Disassociating oneself from Mushriks and being convinced of their Kufr
Question:
"I recently heard that a person who is not convinced of the Kufr (disbelief) of Kafirs (disbeliever) or doubts it is considered a Kafir as well. Similarly, a person who doubts the Kufr of those who abandon Salah (Prayer) or mock at one of the limits prescribed by Allah is considered a Kafir. Is this true?"
Answer:
"Legal proofs from the Qur'an and the Sunnah (whatever is reported from the Prophet) indicate the obligation on a Mu'min (believer) to be disassociated from Mushriks (those who associate others with Allah in His Divinity or worship) and be convinced of their Kufr when they know it and discover their misguidance. Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) says in the Glorious Qur'an:
{And (remember) when Ibrâhîm (Abraham) said to his father and his people: "Verily, I am innocent of what you worship, "Except Him (i.e. I worship none but Allâh Alone) Who did create me; and verily He will guide me." And he made it [i.e. Lâ ilâha illallâh (none has the right to be worshipped but Allâh Alone)] a Word lasting among his offspring, (True Monotheism), that they may turn back (i.e. to repent to Allâh or receive admonition).} [Surah Az-Zukhruf 43:26-28]
This means to refer to it in declaring the Kufr of Kafirs, being disassociated from them and believing that Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) is the Only One to be worshipped. He (Glorified and Exalted be He) also says:
{Indeed there has been an excellent example for you in Ibrâhîm (Abraham) and those with him, when they said to their people: "Verily, we are free from you and whatever you worship besides Allâh: we have rejected you, and there has started between us and you hostility and hatred for ever until you believe in Allâh Alone"} [Surah Al-Mumtahanah 60:4]
This is the religion of Prophet Ibrahim and all the prophets; disassociation from anyone who worships other than Allah and believing in their Kufr and misguidance until they believe in Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He). Every Muslim must disassociate themselves from anyone who worships other than Allah and believe in their Kufr and misguidance until they believe in Allah (Glorified be He), as Allah informed about Prophet Ibrahim and all the Prophets. The same applies to Allah's (Glorified and Exalted be He) Saying:
{Whoever disbelieves in Tâghût and believes in Allâh, then he has grasped the most trustworthy handhold that will never break.} [Surah Al-Baqarah 2:256]
Disbelieving in Taghut (false gods) means disassociation from worshipping other than Allah and believing in its falsehood. Every Mukallaf (person meeting the conditions to be held legally accountable for their actions) must worship Allah alone and believe that He is the Only One Who deserves to be worshipped, and that any other thing worshipped by the people, whether idols, trees, stones, Jinn (creatures created from fire), angels or any other thing is falsely worshipped. Allah (Exalted be He) says:
{That is because Allâh — He is the Truth (the only True God of all that exists, Who has no partners or rivals with Him), and what they (the polytheists) invoke besides Him, it is Bâtil (falsehood).} [Surah Al-Hajj 22:62]
If a Mu'min knows that someone worships other than Allah, they should disassociate themselves from them and believe in their Kufr if the evidence has reached them or they have lived among the Muslims, according to Allah's (Exalted be He) Saying:
{...this Qur’ân has been revealed to me that I may therewith warn you and whomsoever it may reach.} [Surah Al-An'am 6:19]
He (Exalted be He) also says:
{This (Qur’an) is a Message for mankind (and a clear proof against them), in order that they may be warned thereby} [Surah Ibraheem 14:52]
Allah revealed the Qur'an to His Prophet (peace be upon him) and made it a clear message to the people. If a person is informed of what was revealed in the Qur'an and the Sunnah but does not refrain from their Kufr and misguidance, everyone must acknowledge their Kufr. This is indicated in the Sahih (authentic) Hadith in which the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "By Him in whose Hand my soul is, every Jew or Christian of this Ummah (nation) who hears about me and dies unbelieving in me will be of the inhabitants of Hellfire."[1] Related by Muslim in his Sahih Book of Hadith. He (peace be upon him) made it clear that every person who is informed of what was revealed to the Prophet (peace be upon him) but dies without believing in it will be in the Hellfire because they did not respond to what was revealed to them through the Messenger of Allah.
This is the meaning of Allah's (Exalted be He) Saying:
{...this Qur’ân has been revealed to me that I may therewith warn you and whomsoever it may reach.} [Surah Al-An'am 6:19]
He (Glorified be He) also says:
{This (Qur’an) is a Message for mankind (and a clear proof against them), in order that they may be warned thereby} [Surah Ibraheem 14:52]
It was reported in the Sahih Book of Muslim on the authority of Tariq ibn Ashyam (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "A person who professes that there is none worthy of worship but Allah and makes a denial of everything which the people worship beside Allah, their property and blood became inviolable, and all their affairs rest with Allah."[2] In another wording: "Whoever testifies that there is none worthy of worship except Allah and denies everything which people worship beside Allah, their property and blood become inviolable."[3] The inviolability of one's blood and money is associated with Tawhid (belief in the Oneness of Allah/ monotheism), declaring La ilaha illa Allah (there is no god but Allah) and disbelieving in Taghut, because Taghut is anything worshipped other than Allah. This is the meaning of the Noble Ayah (Qur'anic verse) which says:
{Whoever disbelieves in Tâghût and believes in Allâh, then he has grasped the most trustworthy handhold that will never break.} [Surah Al-Baqarah 2:256]
If one knows the falsehood of a Kafir but does not acknowledge their Kufr or doubts it, one is considered a disbeliever in Allah and His Messenger and the ruling on such people is as the Jews and the Christians. They are Kafirs according to the text of the Qur'an and the Sunnah, so all Mukallafs must believe in their Kufr and misguidance. A person who does not believe in their Kufr or doubts it is like them, because they have denied the Saying of Allah and His Messenger and doubted it. The same applies to one who doubts the Hereafter and whether there is Jannah (Paradise), Hellfire and Resurrection or not. Such a person is Kafir until they believe in the Resurrection, Jannah and Hellfire, and that Allah has prepared Jannah for the pious and Hellfire for Kafirs. We must believe in all this according to the Ijma` (consensus of scholars).
The same applies to a person who doubts that Allah deserves to be worshipped. Such a person is considered Kafir of Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He), as Allah (Glorified be He) says:
{That is because Allâh, He is the Truth, and that which they invoke besides Him is Al-Bâtil (falsehood, Satan and all other false deities)} [Surah Luqman 31:30]
And:
{And your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him.} [Surah Al-Isra' 17:23]
And:
{You (Alone) we worship, and You (Alone) we ask for help (for each and everything).} [Surah Al-Fatiha 1:5]
He also says:
{And they were commanded not, but that they should worship Allâh, and worship none but Him Alone (abstaining from ascribing partners to Him)} [Surah Al-Bayyinah 98:5]
There are many Ayahs in this regard. Similarly, this applies to one who doubts in the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and claims not to know whether Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. Such a person takes the same ruling as one who denies the Message; they are considered Kafirs until they truly believe that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. The same applies to doubting in Messengers who were sent by Allah, such as Hud, Nuh, Salih, Musa and `Isa (peace be upon them). Whoever disbelieves in them is considered a Kafir. Also, one who mocks at or abuses Islam is considered a Kafir according to Allah's (Exalted be He) Saying:
{Say: "Was it at Allâh (عز وجل), and His Ayât (proofs, evidence, verses, lessons, signs, revelations) and His Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم) that you were mocking?" Make no excuse; you have disbelieved after you had believed.} [Surah At-Tawbah 9:65]
Whoever abuses Islam and the Messenger is like a person who mocks at them or even more hideous.
As for a person who abandons Salah without denying its obligation, there is a difference of opinion the scholars. Some of them consider such a person a Kafir, which is the more authentic opinion, according to the saying of the Prophet (peace be upon him): "That which differentiates us from them (Kafirs and hypocrites) is our performance of Salah; a person who abandons it becomes a Kafir."[4] He (peace be upon him) also said: "What makes one a Kafir and a Mushrik is abandoning Salah."[5]
Other scholars held that such a person is not considered a Kafir, but only a sinner and commits minor Kufr and minor Shirk, but not major Kufr. This is the opinion of a group of scholars. One who doubts the Kufr of such a person is not considered a Kafir, because this issue is debatable and subject to Ijtihad (juristic effort to infer expert legal rulings) among scholars. A person who sees according to Shari`ah (Islamic law) based evidence that such a person is Kafir should believe in this; whereas a person who doubts it and thinks that such a person is a minor, not a major, Kafir, they are excused in their Ijtihad and are not considered Kafirs.
As for those who deny that Salah is obligatory, they are considered Kafirs according to Ijma`, and a person who doubts the Kufr of such people is considered a Kafir as well, we seek refuge with Allah from that. The same applies to a person who denies the obligation of Zakah (obligatory charity) or Sawm (Fast) in Ramadan. Such a person is considered a Kafir because they do not believe Allah, His Messenger and the Ijma` of Muslims. Whoever doubts the Kufr of such a person is considered a Kafir as well after being presented with evidence, because they have disbelieved in Allah, His Messenger and the Ijma` of the Muslims. These are grave issues which a knowledge seeker should thoroughly examine so that they have deep insight. Laypeople; also should investigate the matter and not form an opinion until they ask the scholars and become well-informed, because the issues of Takfir (declaring someone to be a disbeliever) are serious, not trivial.
Knowledge seekers and scholars should clarify the ruling to people with its evidence. If a person finds anything problematic, they should not hasten to adopt an opinion; they should thoroughly investigate the evidence and ask the scholars in order to be well-informed. May Allah grant us success."
[1] Related by Muslim, Book on faith, Chapter on the necessity of affirming the prophethood of our Prophet muhammad (peace be upon him), no. 153.
[2] Related by Muslim, Book on faith, Chapter on the command to fight people until they profess that there is no God but Allah, no. 23.
[3] Narrated by Imam Ahmad, Section on tribes, Chapter on the hadiths narrated by Tariq ibn Ashyam (may Allah be pleased with him), no. 26671.
[4] Al-Tirmidhy, Book on faith, Chapter on abandoning Salah, no. 2621; Al-Nasa'y, Book on Salah, Chapter on ruling on the one abandoning Salah, no. 463; Ibn Majah, Book on performing Prayer and its Sunan, Chapter on the one abandoning Salah, no. 1079; and Imam Ahmad, Rest of the section on Al-Ansar, Chapter on the hadiths narrated by Buraydah Al-Aslamy (may Allah be pleased with him, no. 22428.
[5] Related by Muslim, Book on faith, Chapter on calling one who neglects Salah a disbeliever, no. 82.
Shaykh 'Abdul-'Azeez bin 'Abdullah bin Baaz, may Allah have mercy upon him
Source: www.alifta.net - Fatwas of Ibn Baz, Volume 28, Book on subject related to `Aqidah.
Reference: Nur `Ala Al-Darb Program, Tape no. 15.
"I recently heard that a person who is not convinced of the Kufr (disbelief) of Kafirs (disbeliever) or doubts it is considered a Kafir as well. Similarly, a person who doubts the Kufr of those who abandon Salah (Prayer) or mock at one of the limits prescribed by Allah is considered a Kafir. Is this true?"
Answer:
"Legal proofs from the Qur'an and the Sunnah (whatever is reported from the Prophet) indicate the obligation on a Mu'min (believer) to be disassociated from Mushriks (those who associate others with Allah in His Divinity or worship) and be convinced of their Kufr when they know it and discover their misguidance. Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) says in the Glorious Qur'an:
{And (remember) when Ibrâhîm (Abraham) said to his father and his people: "Verily, I am innocent of what you worship, "Except Him (i.e. I worship none but Allâh Alone) Who did create me; and verily He will guide me." And he made it [i.e. Lâ ilâha illallâh (none has the right to be worshipped but Allâh Alone)] a Word lasting among his offspring, (True Monotheism), that they may turn back (i.e. to repent to Allâh or receive admonition).} [Surah Az-Zukhruf 43:26-28]
This means to refer to it in declaring the Kufr of Kafirs, being disassociated from them and believing that Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) is the Only One to be worshipped. He (Glorified and Exalted be He) also says:
{Indeed there has been an excellent example for you in Ibrâhîm (Abraham) and those with him, when they said to their people: "Verily, we are free from you and whatever you worship besides Allâh: we have rejected you, and there has started between us and you hostility and hatred for ever until you believe in Allâh Alone"} [Surah Al-Mumtahanah 60:4]
This is the religion of Prophet Ibrahim and all the prophets; disassociation from anyone who worships other than Allah and believing in their Kufr and misguidance until they believe in Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He). Every Muslim must disassociate themselves from anyone who worships other than Allah and believe in their Kufr and misguidance until they believe in Allah (Glorified be He), as Allah informed about Prophet Ibrahim and all the Prophets. The same applies to Allah's (Glorified and Exalted be He) Saying:
{Whoever disbelieves in Tâghût and believes in Allâh, then he has grasped the most trustworthy handhold that will never break.} [Surah Al-Baqarah 2:256]
Disbelieving in Taghut (false gods) means disassociation from worshipping other than Allah and believing in its falsehood. Every Mukallaf (person meeting the conditions to be held legally accountable for their actions) must worship Allah alone and believe that He is the Only One Who deserves to be worshipped, and that any other thing worshipped by the people, whether idols, trees, stones, Jinn (creatures created from fire), angels or any other thing is falsely worshipped. Allah (Exalted be He) says:
{That is because Allâh — He is the Truth (the only True God of all that exists, Who has no partners or rivals with Him), and what they (the polytheists) invoke besides Him, it is Bâtil (falsehood).} [Surah Al-Hajj 22:62]
If a Mu'min knows that someone worships other than Allah, they should disassociate themselves from them and believe in their Kufr if the evidence has reached them or they have lived among the Muslims, according to Allah's (Exalted be He) Saying:
{...this Qur’ân has been revealed to me that I may therewith warn you and whomsoever it may reach.} [Surah Al-An'am 6:19]
He (Exalted be He) also says:
{This (Qur’an) is a Message for mankind (and a clear proof against them), in order that they may be warned thereby} [Surah Ibraheem 14:52]
Allah revealed the Qur'an to His Prophet (peace be upon him) and made it a clear message to the people. If a person is informed of what was revealed in the Qur'an and the Sunnah but does not refrain from their Kufr and misguidance, everyone must acknowledge their Kufr. This is indicated in the Sahih (authentic) Hadith in which the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "By Him in whose Hand my soul is, every Jew or Christian of this Ummah (nation) who hears about me and dies unbelieving in me will be of the inhabitants of Hellfire."[1] Related by Muslim in his Sahih Book of Hadith. He (peace be upon him) made it clear that every person who is informed of what was revealed to the Prophet (peace be upon him) but dies without believing in it will be in the Hellfire because they did not respond to what was revealed to them through the Messenger of Allah.
This is the meaning of Allah's (Exalted be He) Saying:
{...this Qur’ân has been revealed to me that I may therewith warn you and whomsoever it may reach.} [Surah Al-An'am 6:19]
He (Glorified be He) also says:
{This (Qur’an) is a Message for mankind (and a clear proof against them), in order that they may be warned thereby} [Surah Ibraheem 14:52]
It was reported in the Sahih Book of Muslim on the authority of Tariq ibn Ashyam (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "A person who professes that there is none worthy of worship but Allah and makes a denial of everything which the people worship beside Allah, their property and blood became inviolable, and all their affairs rest with Allah."[2] In another wording: "Whoever testifies that there is none worthy of worship except Allah and denies everything which people worship beside Allah, their property and blood become inviolable."[3] The inviolability of one's blood and money is associated with Tawhid (belief in the Oneness of Allah/ monotheism), declaring La ilaha illa Allah (there is no god but Allah) and disbelieving in Taghut, because Taghut is anything worshipped other than Allah. This is the meaning of the Noble Ayah (Qur'anic verse) which says:
{Whoever disbelieves in Tâghût and believes in Allâh, then he has grasped the most trustworthy handhold that will never break.} [Surah Al-Baqarah 2:256]
If one knows the falsehood of a Kafir but does not acknowledge their Kufr or doubts it, one is considered a disbeliever in Allah and His Messenger and the ruling on such people is as the Jews and the Christians. They are Kafirs according to the text of the Qur'an and the Sunnah, so all Mukallafs must believe in their Kufr and misguidance. A person who does not believe in their Kufr or doubts it is like them, because they have denied the Saying of Allah and His Messenger and doubted it. The same applies to one who doubts the Hereafter and whether there is Jannah (Paradise), Hellfire and Resurrection or not. Such a person is Kafir until they believe in the Resurrection, Jannah and Hellfire, and that Allah has prepared Jannah for the pious and Hellfire for Kafirs. We must believe in all this according to the Ijma` (consensus of scholars).
The same applies to a person who doubts that Allah deserves to be worshipped. Such a person is considered Kafir of Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He), as Allah (Glorified be He) says:
{That is because Allâh, He is the Truth, and that which they invoke besides Him is Al-Bâtil (falsehood, Satan and all other false deities)} [Surah Luqman 31:30]
And:
{And your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him.} [Surah Al-Isra' 17:23]
And:
{You (Alone) we worship, and You (Alone) we ask for help (for each and everything).} [Surah Al-Fatiha 1:5]
He also says:
{And they were commanded not, but that they should worship Allâh, and worship none but Him Alone (abstaining from ascribing partners to Him)} [Surah Al-Bayyinah 98:5]
There are many Ayahs in this regard. Similarly, this applies to one who doubts in the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and claims not to know whether Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. Such a person takes the same ruling as one who denies the Message; they are considered Kafirs until they truly believe that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. The same applies to doubting in Messengers who were sent by Allah, such as Hud, Nuh, Salih, Musa and `Isa (peace be upon them). Whoever disbelieves in them is considered a Kafir. Also, one who mocks at or abuses Islam is considered a Kafir according to Allah's (Exalted be He) Saying:
{Say: "Was it at Allâh (عز وجل), and His Ayât (proofs, evidence, verses, lessons, signs, revelations) and His Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم) that you were mocking?" Make no excuse; you have disbelieved after you had believed.} [Surah At-Tawbah 9:65]
Whoever abuses Islam and the Messenger is like a person who mocks at them or even more hideous.
As for a person who abandons Salah without denying its obligation, there is a difference of opinion the scholars. Some of them consider such a person a Kafir, which is the more authentic opinion, according to the saying of the Prophet (peace be upon him): "That which differentiates us from them (Kafirs and hypocrites) is our performance of Salah; a person who abandons it becomes a Kafir."[4] He (peace be upon him) also said: "What makes one a Kafir and a Mushrik is abandoning Salah."[5]
Other scholars held that such a person is not considered a Kafir, but only a sinner and commits minor Kufr and minor Shirk, but not major Kufr. This is the opinion of a group of scholars. One who doubts the Kufr of such a person is not considered a Kafir, because this issue is debatable and subject to Ijtihad (juristic effort to infer expert legal rulings) among scholars. A person who sees according to Shari`ah (Islamic law) based evidence that such a person is Kafir should believe in this; whereas a person who doubts it and thinks that such a person is a minor, not a major, Kafir, they are excused in their Ijtihad and are not considered Kafirs.
As for those who deny that Salah is obligatory, they are considered Kafirs according to Ijma`, and a person who doubts the Kufr of such people is considered a Kafir as well, we seek refuge with Allah from that. The same applies to a person who denies the obligation of Zakah (obligatory charity) or Sawm (Fast) in Ramadan. Such a person is considered a Kafir because they do not believe Allah, His Messenger and the Ijma` of Muslims. Whoever doubts the Kufr of such a person is considered a Kafir as well after being presented with evidence, because they have disbelieved in Allah, His Messenger and the Ijma` of the Muslims. These are grave issues which a knowledge seeker should thoroughly examine so that they have deep insight. Laypeople; also should investigate the matter and not form an opinion until they ask the scholars and become well-informed, because the issues of Takfir (declaring someone to be a disbeliever) are serious, not trivial.
Knowledge seekers and scholars should clarify the ruling to people with its evidence. If a person finds anything problematic, they should not hasten to adopt an opinion; they should thoroughly investigate the evidence and ask the scholars in order to be well-informed. May Allah grant us success."
[1] Related by Muslim, Book on faith, Chapter on the necessity of affirming the prophethood of our Prophet muhammad (peace be upon him), no. 153.
[2] Related by Muslim, Book on faith, Chapter on the command to fight people until they profess that there is no God but Allah, no. 23.
[3] Narrated by Imam Ahmad, Section on tribes, Chapter on the hadiths narrated by Tariq ibn Ashyam (may Allah be pleased with him), no. 26671.
[4] Al-Tirmidhy, Book on faith, Chapter on abandoning Salah, no. 2621; Al-Nasa'y, Book on Salah, Chapter on ruling on the one abandoning Salah, no. 463; Ibn Majah, Book on performing Prayer and its Sunan, Chapter on the one abandoning Salah, no. 1079; and Imam Ahmad, Rest of the section on Al-Ansar, Chapter on the hadiths narrated by Buraydah Al-Aslamy (may Allah be pleased with him, no. 22428.
[5] Related by Muslim, Book on faith, Chapter on calling one who neglects Salah a disbeliever, no. 82.
Shaykh 'Abdul-'Azeez bin 'Abdullah bin Baaz, may Allah have mercy upon him
Source: www.alifta.net - Fatwas of Ibn Baz, Volume 28, Book on subject related to `Aqidah.
Reference: Nur `Ala Al-Darb Program, Tape no. 15.