in that state, when he made his will, he was doubting what? The power of Allah. He thought that Allah could not bring him back. And he also informed that and this word Sahih Muslim 2747a is a word of disbelief without doubt, but because it was a mistake due to extreme joy, he was forgiven. So my advice, which I testify to Allah and hope our sons and youth will act upon, is that their greatest concern and occupation should not be this, namely: what do you say about such a ruler? And such a ruler is a disbeliever, and so on. Because this does not benefit anything. We have a close example in what happened in Algeria. What happened in Algeria? It happened that five million— I think fifty thousand, fifty thousand— were killed without right in three years, whether by the government killing these people or by them killing those whose blood is protected. All of this is from evil and calamity. Therefore, the youth and people of good must completely turn away from this, because it never benefits, but rather it causes evil, fitnah (trial, discord or temptation), and chaos. And praise be to Allah, as long as we are not able to change anything, even if we see clear disbelief for which we have proof from Allah, what is the benefit? Then we must look and think: every country in which a revolution occurred, did it not increase after the revolution except in what? In evil in its religion and its worldly affairs. Yes.
The questioner : The one who abandons prayer?
The Shaykh : The one who abandons prayer, in my view, is without doubt a disbeliever with a disbelief that takes him out of the religion, even if he says: "I testify that it is obligatory and that it is a pillar of Islam," but he is not praying. This is a disbeliever. Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes, this is a principle held by some scholars that disbelief does not occur except through belief, and as for the disbelief of action, it does not. But the correct view is the opposite. The correct view is that disbelief can be action-based, such as abandoning prayer, because the Qur'an, the Sunnah, and the statements of the Companions indicate that the one who abandons prayer is a disbeliever with a disbelief that takes him out of the religion, even if he believes in its obligation. This is the stronger position.
But on this occasion, I do not want our brothers and youth to make their greatest concern searching for the disbelief of rulers or non-rulers, as if they were not created except to search for this: is he a disbeliever or not? They should search for explaining the limits of what Allah revealed to His Messenger regarding acts of worship and other matters. As for the issue of occupying themselves with whether such a person is a disbeliever or not, this is a mistake and a waste of time, and it has no benefit. Even if they ultimately reach the conclusion that a ruler is a disbeliever, what will they do? They will not be able to do anything except cause fitnah (trial, discord or temptation), the removal of security, and evil that has no end. Moreover, they may declare the ruler a disbeliever based on their desires, not based on the evidence they possess. For example, religious emotion and religious zeal: they say, "This is a disbeliever." But not everyone who says a word of disbelief or does an act of disbelief is a disbeliever. The Qur'an and the Sunnah indicate this. In the Qur'an, Allah the Exalted says:
Whoever disbelieves in Allah after his belief... except for one who is forced [to renounce his religion] while his heart is secure in faith. But those who [willingly] open their breasts to disbelief, upon them is wrath from Allah, and for them is a great punishment;
مَنْ كَفَرَ بِاللَّهِ مِنْ بَعْدِ إِيمَانِهِ إِلَّا مَنْ أُكْرِهَ وَقَلْبُهُ مُطْمَئِنٌّ بِالْأِيمَانِ وَلَكِنْ مَنْ شَرَحَ بِالْكُفْرِ صَدْراً فَعَلَيْهِمْ غَضَبٌ مِنَ اللَّهِ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌA man who was extravagant with himself made a will to his family: when he dies, burn him and scatter his ashes in the sea. And he said: "If Allah has power over me, let Him punish me with a punishment He does not inflict on anyone." When they did so, Allah the Exalted gathered him and asked him: Why did you do this? He said: "O my Lord, I did that out of fear of You."
رجل كان مسرفا على نفسه فأوصى أهله إذا مات أن يحرقوه ويذروه في اليم وقال : لئن قدر الله علي ليعذبني عذابا لا يعذبه أحدا فلما فعلوا جمعه الله عز وجل وسأله لماذا فعلت ؟ قال : يا رب فعلت ذلك خوفا منكAllah rejoices in the repentance of His believing servant as the man who lost his camel, on which was his food and drink, rejoiced. So he lay down under a tree waiting for death, when he saw the camel. He took it by its reins and said: "O Allah, You are my servant and I am your Lord." He made a mistake out of extreme joy.
الله يفرح بتوبة عبده المؤمن كفرح الرجل الذي أضاع ناقته وعليها طعامه وشرابه فاضطجع تحت شجرة ينتظر الموت فإذا بالناقة فأخذ بخطامها وقال : اللهم أنت عبدي وأنا ربك أخطأ من شدة الفرح0 Lord, Thou art my servant and I am Thine Lord
اللهم أنت عبدي وأنا ربكThe questioner : The one who abandons prayer?
The Shaykh : The one who abandons prayer, in my view, is without doubt a disbeliever with a disbelief that takes him out of the religion, even if he says: "I testify that it is obligatory and that it is a pillar of Islam," but he is not praying. This is a disbeliever. Yes.