Can ignorance be used as an excuse with regard to Tawhid-ul-Rububiyyah and Tawhid-ul-Uluhiyyah?
Question:
"Can ignorance be used as an excuse with regard to Tawhid-ul-Rububiyyah (Oneness of Allah's Lordship) and Tawhid-ul-Uluhiyyah (Oneness of Worship) or not? Is the excuse for ignorance absolute or relative, i.e. depending on time and place?"
Answer:
"There is no excuse in `Aqidah when it comes to Tawhid-ul-Rububiyyah (Oneness of Allah's Lordship), Tawhid-ul-Uluhiyyah (Oneness of Worship), and Tawhid-ul-Asma' wal-Sifat (Oneness of Allah's Names and Attributes). It is obligatory for a believer to follow the right `Aqidah, believe that there is only One God and believe that He is the Lord of the universe, and that He is the Creator and the All Knowing, and that He is alone in His Lordship, there are no other creators but Him, He Alone is worthy of `Ibadah (worship), and that He has the lofty Names and Attributes, there is none like Him, and no one is All-Able except Him. Therefore, there is no excuse for whoever believes in this, unless the person is far away from the Muslims in a land where there was no Wahy (Revelation). Then, in this case he is excused, and his case is left for Allah (Exalted be He) to judge. His judgement is that of Ahl-ul-Fatrah, who will be tested and judged on the Day of Judgement; if they answer correctly, they will enter Paradise, and if they answer incorrectly, they will enter Hell-fire. If he resides in a place where he cannot hear Qur'an or Sunnah, then, he will be judged like those of Ahl-ul-Fatrah. Their judgement, according to the people who are well-grounded in knowledge, is that they are to be tested on the Day of Judgement. He who obeys will enter Paradise, and he who disobeys will enter Hell-fire. As for those who live among the Muslims and hear the Qur'an and Sunnah, yet continue with their disbelief and denial of Allah's Names and Attributes, then they are not excused. May Allah protect us against that. The excuse for ignorance is not a matter which differs from time to time or from one place to another, because ignorance cannot be used as an excuse in matters of `Aqidah, unless a person resides in a place where there is no Da`wah (calling to Islam), Quran, or Sunnah. However, ignorance can be an excuse with regard to some Shari`ah rulings that may be vague or not widely known, or when it comes to some details of Allah's Attributes, or dealing with the Attributes which are not known. In these cases only can ignorance be an excuse. As for clear matters that are necessarily known, such as Iman (faith) in the Oneness of Allah, the Creator, the All-Knowing, the Worthy of worship, and the Perfect in His Names and Attributes, and belief in what has been revealed in the Glorious Qur'an and the Purified Sunnah with regard to Allah's Names and Attributes, ignorance cannot be excused if you have access to the Qur'an and Sunnah. We ask Allah (Exalted be He) to safeguard us against all that."
Shaykh 'Abdul-'Azeez bin 'Abdullah bin Baaz, may Allah have mercy upon him.
Source: www.alifta.net - Fatwas of Nur `Ala Al-Darb, Volume 1, Chapter on `Aqidah, Chapter on being excused out of ignorance, Ruling on excuse for ignorance in issues relating to Tawhid. Question number 41, tape number 294.
"Can ignorance be used as an excuse with regard to Tawhid-ul-Rububiyyah (Oneness of Allah's Lordship) and Tawhid-ul-Uluhiyyah (Oneness of Worship) or not? Is the excuse for ignorance absolute or relative, i.e. depending on time and place?"
Answer:
"There is no excuse in `Aqidah when it comes to Tawhid-ul-Rububiyyah (Oneness of Allah's Lordship), Tawhid-ul-Uluhiyyah (Oneness of Worship), and Tawhid-ul-Asma' wal-Sifat (Oneness of Allah's Names and Attributes). It is obligatory for a believer to follow the right `Aqidah, believe that there is only One God and believe that He is the Lord of the universe, and that He is the Creator and the All Knowing, and that He is alone in His Lordship, there are no other creators but Him, He Alone is worthy of `Ibadah (worship), and that He has the lofty Names and Attributes, there is none like Him, and no one is All-Able except Him. Therefore, there is no excuse for whoever believes in this, unless the person is far away from the Muslims in a land where there was no Wahy (Revelation). Then, in this case he is excused, and his case is left for Allah (Exalted be He) to judge. His judgement is that of Ahl-ul-Fatrah, who will be tested and judged on the Day of Judgement; if they answer correctly, they will enter Paradise, and if they answer incorrectly, they will enter Hell-fire. If he resides in a place where he cannot hear Qur'an or Sunnah, then, he will be judged like those of Ahl-ul-Fatrah. Their judgement, according to the people who are well-grounded in knowledge, is that they are to be tested on the Day of Judgement. He who obeys will enter Paradise, and he who disobeys will enter Hell-fire. As for those who live among the Muslims and hear the Qur'an and Sunnah, yet continue with their disbelief and denial of Allah's Names and Attributes, then they are not excused. May Allah protect us against that. The excuse for ignorance is not a matter which differs from time to time or from one place to another, because ignorance cannot be used as an excuse in matters of `Aqidah, unless a person resides in a place where there is no Da`wah (calling to Islam), Quran, or Sunnah. However, ignorance can be an excuse with regard to some Shari`ah rulings that may be vague or not widely known, or when it comes to some details of Allah's Attributes, or dealing with the Attributes which are not known. In these cases only can ignorance be an excuse. As for clear matters that are necessarily known, such as Iman (faith) in the Oneness of Allah, the Creator, the All-Knowing, the Worthy of worship, and the Perfect in His Names and Attributes, and belief in what has been revealed in the Glorious Qur'an and the Purified Sunnah with regard to Allah's Names and Attributes, ignorance cannot be excused if you have access to the Qur'an and Sunnah. We ask Allah (Exalted be He) to safeguard us against all that."
Shaykh 'Abdul-'Azeez bin 'Abdullah bin Baaz, may Allah have mercy upon him.
Source: www.alifta.net - Fatwas of Nur `Ala Al-Darb, Volume 1, Chapter on `Aqidah, Chapter on being excused out of ignorance, Ruling on excuse for ignorance in issues relating to Tawhid. Question number 41, tape number 294.