The Methodology of the People of the Sunnah and the Community Regarding Declaring Someone a Disbeliever
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Question:
A message was received for the program from Sudan, sent by one of the brothers from there. He says, “Your brother Muhammad 'Umar Ibrahim from Kassala. Our brother asks and says: Some scholars hold that it is not permissible to declare the people of the Qiblah disbelievers, nor anyone who says: There is no god but Allah. But the question is: Is anyone who says: There is no god but Allah, while holding incorrect beliefs of associating partners with Allah, such as calling upon others than Him and offering acts of worship to others than Him, considered within what they said, such that it is not permissible to declare them disbelievers? We ask for clarification. May Allah reward you with good.”
Answer:
Yes, the People of the Sunnah (may Allah have mercy on them) say: A Muslim is not declared a disbeliever for a sin. They mean sins that are less than associating partners with Allah and less than disbelief, such as unlawful sexual intercourse, theft, undutifulness to parents or one of them, and drinking intoxicants, and the like. If a Muslim does any of these things, he does not become a disbeliever in major disbelief, but he becomes a transgressor and an open sinner. He is not declared a disbeliever for this as long as he is a monotheist and a believer, and he only did this in obedience to his desires, without considering what Allah has forbidden, such as intoxicants and usury or the like, to be permissible. This makes him a transgressor, an open sinner, and weak in faith according to the People of the Sunnah, but he is not a disbeliever.
However, scholars differed regarding leaving off the ritual prayer out of laziness: Is it considered of this type [of sin], or is it considered one of the types of apostasy? There are two opinions among the scholars of knowledge. The correct view is that it is considered one of the nullifiers of Islam and one of the acts of apostasy, even if one does not deny its obligation. This is because it is the pillar of Islam and the greatest of its pillars after the two testimonies, and because there have come evidences regarding its exaltation and that leaving it off is major disbelief, which are not found in any other branch of Islam.
Likewise, any action or statement that includes belittling Islam, or criticizing Islam, or mocking Islam, or denying what Islam brought, or any other forbidden matter, constitutes apostasy from Islam. For example, if one mocks the ritual prayer, or mocks fasting, or mocks the major pilgrimage, or mocks the news of the Day of Resurrection, or mocks other matters of religion, his disbelief is major. As He, the Exalted, said: [Surah al-Tawbah: 65-66].
Likewise, insulting the religion is major disbelief. The one who insults Islam, or insults the ritual prayer, or insults the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) commits major disbelief. We seek refuge in Allah from that.
Likewise, whoever calls for aid from the dead or from idols, or calls upon them to remove a hardship or bring a benefit, or asks them for support—“Support, support, O Master So-and-So,” or from the idols, or from the trees, or from the jinn—all of this is major disbelief. This is because it contradicts “There is no god but Allah.” It is necessary for the one who says: “There is no god but Allah” that he not contradict it with his actions or his words. It is necessary that he believe in what it indicates regarding the oneness of Allah, and that He is the one worthy of worship . If he says it but does not believe in its meaning, or does not act according to its meaning, he becomes a disbeliever, like the hypocrites who say: “There is no god but Allah,” while they are in the lowest depth of the Fire, because they said it only with their tongues.
Likewise, many of the apostates, when they claim affiliation with Islam, say: “There is no god but Allah,” but they engage in speech and action that contradicts it. So their claim of Islam does not benefit them, nor does their saying: “There is no god but Allah” benefit them, while they have done what contradicts it, such as slaughtering for other than Allah, or for the jinn, or calling upon other than Allah, such as the dead or idols or the like, or seeking aid from other than Allah in times of distress, or the like of these types of worship that they direct to other than Allah. By doing so, he becomes one who associates partners with Allah in major shirk, and he must hasten to repent before he dies upon that. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good.
A message was received for the program from Sudan, sent by one of the brothers from there. He says, “Your brother Muhammad 'Umar Ibrahim from Kassala. Our brother asks and says: Some scholars hold that it is not permissible to declare the people of the Qiblah disbelievers, nor anyone who says: There is no god but Allah. But the question is: Is anyone who says: There is no god but Allah, while holding incorrect beliefs of associating partners with Allah, such as calling upon others than Him and offering acts of worship to others than Him, considered within what they said, such that it is not permissible to declare them disbelievers? We ask for clarification. May Allah reward you with good.”
Answer:
Yes, the People of the Sunnah (may Allah have mercy on them) say: A Muslim is not declared a disbeliever for a sin. They mean sins that are less than associating partners with Allah and less than disbelief, such as unlawful sexual intercourse, theft, undutifulness to parents or one of them, and drinking intoxicants, and the like. If a Muslim does any of these things, he does not become a disbeliever in major disbelief, but he becomes a transgressor and an open sinner. He is not declared a disbeliever for this as long as he is a monotheist and a believer, and he only did this in obedience to his desires, without considering what Allah has forbidden, such as intoxicants and usury or the like, to be permissible. This makes him a transgressor, an open sinner, and weak in faith according to the People of the Sunnah, but he is not a disbeliever.
However, scholars differed regarding leaving off the ritual prayer out of laziness: Is it considered of this type [of sin], or is it considered one of the types of apostasy? There are two opinions among the scholars of knowledge. The correct view is that it is considered one of the nullifiers of Islam and one of the acts of apostasy, even if one does not deny its obligation. This is because it is the pillar of Islam and the greatest of its pillars after the two testimonies, and because there have come evidences regarding its exaltation and that leaving it off is major disbelief, which are not found in any other branch of Islam.
Likewise, any action or statement that includes belittling Islam, or criticizing Islam, or mocking Islam, or denying what Islam brought, or any other forbidden matter, constitutes apostasy from Islam. For example, if one mocks the ritual prayer, or mocks fasting, or mocks the major pilgrimage, or mocks the news of the Day of Resurrection, or mocks other matters of religion, his disbelief is major. As He, the Exalted, said:
(65) And if you ask them, they will surely say, "We were only conversing and playing." Say, "Is it Allah and His verses and His Messenger that you were mocking?" (66) Make no excuse; you have disbelieved after your belief. If We pardon one faction of you - We will punish another faction because they were criminals.
قُلْ أَبِاللَّهِ وَآيَاتِهِ وَرَسُولِهِ كُنتُمْ تَسْتَهْزِئُونَ لا تَعْتَذِرُوا قَدْ كَفَرْتُمْ بَعْدَ إِيمَانِكُمْLikewise, insulting the religion is major disbelief. The one who insults Islam, or insults the ritual prayer, or insults the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) commits major disbelief. We seek refuge in Allah from that.
Likewise, whoever calls for aid from the dead or from idols, or calls upon them to remove a hardship or bring a benefit, or asks them for support—“Support, support, O Master So-and-So,” or from the idols, or from the trees, or from the jinn—all of this is major disbelief. This is because it contradicts “There is no god but Allah.” It is necessary for the one who says: “There is no god but Allah” that he not contradict it with his actions or his words. It is necessary that he believe in what it indicates regarding the oneness of Allah, and that He is the one worthy of worship . If he says it but does not believe in its meaning, or does not act according to its meaning, he becomes a disbeliever, like the hypocrites who say: “There is no god but Allah,” while they are in the lowest depth of the Fire, because they said it only with their tongues.
Likewise, many of the apostates, when they claim affiliation with Islam, say: “There is no god but Allah,” but they engage in speech and action that contradicts it. So their claim of Islam does not benefit them, nor does their saying: “There is no god but Allah” benefit them, while they have done what contradicts it, such as slaughtering for other than Allah, or for the jinn, or calling upon other than Allah, such as the dead or idols or the like, or seeking aid from other than Allah in times of distress, or the like of these types of worship that they direct to other than Allah. By doing so, he becomes one who associates partners with Allah in major shirk, and he must hasten to repent before he dies upon that. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you with good.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.