The Ruling on One Who Curses the Religion and the Ruling on His Prayer, and Our Duty Toward Him
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This is a letter from Abdul Aziz Ali Hassan Qanawi, an Egyptian working in Iraq. Abdul Aziz Ali Hassan says in his letter: I work in Iraq and live and work with a group of people, some of whom curse the religion of Allah. I advised them, but some of them remain as they are...
So the question is: What is the ruling of the Shari'ah regarding one who curses the religion? If he prays, is his prayer valid? And what is my duty toward them? Please inform us, may Allah reward you.
Answer: If you see someone insulting the religion or hear someone insulting the religion, you should advise them and declare their action wrong; because insulting the religion is major disbelief (shirk akbar) and apostasy (riddah) from Islam. If the one insulting is a Muslim, he becomes an apostate (murtadd) and a disbeliever (kafir). So you must advise him and declare the wrong he is doing wrong, based on the saying of Allah, the Exalted:[Surah al-Tawbah: 71] and His saying (peace and blessings be upon him):: [Surah Al-Imran: 104] and the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):Sahih Muslim 49a Muslim narrated it in his Sahih.
So it is obligatory for you and for other believers to denounce the evil. If you see someone cursing the religion, or not praying, or drinking intoxicants, or being undutiful to his parents, or doing any of the other evil deeds, then it is obligatory for you to denounce him, guide him to good, and advise him, so that perhaps Allah will guide him through your efforts. If Allah guides him, you will have a reward like his. If he refuses, you should strive to remove him from his job and put an end to his situation. If he is in a Muslim state, you should report him to the state so that it punishes him. If he repents, that is fine; otherwise, it is obligatory to kill him as an apostate from Islam, based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):Sunan Ibn Majah 2535Sahih (Darussalam) If he repents from his cursing and returns, some scholars say it is permissible to leave him and not kill him, but he should be disciplined.
Some scholars hold that he should be killed absolutely, even if he repents. But the stronger view, if Allah wills, is that whenever he repents to Allah, returns, feels remorse, and reforms, he is not killed. However, there is no harm in disciplining him for what he committed and what he did, by flogging, imprisonment, or the like.
The summary and conclusion is: It is obligatory for a believer who has such a person among them to denounce him, denounce him and warn him, and strive to return him to the right path. If he does not find that possible and it is not facilitated, the believer should do what he can to strive to dismiss him and remove him from his job, by reporting his case to the rulers if he is in a country where evil is denounced. If you fear for yourself and it is not possible to report these people or for them to repent, then distance yourself from their company and move to another job, so that perhaps you may be saved. And success is from Allah.
The presenter: May Allah reward you. But the questioner says: This companion of his who curses the religion prays, so he asks what is the ruling on his prayer?
The Shaykh: Cursing the religion invalidates deeds. If one curses the religion, he commits disbelief, and disbelief invalidates the deed. If his companion dies, if the disbeliever dies upon his disbelief, his deed is invalid. But if he repents before he dies, his righteous deeds remain for him.
So the question is: What is the ruling of the Shari'ah regarding one who curses the religion? If he prays, is his prayer valid? And what is my duty toward them? Please inform us, may Allah reward you.
Answer: If you see someone insulting the religion or hear someone insulting the religion, you should advise them and declare their action wrong; because insulting the religion is major disbelief (shirk akbar) and apostasy (riddah) from Islam. If the one insulting is a Muslim, he becomes an apostate (murtadd) and a disbeliever (kafir). So you must advise him and declare the wrong he is doing wrong, based on the saying of Allah, the Exalted:
The believing men and believing women are allies of one another. They enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong
وَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتُ بَعْضُهُمْ أَوْلِيَاءُ بَعْضٍ يَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنكَرِAnd let there be [arising] from you a nation inviting to [all that is] good, enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong
وَلْتَكُنْ مِنْكُمْ أُمَّةٌ يَدْعُونَ إِلَى الْخَيْرِ وَيَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِHe who amongst you sees something abominable should modify it with the help of his hand; and if he has not strength enough to do it, then he should do it with his tongue, and if he has not strength enough to do it, (even) then he should (abhor it) from his heart, and that is the least of faith.
من رأى منكم منكراً فليغيره بيده، فإن لم يستطع فبلسانه، فإن لم يستطع فبقلبه وذلك أضعف الإيمانSo it is obligatory for you and for other believers to denounce the evil. If you see someone cursing the religion, or not praying, or drinking intoxicants, or being undutiful to his parents, or doing any of the other evil deeds, then it is obligatory for you to denounce him, guide him to good, and advise him, so that perhaps Allah will guide him through your efforts. If Allah guides him, you will have a reward like his. If he refuses, you should strive to remove him from his job and put an end to his situation. If he is in a Muslim state, you should report him to the state so that it punishes him. If he repents, that is fine; otherwise, it is obligatory to kill him as an apostate from Islam, based on the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):
Whoever changes his religion, execute him.
من بدل دينه فاقتلوهSome scholars hold that he should be killed absolutely, even if he repents. But the stronger view, if Allah wills, is that whenever he repents to Allah, returns, feels remorse, and reforms, he is not killed. However, there is no harm in disciplining him for what he committed and what he did, by flogging, imprisonment, or the like.
The summary and conclusion is: It is obligatory for a believer who has such a person among them to denounce him, denounce him and warn him, and strive to return him to the right path. If he does not find that possible and it is not facilitated, the believer should do what he can to strive to dismiss him and remove him from his job, by reporting his case to the rulers if he is in a country where evil is denounced. If you fear for yourself and it is not possible to report these people or for them to repent, then distance yourself from their company and move to another job, so that perhaps you may be saved. And success is from Allah.
The presenter: May Allah reward you. But the questioner says: This companion of his who curses the religion prays, so he asks what is the ruling on his prayer?
The Shaykh: Cursing the religion invalidates deeds. If one curses the religion, he commits disbelief, and disbelief invalidates the deed. If his companion dies, if the disbeliever dies upon his disbelief, his deed is invalid. But if he repents before he dies, his righteous deeds remain for him.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.