What is the ruling on one who insults the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) or any of his Companions in a state of heedlessness, then repents and returns? And what is your opinion regarding the story of Ka'b ibn Zuhayr and his insult of the Prophet?
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The questioner : In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Our esteemed Shaykh, peace be upon you and Allah's mercy and blessings.
You mentioned, may Allah preserve you, in some of your lessons that the one who insults the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) or any of his Companions commits disbelief and is subject to repentance, but also to execution in taking the blood money for the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and for his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them). If this person who insults is in a state of heedlessness and sin, but is still a Muslim, is the ruling of execution applied to him after he has repented, turned back, and regretted what he did, just as was the case with the noble Companion Ka'b ibn Zuhayr (may Allah be pleased with him) and the story of his insulting the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)? We ask for clarification, and may Allah preserve you?
The Shaykh : He says: You mentioned in some of your lessons that whoever insults the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) or any of his Companions commits disbelief and is executed. This is not the case. The correct view is: whoever insults the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) commits disbelief, but whoever insults one of the Companions does not commit disbelief. However, if he insults the Companions in general, or insults them except for a few, then he commits disbelief. But the current discussion and the subject of the answer is insulting the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him and his family).
If he insults the Messenger, he commits disbelief, whether he is serious, joking, or mocking. He commits disbelief because of the saying of Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He:[At-Tawbah 9:65-66] But if he repents, his repentance is accepted, because of His saying, Blessed and Exalted is He: [Az-Zumar 39:53]
But is the execution waived for him? The answer to this is: there is a detailed distinction. If the one who insulted the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) did so while he was a disbeliever who had not yet embraced Islam, then he is not executed, due to the generality of the saying of the Exalted:[Al-Anfal 8:38].
As for if the one who insulted the Messenger was a Muslim and apostatized by insulting the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), then the stronger opinion, which was chosen by the Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, is that he is executed while his repentance is accepted, in taking the blood money for the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family).
If someone says: It has been found that people insulted the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) and their repentance was accepted and they were not executed. We say: Yes, this is true. But the right of execution belongs to whom? To the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). If he forgave them during his lifetime, the right was his; if he wished, he would execute them, and if he wished, he would not execute them. But after his death, do we know that the Messenger forgave them? No. If they were deserving of execution for insulting the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), and this is a human right, and we do not know that he forgave them, then it is obligatory to execute them.
Furthermore, there is a public benefit in executing them, which is to restrain the tongues of others from insulting the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). As for them, Allah has accepted their repentance if their repentance was sincere, and their affair is left to Allah. If they are not executed today, they will die tomorrow. This is the stronger opinion in this issue.
Some scholars hold the view that if he repents, his repentance is not accepted and he is executed as a disbeliever. This is the well-known view in the school of Imam Ahmad. He said in *Zad al-Mustaqni*: "The repentance of one who insults Allah or His Messenger is not accepted." But this opinion is weak, because the correct view is: that repentance is accepted whenever it is issued in a correct manner. But as for execution: if he insulted Allah, he is not executed; and if he insulted the Messenger, he is executed. Perhaps you are surprised and say: Which is greater: insulting Allah, or the Messenger? Which is greater? Insulting Allah is greater, there is no doubt about it. Why, if the one who insulted Allah repents, do we accept his repentance and not execute him, and if the one who insulted the Messenger repents, do we accept his repentance and execute him? Why? Because the one who insults Allah and repents, Allah turns to him in mercy. And Allah, the Exalted, has informed us about Himself that He waives His right, saying:[Az-Zumar 39:53] So we know that Allah, the Exalted, has forgiven him for his repentance from insulting Allah. As for the one who insulted the Messenger, we do not know if the Messenger... forgave him. And thus, his execution becomes necessary. This is the point of difference between the two.
And some scholars held the view: that whoever insults Allah or His Messenger and then repents, his repentance is accepted and he is not executed. So the opinions in this issue became three. Yes, brother.
The questioner : ... that Allah forgives all sins. Does this not encompass this?
The Shaykh : Yes, fine.
Our esteemed Shaykh, peace be upon you and Allah's mercy and blessings.
You mentioned, may Allah preserve you, in some of your lessons that the one who insults the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) or any of his Companions commits disbelief and is subject to repentance, but also to execution in taking the blood money for the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and for his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them). If this person who insults is in a state of heedlessness and sin, but is still a Muslim, is the ruling of execution applied to him after he has repented, turned back, and regretted what he did, just as was the case with the noble Companion Ka'b ibn Zuhayr (may Allah be pleased with him) and the story of his insulting the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)? We ask for clarification, and may Allah preserve you?
The Shaykh : He says: You mentioned in some of your lessons that whoever insults the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) or any of his Companions commits disbelief and is executed. This is not the case. The correct view is: whoever insults the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) commits disbelief, but whoever insults one of the Companions does not commit disbelief. However, if he insults the Companions in general, or insults them except for a few, then he commits disbelief. But the current discussion and the subject of the answer is insulting the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him and his family).
If he insults the Messenger, he commits disbelief, whether he is serious, joking, or mocking. He commits disbelief because of the saying of Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He:
(65) And if you ask them, they will surely say, "We were only conversing and playing." Say, "Is it Allah and His verses and His Messenger that you were mocking?" (66) Make no excuse; you have disbelieved after your belief. If We pardon one faction of you - We will punish another faction because they were criminals.
قُلْ أَبِاللَّهِ وَآيَاتِهِ وَرَسُولِهِ كُنْتُمْ تَسْتَهْزِئُونَ * لا تَعْتَذِرُوا قَدْ كَفَرْتُمْ بَعْدَ إِيمَانِكُمْSay, "O My servants who have transgressed against themselves [by sinning], do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins
قُلْ يَا عِبَادِيَ الَّذِينَ أَسْرَفُوا عَلَى أَنْفُسِهِمْ لا تَقْنَطُوا مِنْ رَحْمَةِ اللَّهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعاًBut is the execution waived for him? The answer to this is: there is a detailed distinction. If the one who insulted the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) did so while he was a disbeliever who had not yet embraced Islam, then he is not executed, due to the generality of the saying of the Exalted:
Say to those who have disbelieved [that] if they cease, what has previously occurred will be forgiven for them
قُلْ لِلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا إِنْ يَنْتَهُوا يُغْفَرْ لَهُمْ مَا قَدْ سَلَفَAs for if the one who insulted the Messenger was a Muslim and apostatized by insulting the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), then the stronger opinion, which was chosen by the Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, is that he is executed while his repentance is accepted, in taking the blood money for the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family).
If someone says: It has been found that people insulted the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) and their repentance was accepted and they were not executed. We say: Yes, this is true. But the right of execution belongs to whom? To the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). If he forgave them during his lifetime, the right was his; if he wished, he would execute them, and if he wished, he would not execute them. But after his death, do we know that the Messenger forgave them? No. If they were deserving of execution for insulting the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), and this is a human right, and we do not know that he forgave them, then it is obligatory to execute them.
Furthermore, there is a public benefit in executing them, which is to restrain the tongues of others from insulting the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). As for them, Allah has accepted their repentance if their repentance was sincere, and their affair is left to Allah. If they are not executed today, they will die tomorrow. This is the stronger opinion in this issue.
Some scholars hold the view that if he repents, his repentance is not accepted and he is executed as a disbeliever. This is the well-known view in the school of Imam Ahmad. He said in *Zad al-Mustaqni*: "The repentance of one who insults Allah or His Messenger is not accepted." But this opinion is weak, because the correct view is: that repentance is accepted whenever it is issued in a correct manner. But as for execution: if he insulted Allah, he is not executed; and if he insulted the Messenger, he is executed. Perhaps you are surprised and say: Which is greater: insulting Allah, or the Messenger? Which is greater? Insulting Allah is greater, there is no doubt about it. Why, if the one who insulted Allah repents, do we accept his repentance and not execute him, and if the one who insulted the Messenger repents, do we accept his repentance and execute him? Why? Because the one who insults Allah and repents, Allah turns to him in mercy. And Allah, the Exalted, has informed us about Himself that He waives His right, saying:
Say, "O My servants who have transgressed against themselves [by sinning], do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins
قُلْ يَا عِبَادِيَ الَّذِينَ أَسْرَفُوا عَلَى أَنْفُسِهِمْ لا تَقْنَطُوا مِنْ رَحْمَةِ اللَّهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعاًAnd some scholars held the view: that whoever insults Allah or His Messenger and then repents, his repentance is accepted and he is not executed. So the opinions in this issue became three. Yes, brother.
The questioner : ... that Allah forgives all sins. Does this not encompass this?
The Shaykh : Yes, fine.