What is the criterion for declaring something permissible that leads to a ruling of disbelief?
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The questioner : Regarding the declaration of something permissible, if a person commits any sin, whether major or otherwise, and persists in it, is he ruled to have declared it permissible merely by his action and persistence, or is declaring something permissible a matter of the heart that does not manifest unless he speaks it with his tongue?
The Shaykh : The second view is the correct one, because many people persist in sins while believing them to be forbidden, saying, "We are unable to break free from them." You will find that when he commits a sin, he seeks forgiveness from Allah for it. In fact, some people make a severe vow not to commit that sin, but they are unable to keep it. This is necessary. Declaring something permissible does not require the evidence to be definitive. If someone were to say, "Yes, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said this hadith and explicitly stated that it is forbidden, but I see it as lawful," would he be declared a disbeliever or not? He would be declared a disbeliever, even if it is from the reports of a single narrator, as long as he believes that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said it, but he says, "No, I see it as lawful." He is a disbeliever.
The Shaykh : The second view is the correct one, because many people persist in sins while believing them to be forbidden, saying, "We are unable to break free from them." You will find that when he commits a sin, he seeks forgiveness from Allah for it. In fact, some people make a severe vow not to commit that sin, but they are unable to keep it. This is necessary. Declaring something permissible does not require the evidence to be definitive. If someone were to say, "Yes, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said this hadith and explicitly stated that it is forbidden, but I see it as lawful," would he be declared a disbeliever or not? He would be declared a disbeliever, even if it is from the reports of a single narrator, as long as he believes that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said it, but he says, "No, I see it as lawful." He is a disbeliever.