The Shaykh’s warning about the danger of rushing to declare someone a disbeliever.

The Shaykh : These matters are delicate, so beware of rushing to declare someone a disbeliever. Declaring someone a disbeliever is a legal ruling that is not derived except from the Shari'ah. It is like declaring something lawful or forbidden. Just as I cannot say, "This is lawful" or "This is forbidden" if the Lawgiver has not made it lawful or forbidden, I cannot say, "This person is a disbeliever" or "not a disbeliever" if the Lawgiver has not declared him a disbeliever. In fact, this is even more serious, because if the person is not a disbeliever, the charge of disbelief returns to you. As the authentic hadith states, if a person calls another a disbeliever or says, "O enemy of Allah," and that is not the case, it returns to him. So this matter is not easy. Verify the point of contention, may Allah bless you, and distinguish between matters. For example, scholars say: if you dislike a person because he let his beard grow, that is different from disliking the act of letting the beard grow. The second is a dislike of the Shari'ah itself, which may amount to disbelief, whereas the first is not so, because one may dislike a person because he thinks he did not represent the Shari'ah, or because what the Shari'ah ordered should not be in that form, or something similar. I saw this issue in the words of Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, and it is clear: distinguish between disliking a person and disliking a Shari'ah. This is the difference. For example, if someone slaughters an animal on the occasion of the Prophet's (peace and blessings be upon him) birthday, and his intention is to honor the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and draw near to Him as one draws near to Allah and honors Him, then that is disbelief, even if it is not on this occasion. But if his intention is to slaughter for making feasts and feeding the attendees, then that is not shirk (associating partners with Allah), and the slaughtered animal is lawful. However, this innovation is a forbidden innovation, so we must know the difference and not rush or be hasty. Yes, every believer has zeal for the religion of Allah and loves to protect the Shari'ah of Allah, but he must know that creation are also the servants of Allah. Be gentle with them. Do not declare a disbeliever one whom Allah the Exalted has not declared a disbeliever. Allah is the One who judges between His servants in this world and the Hereafter. To Him is praise in the first and the last, and to Him belongs the judgment. So, my brother, do not rush. Think, verify the point of contention, and know that the zeal in your heart should be based on what the Shari'ah requires. Yes, that is right.