The Difference Between One Who Considers Zina Permissible and One Who Commits Zina
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Question:
It was mentioned in your lecture that one who considers zina permissible is considered a disbeliever. Some of the attendees might understand that one who commits zina is a disbeliever, and then go out and declare ordinary people disbelievers. So, would you please clarify this?
Answer:
I have clarified that one who considers zina permissible is not the same as one who commits zina. Considering it permissible means saying: “Zina is permissible, lawful, whoever wants to do it can do it, it is not forbidden, Allah has not forbidden it,” or saying: “Even if Allah has forbidden it, it is lawful,” or “Even if Allah has forbidden it, he does not care about its prohibition.” This is the disbeliever.
As for the one who commits it, who commits zina but knows that he is a sinner and that it is forbidden, but he committed it because his desires, the soul that commands evil, and Shaytan overpowered him until he fell into zina: if he repents, Allah will accept his repentance. If he dies while committing zina and does not repent, then he is under the will of Allah. If our Lord wills, He will forgive him; if He wills, He will punish him in the Fire according to the magnitude of his sin. Then, after he is punished, he will not remain in it forever, but Allah will take him out of the Fire into Paradise because of his tawhid (the oneness of Allah) and his Islam. The same applies to one who dies while committing sodomy, or drinking intoxicants, or being undutiful to his parents, or severing family ties, or committing riba (usury or interest), or similar sins. This is under the will of Allah, as mentioned before.
There is a difference between them. The one who considers it permissible is the one who says: “This sin is lawful, riba is lawful, zina is lawful.” This person is a disbeliever. As for the one who commits it but does not consider it permissible, who commits zina but knows that he is a sinner, or who commits riba and knows that it is forbidden, but does it out of obedience to his desires and love for money, this person is a sinner, not a disbeliever.
Likewise, one who is undutiful to his parents, who hits his mother or his father, or insults them, while knowing that he is a sinner, but his desires and his soul that commands evil overpowered him, this person is a sinner. But if he says: “It is lawful for me to hit my mother, it is lawful for me to hit my mother,” he is a disbeliever. I hope this is clear.
It was mentioned in your lecture that one who considers zina permissible is considered a disbeliever. Some of the attendees might understand that one who commits zina is a disbeliever, and then go out and declare ordinary people disbelievers. So, would you please clarify this?
Answer:
I have clarified that one who considers zina permissible is not the same as one who commits zina. Considering it permissible means saying: “Zina is permissible, lawful, whoever wants to do it can do it, it is not forbidden, Allah has not forbidden it,” or saying: “Even if Allah has forbidden it, it is lawful,” or “Even if Allah has forbidden it, he does not care about its prohibition.” This is the disbeliever.
As for the one who commits it, who commits zina but knows that he is a sinner and that it is forbidden, but he committed it because his desires, the soul that commands evil, and Shaytan overpowered him until he fell into zina: if he repents, Allah will accept his repentance. If he dies while committing zina and does not repent, then he is under the will of Allah. If our Lord wills, He will forgive him; if He wills, He will punish him in the Fire according to the magnitude of his sin. Then, after he is punished, he will not remain in it forever, but Allah will take him out of the Fire into Paradise because of his tawhid (the oneness of Allah) and his Islam. The same applies to one who dies while committing sodomy, or drinking intoxicants, or being undutiful to his parents, or severing family ties, or committing riba (usury or interest), or similar sins. This is under the will of Allah, as mentioned before.
There is a difference between them. The one who considers it permissible is the one who says: “This sin is lawful, riba is lawful, zina is lawful.” This person is a disbeliever. As for the one who commits it but does not consider it permissible, who commits zina but knows that he is a sinner, or who commits riba and knows that it is forbidden, but does it out of obedience to his desires and love for money, this person is a sinner, not a disbeliever.
Likewise, one who is undutiful to his parents, who hits his mother or his father, or insults them, while knowing that he is a sinner, but his desires and his soul that commands evil overpowered him, this person is a sinner. But if he says: “It is lawful for me to hit my mother, it is lawful for me to hit my mother,” he is a disbeliever. I hope this is clear.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.