The madhab of Ahlus-Sunnah regarding the one who commits a major sin
And from the fundamental principles of Ahlus-Sunnah wa-l-Jama'ah is:
That they don't make takfīr of anyone from the Muslims, unless he has commited a nullifier from the nullifiers of Islam.
And as for what belongs to the major sins which are lesser than Shirk, and no evidence indicates the disbelief of the one who commits them, such as leaving off the prayer out of laziness; then they (Ahlus-Sunnah wa-l-Jamā'ah) don't judge the one who commits them, meaning the major sins, with disbelief, however they judge him with Fisq (disobedience of Allāh and sin) and deficiency in Īmān.
And if he does not repent from them, he will be under the Will of Allāh; if Allāh wills He will forgive him and if He wills He will punish him, but he will not remain in the Hellfire.
Allāh, Exalted is He, says:
{Verily, Allāh forgives not that partners should be set up with him in worship, but He forgives except that (anything else) to whom He pleases} [Sūrah An-Nisā' 4:48]
The methodology of Ahlus-Sunnah in that regard is in the middle between the Khawārij[1], who declare the one who commits a major sin, even though it is lesser than disbelief, a disbeliever, and the Murjiah[2] who say that he is a believer with complete īmān, and say that: "Sins do not harm in the presence of Īmān the same way that obedience is of no benefit in the presence of disbelief (Kufr)."
Footnotes by translator:
[1] What is the methodology of the Khawarij and when were its beginnings?
[2] The Spread of and Call to Irja' Creed
Shaykh Saalih bin Fawzaan Al-Fawzaan, may Allah preserve him
Translated by 'Abdurrahīm Ibn Muhammad Al-Hadhramī.
Published on Salafi-Dawah.com.
Source: Min Usūli 'Aqīdati Ahli-s-Sunnah wa-l-Jamā'ah p 20-21. For a scan of the bookcover click here, page 20 click here and page 21 click here.
That they don't make takfīr of anyone from the Muslims, unless he has commited a nullifier from the nullifiers of Islam.
And as for what belongs to the major sins which are lesser than Shirk, and no evidence indicates the disbelief of the one who commits them, such as leaving off the prayer out of laziness; then they (Ahlus-Sunnah wa-l-Jamā'ah) don't judge the one who commits them, meaning the major sins, with disbelief, however they judge him with Fisq (disobedience of Allāh and sin) and deficiency in Īmān.
And if he does not repent from them, he will be under the Will of Allāh; if Allāh wills He will forgive him and if He wills He will punish him, but he will not remain in the Hellfire.
Allāh, Exalted is He, says:
{Verily, Allāh forgives not that partners should be set up with him in worship, but He forgives except that (anything else) to whom He pleases} [Sūrah An-Nisā' 4:48]
The methodology of Ahlus-Sunnah in that regard is in the middle between the Khawārij[1], who declare the one who commits a major sin, even though it is lesser than disbelief, a disbeliever, and the Murjiah[2] who say that he is a believer with complete īmān, and say that: "Sins do not harm in the presence of Īmān the same way that obedience is of no benefit in the presence of disbelief (Kufr)."
Footnotes by translator:
[1] What is the methodology of the Khawarij and when were its beginnings?
[2] The Spread of and Call to Irja' Creed
Shaykh Saalih bin Fawzaan Al-Fawzaan, may Allah preserve him
Translated by 'Abdurrahīm Ibn Muhammad Al-Hadhramī.
Published on Salafi-Dawah.com.
Source: Min Usūli 'Aqīdati Ahli-s-Sunnah wa-l-Jamā'ah p 20-21. For a scan of the bookcover click here, page 20 click here and page 21 click here.
الشيخ صالح الفوزان حفظه الله
ﻭﻣﻦ ﺃﺻﻮﻝ ﺃﻫﻞ ﺍﻟﺴﻨَّﺔ ﻭﺍﻟﺠﻤﺎﻋﺔ
ﺃﻧﻬﻢ ﻻ ﻳﻜﻔﺮﻭﻥ ﺃﺣﺪﺍً ﻣﻦ ﺍﻟﻤﺴﻠﻤﻴﻦ ﺇﻻ ﺇﺫﺍ ﺍﺭﺗﻜﺐ ﻧﺎﻗﻀﺎً ﻣﻦ ﻧﻮﺍﻗﺾ ﺍﻹﺳﻼﻡ
ﺃﻣﺎ ﻣﺎ ﻛﺎﻥ ﻣﻦ ﺍﻟﻜﺒﺎﺋﺮ ﺍﻟﺘﻲ ﻫﻲ ﺩﻭﻥ ﺍﻟﺸﺮﻙ ﻭﻟﻢ ﻳﺪﻝ ﺩﻟﻴﻞ ﻋﻠﻰ ﻛﻔﺮ ﻣﺮﺗﻜﺒﻬﺎ - ﻛﺘﺮﻙ ﺍﻟﺼﻼﺓ ﺗﻜﺎﺳﻼً - ﻓﺈﻧﻬﻢ ﻻ ﻳﺤﻜﻤﻮﻥ ﻋﻠﻰ ﻣﺮﺗﻜﺒﻬﺎ - ﺃﻱ ﺍﻟﻜﺒﺎﺋﺮ - ﺑﺎﻟﻜﻔﺮ ﻭﺇﻧﻤﺎ ﻳﺤﻜﻤﻮﻥ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﺑﺎﻟﻔﺴﻖ ﻭﻧﻘﺺ ﺍﻹﻳﻤﺎﻥ. ﻭﺇﺫﺍ ﻟﻢ ﻳﺘﺐ ﻣﻨﻬﺎ ﻓﺈﻧﻪ ﺗﺤﺖ ﺍﻟﻤﺸﻴﺌﺔ - ﺇﻥ ﺷﺎﺀ ﺍﻟﻠﻪ ﻏﻔﺮ ﻟﻪ ﻭﺇﻥ ﺷﺎﺀ ﻋﺬﺑﻪ ﻟﻜﻨﻪ ﻻ ﻳﺨﻠﺪ ﻓﻲ ﺍﻟﻨﺎﺭ
[ﻗﺎﻝ ﺗﻌﺎﻟﻰ : {ﺇِﻥَّ ﺍﻟﻠَّﻪَ ﻻَ ﻳَﻐْﻔِﺮُ ﺃَﻥ ﻳُﺸْﺮَﻙَ ﺑِﻪِ ﻭَﻳَﻐْﻔِﺮُ ﻣَﺎ ﺩُﻭﻥَ ﺫَﻟِﻚَ ﻟِﻤَﻦ ﻳَﺸَﺎﺀ}[ ﺍﻟﻨﺴﺎﺀ 48/
ﻭﻣﺬﻫﺐ ﺃﻫﻞ ﺍﻟﺴﻨَّﺔ ﻓﻲ ﺫﻟﻚ ﻭﺳﻂ ﺑﻴﻦ ﺍﻟﺨﻮﺍﺭﺝ ﺍﻟﺬﻳﻦ ﻳﻜﻔﺮﻭﻥ ﻣﺮﺗﻜﺐ ﺍﻟﻜﺒﻴﺮﺓ ﻭﺇﻥ ﻛﺎﻧﺖ ﺩﻭﻥ ﺍﻟﻜﻔﺮ ﻭﺑﻴﻦ ﺍﻟﻤﺮﺟﺌﺔ ﺍﻟﺬﻳﻦ ﻳﻘﻮﻟﻮﻥ ﻫﻮ ﻣﺆﻣﻦ ﻛﺎﻣﻞ ﺍﻹﻳﻤﺎﻥ ﻭﻳﻘﻮﻟﻮﻥ : ﻻ ﻳﻀﺮ ﻣﻊ ﺍﻹﻳﻤﺎﻥ ﻣﻌﺼﻴﺔ ﻛﻤﺎ ﻻ ﻳﻨﻔﻊ ﻣﻊ ﺍﻟﻜﻔﺮ ﻃﺎﻋﺔ
[ﻣﻦ ﺃﺻﻮﻝ ﻋﻘﻴﺪﺓ ﺃﻫﻞ ﺍﻟﺴﻨﺔ ﻭﺍﻟﺠﻤﺎﻋﺔ ص ٢٠-٢١]
ﻭﻣﻦ ﺃﺻﻮﻝ ﺃﻫﻞ ﺍﻟﺴﻨَّﺔ ﻭﺍﻟﺠﻤﺎﻋﺔ
ﺃﻧﻬﻢ ﻻ ﻳﻜﻔﺮﻭﻥ ﺃﺣﺪﺍً ﻣﻦ ﺍﻟﻤﺴﻠﻤﻴﻦ ﺇﻻ ﺇﺫﺍ ﺍﺭﺗﻜﺐ ﻧﺎﻗﻀﺎً ﻣﻦ ﻧﻮﺍﻗﺾ ﺍﻹﺳﻼﻡ
ﺃﻣﺎ ﻣﺎ ﻛﺎﻥ ﻣﻦ ﺍﻟﻜﺒﺎﺋﺮ ﺍﻟﺘﻲ ﻫﻲ ﺩﻭﻥ ﺍﻟﺸﺮﻙ ﻭﻟﻢ ﻳﺪﻝ ﺩﻟﻴﻞ ﻋﻠﻰ ﻛﻔﺮ ﻣﺮﺗﻜﺒﻬﺎ - ﻛﺘﺮﻙ ﺍﻟﺼﻼﺓ ﺗﻜﺎﺳﻼً - ﻓﺈﻧﻬﻢ ﻻ ﻳﺤﻜﻤﻮﻥ ﻋﻠﻰ ﻣﺮﺗﻜﺒﻬﺎ - ﺃﻱ ﺍﻟﻜﺒﺎﺋﺮ - ﺑﺎﻟﻜﻔﺮ ﻭﺇﻧﻤﺎ ﻳﺤﻜﻤﻮﻥ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﺑﺎﻟﻔﺴﻖ ﻭﻧﻘﺺ ﺍﻹﻳﻤﺎﻥ. ﻭﺇﺫﺍ ﻟﻢ ﻳﺘﺐ ﻣﻨﻬﺎ ﻓﺈﻧﻪ ﺗﺤﺖ ﺍﻟﻤﺸﻴﺌﺔ - ﺇﻥ ﺷﺎﺀ ﺍﻟﻠﻪ ﻏﻔﺮ ﻟﻪ ﻭﺇﻥ ﺷﺎﺀ ﻋﺬﺑﻪ ﻟﻜﻨﻪ ﻻ ﻳﺨﻠﺪ ﻓﻲ ﺍﻟﻨﺎﺭ
[ﻗﺎﻝ ﺗﻌﺎﻟﻰ : {ﺇِﻥَّ ﺍﻟﻠَّﻪَ ﻻَ ﻳَﻐْﻔِﺮُ ﺃَﻥ ﻳُﺸْﺮَﻙَ ﺑِﻪِ ﻭَﻳَﻐْﻔِﺮُ ﻣَﺎ ﺩُﻭﻥَ ﺫَﻟِﻚَ ﻟِﻤَﻦ ﻳَﺸَﺎﺀ}[ ﺍﻟﻨﺴﺎﺀ 48/
ﻭﻣﺬﻫﺐ ﺃﻫﻞ ﺍﻟﺴﻨَّﺔ ﻓﻲ ﺫﻟﻚ ﻭﺳﻂ ﺑﻴﻦ ﺍﻟﺨﻮﺍﺭﺝ ﺍﻟﺬﻳﻦ ﻳﻜﻔﺮﻭﻥ ﻣﺮﺗﻜﺐ ﺍﻟﻜﺒﻴﺮﺓ ﻭﺇﻥ ﻛﺎﻧﺖ ﺩﻭﻥ ﺍﻟﻜﻔﺮ ﻭﺑﻴﻦ ﺍﻟﻤﺮﺟﺌﺔ ﺍﻟﺬﻳﻦ ﻳﻘﻮﻟﻮﻥ ﻫﻮ ﻣﺆﻣﻦ ﻛﺎﻣﻞ ﺍﻹﻳﻤﺎﻥ ﻭﻳﻘﻮﻟﻮﻥ : ﻻ ﻳﻀﺮ ﻣﻊ ﺍﻹﻳﻤﺎﻥ ﻣﻌﺼﻴﺔ ﻛﻤﺎ ﻻ ﻳﻨﻔﻊ ﻣﻊ ﺍﻟﻜﻔﺮ ﻃﺎﻋﺔ
[ﻣﻦ ﺃﺻﻮﻝ ﻋﻘﻴﺪﺓ ﺃﻫﻞ ﺍﻟﺴﻨﺔ ﻭﺍﻟﺠﻤﺎﻋﺔ ص ٢٠-٢١]