What is the ruling on one who is scrupulous about describing a person as a disbeliever, but is not scrupulous about describing him as secular?
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The questioner : In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
His EminenceThe Shaykh : What is your opinion of a man who is scrupulous about accusing a person of disbelief, while he is not scrupulous about calling him a secularist or a modernist? May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : It is known that we must be scrupulous about describing a person as a disbeliever, an open sinner, a secularist, a modernist, or any other of these bad titles, until we clarify the matter and then judge him by what he deserves. However, if secularism and modernism are disbelief, there is no difference between calling him a secularist and modernist or saying he is a disbeliever. But the word "disbelief" is explicit and clear; everyone knows that if you say "so-and-so is a disbeliever," he has exited Islam. But if you say "secularist" or "modernist," it may be understood that he has some element of secularism or modernism that does not amount to disbelief.
In any case: it is obligatory that we not insult each other with titles, and that we not describe anyone with something unless he truly possesses that attribute, because hastiness in these matters leads to harms. It is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): Yes.
His EminenceThe Shaykh : What is your opinion of a man who is scrupulous about accusing a person of disbelief, while he is not scrupulous about calling him a secularist or a modernist? May Allah reward you with good.
The Shaykh : It is known that we must be scrupulous about describing a person as a disbeliever, an open sinner, a secularist, a modernist, or any other of these bad titles, until we clarify the matter and then judge him by what he deserves. However, if secularism and modernism are disbelief, there is no difference between calling him a secularist and modernist or saying he is a disbeliever. But the word "disbelief" is explicit and clear; everyone knows that if you say "so-and-so is a disbeliever," he has exited Islam. But if you say "secularist" or "modernist," it may be understood that he has some element of secularism or modernism that does not amount to disbelief.
In any case: it is obligatory that we not insult each other with titles, and that we not describe anyone with something unless he truly possesses that attribute, because hastiness in these matters leads to harms. It is established from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):