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Abomination of Declaring fellow Muslims as
Disbelievers
Shaykh Husayn Al Ash-Shaykh [(Shawwal 25, 1424 (December
19, 2003)]
All praise is due to Allaah, Lord of all the worlds. Peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon the Messenger, his household and companions.
Fellow Muslims! It is a binding obligation of every Muslim to understand that
Islaam is a religion that gives consideration to priorities. It gives everything
its due estimate, ordains that issues should be dealt with in accordance with
Islaamic injunctions and that matters should be understood in their entirety
without exaggeration or negligence. It also ordains that no judgment should be
made under the influence of desire even if the purpose is good and noble.
In the light of the above, there are, in this
religion, issues of great importance and subtleness in which many people err.
This issue is one, whose correct aspects cannot be properly understood except by
those endowed with the light of the Qur’aan and the Sunnah and the path of the
Prophet’s companions and those who follow their guidance. It is an issue which
the erudite scholars of Islaam have regulated and whose conditions they have
clearly explained. The issue is declaring individual Muslims or societies as
infidels with no clear-cut evidence from the Qur’aan, the Sunnah or from
consensus of the Ummah. This issue has generated great tribulations and crises
among the Muslims.
Dear brethren! Hastening in declaring fellow Muslims as disbelievers without
respecting the rules and regulations and without having a careful look at things
that should prevent such a judgment is a great danger that this Ummah has been
suffering since the time of the companion of Allaah’s Messenger. It is
therefore, incumbent upon all Muslims to realise the harm that emanates from
declaring fellow Muslims as disbelievers or saying negative things about others.
This tendency also makes it incumbent upon the scholars, the Du‘aat and the
Muftis to explain the truth that pleases Allaah, benefits the Muslims and
prevents evils.
Fellow Muslims! Declaring fellow Muslims as disbelievers leads to horrible
consequences in this world and the Hereafter, according to authentically
reported Sunnah and as explained by the scholars. Imaam Al-Qurtubee said,
“Declaring fellow Muslims as Kaafirs is a dangerous topic which many people
dared to wade in and in which they had fallen. People of excellent personalities
refused to wade into it and they attained safety. For nothing equals safety.”
Texts from the Qur’aan and the Sunnah decisively treat this topic in order to
prevent disunity among the Muslims and to ward off the evil plans of the
accursed Satan.
Brethren in Islaam! Among the methods that Islaam employed in preventing wanton
declaration of fellow Muslims as Kaafirs with no clear evidence from the Qur’aan
and the Sunnah is the assertion that honouring a Muslim’s honour is an
indisputable religious obligation of every Muslim. Allaah says,
“Do not defame one another, nor insult one
another by nicknames. How bad is it to insult one's brother after having Faith.”
(Al-Hujuraat 49:11)
Some scholars said, “It means calling one’s brother kaafir (disbeliever), faasiq
(sinner).”
The Messenger of Allaah said, “Insulting a Muslim is a sin and fighting him is
an act of kufr.”
Fellow Muslims! The law of Islaam did not only issue general directives, it also
issued specific ones. And all these injunctions warn against hastening in
declaring others as kaafirs without clear evidence from the Qur’aan and the
Sunnah. The Messenger of Allaah said, “He who swears falsely with other
religions besides Islaam, he will be held accountable for it; he who kills
himself with something he will be tormented with it in the Hell. Cursing a
Muslim is like killing him; and he who accuses a Muslim with kufr, it is as if
he has killed him.” (Al-Bukhaaree)
Ibn ‘Abdil-Barr said, “The Qur’aan and the Sunnah unequivocally prohibit calling
a Muslim sinner or kaafir. It is therefore, binding that none should be declared
a kaafir unless if he is unanimously declared so or there is an indisputably
clear evidence from the Qur’aan and the Sunnah.”
Brethren in faith! The Messenger of Allaah warned his Ummah against hastening in
declaring Muslims as kaafirs and in carelessly judging them. He said, “If any
man calls his brother kaafir, one of them is definitely a kaafir. If the
so-called is actually a kaafir, (the one who addressed him as such is blameless)
but if he is no a kaafir, the accusation will rebound on the person who made
it.” (Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim)
The scholars, among whom is Ibn Hajar said, “If the one called a kaafir is
actually so in the light of Islaamic injunctions, the one who addressed him as a
kaafir is correct and the label will remain on the addressed individual. But if
he is not a kaafir, the repercussion and the sin of that accusation will rebound
on the accuser.”
It is from here that scholars warn against rushing into declaring any Muslim a
kaafir. There are uncountable statements in which they underline the danger of
that. Therefore, their sayings must be listened to, their judgments must be
followed and their great piety must be acknowledged. Further, their stance
indicates that wading into issues of enormous importance and subtleness such as
declaring individuals as kaafirs is a specialty of erudite and God-fearing
scholars. It also indicates that wading into it by those with much lesser
knowledge is a great sin.
Aboo Haamid Al-Ghazaalee said, “One should avoid calling others kaafirs as much
he can. For declaring the blood and properties of Muslims who testify that there
is no one worthy of worship except Allaah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of
Allaah as violable is a mistake. Making a mistake by sparing the life of a
thousand kaafir is lesser than mistakenly killing a Muslim.”
Ibn Naasir Ad-Dimashqee said, "Cursing a Muslim specifically is forbidden.
Accusing him of kufr or declaring that he is no longer a Muslim is even greater.
Doing this implies some undesirable things among which are:
One: It makes the enemy maliciously happy about the misfortune of the Muslims.
It also affords them the chance to attack them and demean the institutions of
this religion.
Two: It might cause others to emulate the accuser thereby making him earn
multiple sins according to the numbers of those who emulate him in this. Seldom
does a person who wrongly accuses another person of disbelief live safely.
He then
mentioned hadeeths that warns against declaring others as disbelievers and then
said, "Is there any need for more threats? Satan might have made it fair-seeming
to the person who followed his desires and accused his brother of disbelief that
he was right and that what he said about his brother falls in line with the
principle of Jarh and Ta'deel. This is far from the truth. There are certainly
dangerous consequences in speaking negatively of others. If the accuser examines
himself and the motive for accusing his brother of disbelief, he will realize
that it is sheer desire that destroys."
Dear brother!
Listen to what an erudite scholar said in this regard: "Refraining from
declaring someone a kaafir when there are contradicting or ambiguous evidences
is better and safer. This is because, making mistake by refraining to give such
a declaration is only a deficiency in fulfilling a right of Allaah which He can
forgive while making a mistake by making such a declaration is regarded a great
crime against Muslims. Declaring somebody a disbeliever is a violation of their
right and an attack upon them. For they believed that there is no god worthy of
being worshipped except Allaah and that Muhammad is a Messenger of Allaah. They
also believed that all Messengers and Books that Allaah sent are true. They only
made mistakes in some details. If they described Allaah with an attribute of
imperfection; that was due to their belief that it was an attribute of
perfection and if they attributed an ugly thing to Allaah; that was due to their
belief that it is beautiful thing. And if they intentionally attribute an ugly
thing to Allaah, it was due to the fact that their hearts were screened from
seeing the reality. Therefore, the only judge in this regard is Allaah Himself,
for He is the One Who has the knowledge of the unseen.
The Khawaarij
were severely punished and strongly condemned for their declaration of Muslim
sinners as disbelievers in spite of the fact that they regarded sins as a
serious violation of the rights of Allaah and they sought to glorify Allaah by
declaring their sinning brethren as disbelievers. Those who declare others as
disbelievers should therefore take care lest they meet the same fate as the
Khawaarij."
Brethren in
Islaam! Declaring someone as a kaafir is great matter that has rules and
regulations. It is an Islaamic ruling and a sole right of Allaah and His
Messenger. This is the stand of the early and later scholars.
Ibn Al-Qayyim
said, "Declaring someone as a kaafir is a right that exclusively belongs to
Allaah and His Messenger. It should be established by the texts of the Qur'aan
and the Sunnah, not by anybody's opinion. The disbeliever is only the one whom
Allaah and His Messenger declared as such."
The scholars
said, "It is not for anyone to declare any Muslim a kaafir even if he makes
mistakes until the proof is established against him and the evidences are shown
to him. For he whose Islaam is established through convincing evidences cannot
be declared to be no longer a Muslim through doubtful evidences." Al-Bukhaaree
and Muslim reported that the Messenger of Allaah mentioned a man who told his
people, "If I die, burn my body and grind my burnt body into ashes and then
scatter the ashes in the ocean. For by Allaah, if Allaah catches me, He will
punish me with a punishment by which he has not punished anyone among the
worlds.' His people did exactly as he requested. But Allaah caught him and asked
him, 'Why did you do what you did?' He answered, 'It is Your fear.' Allaah then
forgave him."
The scholars
commented on this hadeeth, "Here is a man who doubted the ability of Allaah to
repeat his creation after he has turned ashes. He rather believed that his
creation would not be repeated. The Muslims unanimously believe that this is
kufr. But this man was ignorant of that. But he believed in Allaah and he feared
his punishment. So Allaah forgave him for that. Therefore, misinterpretation on
the part of scholars who are keen in following the Sunnah of Allaah's Messenger
has greater right to pardon."
Ash-Shawkaanee
said, "Declaring a Muslim as kaafir is a decision that no Muslim who believes in
Allaah and the Last Day should make except in the light of very clear evidence."
Shaykh 'Abdullaah
bin Muhammad bin 'Abdil-Wahhaab said, "Any Muslim who is sincere with himself
should not talk on this issue except in the light of knowledge and clear
evidence from Allaah. He should beware of removing a Muslim from the fold of
Islaam under the influence of his personal opinion and understanding. For
removing someone from the fold of Islaam or accepting someone as Muslim is one
of the greatest issues in this religion. Satan has caused many people to err on
this matter."
Fellow
Muslims! Ordinary people should beware of wading into great issues like this.
Decisions on them should rather be left for the pious and rightly guided
scholars. However, the scholars took the matter seriously in their writings and
they explained that the Muftee should take the safe side. They said, "The Muftee
should take the safe side in declaring others as disbelievers as much as he can
because of the risk such a declaration entails and for the fact that most
statements or actions which people interpret as kufr are not intentional." The
scholars also said, "If an issue has many aspects through which someone may be
declared a kaafir, and an aspect through which such a declaration may be
prevented, the Muftee should adopt the prevention aspect as a way of having a
good opinion of a Muslim. But if the person involved declared an intention that
makes his classification as a kaafir inevitable, there is no use in finding a
positive interpretation for his action or saying."
It is also a
basic principle of Ahlus-Sunnah wal-jamaa'ah that kufr has many branches and
stages. Some of them remove the affected individuals from the fold of Islaam
while others do not. Therefore, presence of a branch of kufr in someone does not
necessarily turn him into a kaafir until real kufr is found in him.
Brethren in
faith! There are some self-styled scholars who bother the Muslims with writings
by which they cause a lot of trouble. They discuss issue in which they have no
adequate knowledge and use the medicine meant for catarrh to treat leprosy. They
commit violations against the basics of the Qur'aan and the Sunnah and they go
against the way of the erudite and pious scholars, thereby falling into the
doctrine of Irjaa that contradict the belief of ahlus-Sunnah wal-jamaa'ah. The
only safe way out of this quagmire is to go back to the sincere and well-versed
scholars. Allaah says,
"So ask the people of the
knowledge if you do not know."
(Al-Anbiyaa 21:7)
Dear brethren!
The Muslim Ummah should understand its present and past. It should the situation
that nationalisms and fake slogans never lead the Ummah but to despicable abyss
and deplorable defeats. For these nationalisms had never fetch the Ummah any
glory nor brought it any benefits. They had rather caused disgrace and ignominy.
The Ummah
should strongly realize that its deviation from the Book of its Lord and the
Sunnah of its Prophet and substituting that with man-made laws have earn it
nothing but misery and calamity.
O you wise men
of this Ummah! Rise up to reform the situation of the Muslims in the light of
the Qur'aan and the Sunnah. Let the unity of our ranks and emulation of the
Prophet be our goal. For later generations of this Ummah can never attain
uprightness, happiness and safety except by that which made the early generation
upright, happy and safe.
Now is the
time for the Muslim world to give the rein to the Qur'aan and the Sunnah
according to the proper understanding followed by the Prophet's companions and
those who succeeded them. It is the way that gave prosperity to mankind and by
which the entire world was illuminated with justice, mercy, reform, wisdom,
light and success.
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