The Ruling on Excusing Ignorance in Matters of Creed

Question:
What is the ruling on excusing ignorance in matters of creed and other things?

Answer:
Ignorance is an excuse only for matters that can be hidden. As for the apparent matters of the religion, the ignorant person is not excused for them; such as matters of tawhid (the oneness of Allah) and matters of prayer. If a person says, "I do not know about prayer," while he is among Muslims, or "I do not know that prayer is prescribed," or "I do not know about zakah (the obligatory alms)," or "I do not know about fasting," he is not excused for ignorance. Or if he says, "I do not know that zina (unlawful sexual intercourse) is forbidden," he is not to be obeyed. Or if he says, "I do not know that liwat (sodomy) is forbidden," while he is among Muslims, he is not to be obeyed. Or if he says, "I do not know that khamr (intoxicants) is forbidden," he is not to be obeyed.
As for what can be unknown, such as some of the attributes, the attributes of Allah that were hidden from him, or he did not know that they are among the attributes of Allah, so he denied them, and then he learned and it was explained to him that this entails disbelief; because a person like this may be ignorant of some attributes, or like some of the rights of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he was ignorant of, not knowing about some rights that are hidden from the common person, or something similar. Or a person in the far reaches of America or the far reaches of Africa in some places remote from Islam; a person like this is like the people of the period of ignorance (ahl al-fatra). It is explained to him, and he is not declared a disbeliever until it is explained to him and he knows. If he then persists in that and persists in disbelief, he is killed. The Muslim who takes charge of him, or the Muslim state, rules against him accordingly.
The conclusion is that he is excused for ignorance in matters that may be hidden, and his ruling is the ruling of the people of the period of ignorance (ahl al-fatra) if he meets Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He).
The correct view, which the hadiths indicate, is that he is tested on the Day of Resurrection among the people of the period of ignorance (ahl al-fatra). If he responds to the truth, he enters Paradise, and if he disobeys, he enters the Fire. As for in this world, it is looked into if it is suspected that he is ignorant. The one in authority, if he intends to establish the hadd (fixed punishment) upon him, establishes ta'zir (discretionary punishment) upon him if someone like him would be ignorant of this matter, and he warns him. But he does not leave the hadd upon him if he is among Muslims, from those for whom such things are not hidden, like what was mentioned before. He says, "I do not know that people pray," or "I do not know about prayer, I do not know about zakah, I do not know about fasting, I do not know about jihad." This is not to be obeyed; because this is playing with the religion.