Major sins affect the servant's Islam
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Q: What is the ruling on committing some sins, especially major sins? Does that affect the servant's adherence to Islam?
A: Yes, it does affect it. Committing major sins, such as unlawful sexual intercourse, drinking intoxicants, killing a soul without right, consuming usury or interest, backbiting, talebearing, and other sins, affects the oneness of Allah and faith in Him, and weakens it. However, a Muslim does not become a disbeliever by any of these unless he considers them permissible, unlike the Khawarij, who declare a Muslim a disbeliever for committing a sin such as unlawful sexual intercourse, theft, undutifulness to parents, and other major sins, even if he does not consider them permissible. This is a great error on the part of the Khawarij. The people of the Sunnah and the community do not declare him a disbeliever for that, nor do they say he will remain in the Fire forever. Rather, they say he has deficient faith and tawhid (the oneness of Allah), but he does not commit major shirk (associating partners with Allah). Rather, there is a deficiency and weakness in his faith.
For this reason, Allah prescribed the fixed punishment for the one who commits unlawful sexual intercourse by flogging, if he is unmarried, with one hundred lashes and exile for one year. Likewise, the one who drinks intoxicants is flogged and not killed. Likewise, the thief has his hand cut off and is not killed. If unlawful sexual intercourse, drinking intoxicants, and theft entailed major shirk (associating partners with Allah), they would have been killed, based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):Sunan Ibn Majah 2535Sahih (Darussalam) narrated by Imam al-Bukhari (may Allah have mercy on him) in his Sahih. This indicates that these sins are not apostasy, but they weaken faith and diminish it. For this reason, Allah prescribed disciplining them with these fixed punishments so that they repent and return to their Lord and desist from what their Lord (Glorified and Exalted is He) has forbidden. The Mu'tazilah said that the sinner is in a position between two positions, but he will remain in the Fire forever if he dies upon it. Thus, they opposed the people of the Sunnah and agreed with the Khawarij in this. Both groups have strayed from the path.
The correct view is the first one, which is the view of the people of the Sunnah and the community. It is that he is a sinner with weak faith, and he is in great danger of the anger and punishment of Allah. However, he is not a disbeliever in the sense of major shirk (associating partners with Allah), which is apostasy from Islam. Nor will he remain in the Fire forever like the disbelievers if he dies upon any of these. Rather, he will be under the will of Allah: if He wills, He will forgive him, and if He wills, He will punish him according to the sins upon which he died, then He will take him out of the Fire. He will not remain in it forever except the disbelievers. Then, after the punishment Allah has decreed for him has passed, Allah will take him out of the Fire into Paradise. This is the view of the people of truth, and this is what the reports from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) have been mass-transmitted regarding, contrary to the Khawarij and the Mu'tazilah. Allah says: [Al-Nisa: 48]. Thus, the Exalted has made what is less than shirk (associating partners with Allah) subject to His will .
As for the one who dies upon major shirk (associating partners with Allah), he will remain in the Fire forever, and Paradise is forbidden to him. This is based on the saying of Allah the Exalted: [Al-Ma'idah: 72]. And He the Exalted said: [Al-Tawbah: 17]. And the verses in this meaning are numerous.
As for the sinner, if he enters the Fire, he will remain in it for as long as Allah wills, and he will not remain forever like the disbelievers. However, his duration may be long, and this will be a specific, temporary eternity, not like the eternity of the disbelievers. As He the Exalted said in the verse of al-Furqan, when He mentioned the polytheist, the killer, and the one who commits unlawful sexual intercourse, He the Exalted said: يُضَاعَفْ لَهُ الْعَذَابُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ وَيَخْلُدْ فِيهِ مُهَانًا [Al-Furqan: 68-69]. So it is a temporary eternity with an end.
As for the polytheist, his eternity is permanent, forever and ever. For this reason, He said regarding the polytheists in Surat al-Baqarah: [Al-Baqarah: 167]. And He the Exalted said in Surat al-Ma'idah regarding the disbelievers: [Al-Ma'idah: 37].
A: Yes, it does affect it. Committing major sins, such as unlawful sexual intercourse, drinking intoxicants, killing a soul without right, consuming usury or interest, backbiting, talebearing, and other sins, affects the oneness of Allah and faith in Him, and weakens it. However, a Muslim does not become a disbeliever by any of these unless he considers them permissible, unlike the Khawarij, who declare a Muslim a disbeliever for committing a sin such as unlawful sexual intercourse, theft, undutifulness to parents, and other major sins, even if he does not consider them permissible. This is a great error on the part of the Khawarij. The people of the Sunnah and the community do not declare him a disbeliever for that, nor do they say he will remain in the Fire forever. Rather, they say he has deficient faith and tawhid (the oneness of Allah), but he does not commit major shirk (associating partners with Allah). Rather, there is a deficiency and weakness in his faith.
For this reason, Allah prescribed the fixed punishment for the one who commits unlawful sexual intercourse by flogging, if he is unmarried, with one hundred lashes and exile for one year. Likewise, the one who drinks intoxicants is flogged and not killed. Likewise, the thief has his hand cut off and is not killed. If unlawful sexual intercourse, drinking intoxicants, and theft entailed major shirk (associating partners with Allah), they would have been killed, based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):
Whoever changes his religion, execute him.
من بدل دينه فاقتلوهThe correct view is the first one, which is the view of the people of the Sunnah and the community. It is that he is a sinner with weak faith, and he is in great danger of the anger and punishment of Allah. However, he is not a disbeliever in the sense of major shirk (associating partners with Allah), which is apostasy from Islam. Nor will he remain in the Fire forever like the disbelievers if he dies upon any of these. Rather, he will be under the will of Allah: if He wills, He will forgive him, and if He wills, He will punish him according to the sins upon which he died, then He will take him out of the Fire. He will not remain in it forever except the disbelievers. Then, after the punishment Allah has decreed for him has passed, Allah will take him out of the Fire into Paradise. This is the view of the people of truth, and this is what the reports from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) have been mass-transmitted regarding, contrary to the Khawarij and the Mu'tazilah. Allah says:
Indeed, Allah does not forgive association with Him, but He forgives what is less than that for whom He wills
إِنَّ اللَّهَ لا يَغْفِرُ أَنْ يُشْرَكَ بِهِ وَيَغْفِرُ مَا دُونَ ذَلِكَ لِمَنْ يَشَاءُAs for the one who dies upon major shirk (associating partners with Allah), he will remain in the Fire forever, and Paradise is forbidden to him. This is based on the saying of Allah the Exalted:
Indeed, he who associates others with Allah - Allah has forbidden him Paradise, and his refuge is the Fire. And there are not for the wrongdoers any helpers.
إِنَّهُ مَنْ يُشْرِكْ بِاللَّهِ فَقَدْ حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ الْجَنَّةَ وَمَأْوَاهُ النَّارُ وَمَا لِلظَّالِمِينَ مِنْ أَنْصَارٍIt is not for the polytheists to maintain the mosques of Allah [while] witnessing against themselves with disbelief. [For] those, their deeds have become worthless, and in the Fire they will abide eternally.
مَا كَانَ لِلْمُشْرِكِينَ أَنْ يَعْمُرُوا مَسَاجِدَ اللَّهِ شَاهِدِينَ عَلَى أَنْفُسِهِمْ بِالْكُفْرِ أُولَئِكَ حَبِطَتْ أَعْمَالُهُمْ وَفِي النَّارِ هُمْ خَالِدُونَAs for the sinner, if he enters the Fire, he will remain in it for as long as Allah wills, and he will not remain forever like the disbelievers. However, his duration may be long, and this will be a specific, temporary eternity, not like the eternity of the disbelievers. As He the Exalted said in the verse of al-Furqan, when He mentioned the polytheist, the killer, and the one who commits unlawful sexual intercourse, He the Exalted said:
And whoever does that will meet a great sin.
وَمَنْ يَفْعَلْ ذَلِكَ يَلْقَ أَثَامًا As for the polytheist, his eternity is permanent, forever and ever. For this reason, He said regarding the polytheists in Surat al-Baqarah:
Thus will Allah show them their deeds as regrets upon them. And they are never to emerge from the Fire.
كَذَلِكَ يُرِيهِمُ اللَّهُ أَعْمَالَهُمْ حَسَرَاتٍ عَلَيْهِمْ وَمَا هُمْ بِخَارِجِينَ مِنَ النَّارِThey will wish to get out of the Fire, but never are they to emerge therefrom, and for them is an enduring punishment.
يُرِيدُونَ أَنْ يَخْرُجُوا مِنَ النَّارِ وَمَا هُمْ بِخَارِجِينَ مِنْهَا وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ مُقِيمٌ
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.