The Ruling on the Perpetrator of a Major Sin According to the People of the Sunnah and Others

Question:
What is the ruling of the Shari'ah regarding the perpetrator of a major sin? Does he leave the religion?

Answer:
The ruling of the Shari'ah is that he is a disobedient open sinner, but he does not leave the religion; unlike the Khawarij. According to the people of the Sunnah and the community, the fornicator is an open sinner, and the drinker of intoxicants is an open sinner, provided he does not consider it permissible. The one who severs ties with his parents is an open sinner, and the one who deals in usury or interest is an open sinner; because these are all major sins, but he does not become a disbeliever. According to the Khawarij, he becomes a disbeliever by doing so. We ask Allah for safety.
The correct view is that their statement is invalid, and that he is not a disbeliever, but rather a disobedient person who must repent to Allah, return to Allah, and turn back in repentance. And whoever repents, Allah accepts his repentance. If he dies in that state, he dies as a disobedient person in danger of entering the Fire, unless Allah forgives him. But if he enters it, he will not remain in it forever. If he enters it, unlike the Khawarij and the Mu'tazilah. The Khawarij say: He becomes a disbeliever and remains in the Fire forever. If he dies having severed ties with his parents, or in a state of fornication without repenting, or in a state of drinking intoxicants, they say: He is a disbeliever and remains in the Fire forever. The Mu'tazilah are like them regarding the Hereafter; they say: He remains in the Fire forever. But they say regarding this world: He is neither a disbeliever nor a Muslim; he is in a position between the two positions. And their statement is also invalid.
As for the people of the Sunnah and the community, they say: He is a Muslim who is disobedient, a believer who is disobedient. He must repent to Allah. If he repents, Allah accepts his repentance. If he dies in his disobedience, he is under the will of Allah. If Allah wills, He forgives him and admits him to Paradise because of his oneness of Allah and his Islam. If He wills, He punishes him according to the sins he died upon, then He takes him out of the Fire after purification. Allah takes him out of the Fire into Paradise; because of the saying of Allah the Exalted in His great Book: [Surat al-Nisa: 48] What is less than shirk [Surat al-Nisa: 48]. Some of them are not forgiven; they enter the Fire and are punished according to their sins. After purification and testing, Allah takes them out of the Fire to a river called the River of Life. They grow in it as a seed grows in the flood of rain. When their creation is complete, Allah admits them to Paradise. Yes.