What is the meaning of the statement of Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him): "Declaring a specific person a disbeliever requires specific evidence"?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful:
Your Eminence, may Allah preserve and protect you, what is the meaning of the statement of the Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah: "Declaring a specific person a disbeliever requires specific evidence"?
The Shaykh : You know, may Allah bless you, that rulings are sometimes tied to a description and sometimes tied to a specific person. For example, we say: "Every believer is from the people of Paradise." This is a general statement. It is tied to what?
To the description: Every believer is in Paradise, and every disbeliever is in the Fire. But do you say to this specific person, "So-and-so is from the people of Paradise"?
You do not say that.
Do you say to this specific person, "So-and-so is from the people of the Fire, and he is a disbeliever"?
You do not say that. So there is a difference between what is tied to a description and what is tied to a specific person.
So if a person says a word of disbelief or does an act of disbelief, we do not declare him a disbeliever until we look at what motivated him to do so, and then we deal with him according to what his situation requires.
A man was forced to prostrate to an idol, so he prostrated. And another man was forced to say a word of disbelief, so he said it. Are these two men disbelievers?
No, because Allah the Exalted said:[An-Nahl 16:106].
And His saying:[An-Nahl 16:106] includes one who disbelieves by word or by deed. Do you understand?
So did this man do an act of disbelief or not?
I am asking you: the man who prostrated to the idol under compulsion, and the man who said a word of disbelief under compulsion, did he do an act of disbelief?
Did he do an act of disbelief or not? Is he a disbeliever?
No, because there was a barrier to declaring him a disbeliever, which is compulsion. And the man who was extravagant in sinning against himself said to his family: He did this thinking that he would be saved thereby from the punishment of Allah. :
This man did an act of disbelief. Why?
Because he was in doubt about the power of Allah, in doubt that Allah is able to gather him and punish him. But because what motivated him to do that was fear of the punishment of Allah, Mighty and Majestic, Allah forgave him. So the result is that the statement of the Shaykh al-Islam (may Allah have mercy on him) says: "Disbelief tied to a description is disbelief in all cases". Whoever disbelieves in Allah is in the Fire. Whoever prostrates to an idol is a disbeliever. Whoever says: "There is a god besides Allah" is a disbeliever. But for this specific person, be patient and do not judge him until you look into it. He may be ignorant and not know. He may be interpreting the text figuratively. And there may be a situation that requires him to say this thing without his will. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) informed us::
Is the word here a word of disbelief or a word of faith?
It is a word of disbelief, because he claimed lordship for himself and claimed servitude for Allah. But because he did not intend this, rather he made a mistake out of extreme joy, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, Allah did not hold him accountable. Yes, is the matter clear now?
Your Eminence, may Allah preserve and protect you, what is the meaning of the statement of the Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah: "Declaring a specific person a disbeliever requires specific evidence"?
The Shaykh : You know, may Allah bless you, that rulings are sometimes tied to a description and sometimes tied to a specific person. For example, we say: "Every believer is from the people of Paradise." This is a general statement. It is tied to what?
To the description: Every believer is in Paradise, and every disbeliever is in the Fire. But do you say to this specific person, "So-and-so is from the people of Paradise"?
You do not say that.
Do you say to this specific person, "So-and-so is from the people of the Fire, and he is a disbeliever"?
You do not say that. So there is a difference between what is tied to a description and what is tied to a specific person.
So if a person says a word of disbelief or does an act of disbelief, we do not declare him a disbeliever until we look at what motivated him to do so, and then we deal with him according to what his situation requires.
A man was forced to prostrate to an idol, so he prostrated. And another man was forced to say a word of disbelief, so he said it. Are these two men disbelievers?
No, because Allah the Exalted said:
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 صَدْرًا فَعَلَيْهِمْ غَضَبٌ مِنَ اللَّهِ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌAnd His saying:
Whoever disbelieves in Allah after his belief
مَنْ كَفَرَ بِاللَّهِ مِنْ بَعْدِ إِيمَانِهِSo did this man do an act of disbelief or not?
I am asking you: the man who prostrated to the idol under compulsion, and the man who said a word of disbelief under compulsion, did he do an act of disbelief?
Did he do an act of disbelief or not? Is he a disbeliever?
No, because there was a barrier to declaring him a disbeliever, which is compulsion. And the man who was extravagant in sinning against himself said to his family:
When I die, burn me and scatter me in the sea
إذا مت فاحرقوني وذروني في اليمThen his family did to him what he had said, so Allah, Mighty and Majestic, gathered him and asked him: Why did you do this? He said: My Lord, out of fear of Your punishment. So Allah forgave him.
ثم فعل أهله به ما قال فجمعه الله عز وجل وسأله : لم فعلت هذا ؟ قال : ربي خوفا من عقابك فغفر الله لهThis man did an act of disbelief. Why?
Because he was in doubt about the power of Allah, in doubt that Allah is able to gather him and punish him. But because what motivated him to do that was fear of the punishment of Allah, Mighty and Majestic, Allah forgave him. So the result is that the statement of the Shaykh al-Islam (may Allah have mercy on him) says: "Disbelief tied to a description is disbelief in all cases". Whoever disbelieves in Allah is in the Fire. Whoever prostrates to an idol is a disbeliever. Whoever says: "There is a god besides Allah" is a disbeliever. But for this specific person, be patient and do not judge him until you look into it. He may be ignorant and not know. He may be interpreting the text figuratively. And there may be a situation that requires him to say this thing without his will. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) informed us:
That Allah the Exalted is more joyful with the repentance of a servant than a man who had a mount that was lost in the desert, so he sought it but did not find it. Then he despaired and lay down under the shade of a tree waiting for death. When he saw the rein of his camel hanging from the tree, he took the rein and said out of extreme joy: "O Allah, You are my servant and I am your Lord."
أن الله تعالى أشد فرحا بتوبة العبد من رجل كان له راحلة فضاعت في البر فطلبها فلم يجدها، فأيس فاضطجع تحت ظل شجرة ينتظر الموت، فإذا بخطام ناقته متعلقة بالشجرة، فأخذ بالخطام وقال من شدة الفرح : اللهم أنت عبدي وأنا ربكIs the word here a word of disbelief or a word of faith?
It is a word of disbelief, because he claimed lordship for himself and claimed servitude for Allah. But because he did not intend this, rather he made a mistake out of extreme joy, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, Allah did not hold him accountable. Yes, is the matter clear now?