The
ruling on judging a person to be a Muslim or Kaafir belongs to Allaah. He is the One to pass the
ruling of Kufr (disbelief) or Islaam (submission to the Will of Allaah);
just as He is the One to permit and prohibit. We do not have the right to
permit what Allaah has
prohibited or forbid what Allaah
has permitted. Neither do we have the right to declare someone who is not a Kaafir
in the ruling of Allaah to be a
Kaafir. Nor can we say, ‘This person is a Muslim,’ when he is not a
Muslim in the sight of Allaah.
The
issue of Takfeer (declaring someone to be a Kaafir) is a very
grave one. It has opened great evil doors on the Islamic Ummah. The
first people to embrace this evil path, which is, declaring Muslims
unbelievers, were the Khawaarij. The
Khawaarij were the ones the Prophet (Sallallaahu
alayhi wasallam) stated that they ‘Will go out of Islam the way spear
goes out of an arrow. They will recite the Qur’aan, but it will not pass
through their throat. They will pray, give out Sadaqah and recite the Qur’aan”
[1]so
much so that the Prophet (Sallallaahu
alayhi wasallam) stated that the companions will consider their Salaah (the
prayer) little compared to those of the Khawaarij.
However,
in Allaah we seek refuge; they declared the Muslims unbelievers and made their
wealth, blood and women lawful. We ask Allaah
for well-being. And this issue remains till our present time. There is a
misguided and innovated group declaring the one Allaah and His Messenger (Sallallaahu
alayhi wasallam) have not declared as an unbeliever as an unbeliever based
on their desires. (They say), ‘this is a Kaafir,’ ‘this is an
innovator,’ and ‘this is a sinner,’ and the likes.
And
what was it that occurred from these Khawaarij who have left Islam? It
occurred from them that they met with Alee bin Abee Taalib, the Fourth Khaleefah
(may Allaah be pleased with him)
among the Rightly Guided Khulafaa. They met with him over the war against the
people of Sham (Greater Syria). They agreed on this. Great wars and lots of
bloodshed took place between them. Then Alee (may Allaah be pleased with him) agreed with the people of Sham and
they reconciled so as to prevent further bloodshed of the Muslims. The Khawaarij
then said to Alee bin Abee Taalib (may Allaah
be pleased with him): ‘You are a Kaafir. Why did you reconcile with them.
You have disbelieved the way they disbelieved;’ and they revolted against him
and fought him. However, the end was good for him. Praise be to Allaah. Alee (may Allaah be pleased with him) routed them the manner of Aad and
the Iram, and he was victorious over them
However,
this devilish school of thought is still present among the Muslims. They permit
shedding the blood of the Muslims despite its sanctity, taking the wealth of
the Muslims despite its sanctity and their wives despite the sanctity of their
dignity. They said, for example: whosoever commits Zina is a Kaafir.
Whosoever steals is a Kaafir. And whosoever drinks alcohol is a Kaafir.
Every sin among the major sins is Kufr (disbelief) according to them;
that takes one outside the fold of Islam, in Allaah we seek refuge.
These
people that declare Muslims as unbelievers, there is no doubt that they are
unbelievers because the Prophet (Sallallaahu
alayhi wasallam) stated that if a man calls his brother, ‘O Kaafir,’
one of them will certainty deserve the title. It is a must. If it is as he has
stated, then he is a Kaafir, but if not then the one who said it is a Kaafir.
Thus,
it is obligatory that a person should restrain his tongue and heart from
declaring Muslims as unbelievers. He should not say: ‘This is an unbeliever,’ and should not
believe in his heart that this is a Kaafir merely because of desires.
The ruling on Takfeer is not for Zayd or Umar (to speak freely about).
Rather, it is for Allaah – the
Mighty and Sublime – and His Messenger (Sallallaahu
alayhi wasallam). Whosoever has been declared as a Kaafir (by the
text of the Qur’aan and the Sunnah) is a Kaafir even if we say he
is a Muslim. And whosoever Allaah
and His Messenger (Sallallaahu alayhi
wasallam) have not declared as an unbeliever, he is a Muslim, even if
someone says he is a Kaafir.
Consequently,
we say to the one that calls a Muslim, ‘O Kaafir,’ or ‘O enemy of Allaah;’ if the address is as he has
stated, then he is a Kaafir and enemy of Allaah. But if it is not true, then the one who said so is the Kaafir
and enemy of Allaah. Based on
this, such utterance is among the major sins if the one that is addressed as a Kaafir
is not one.
Source: Sharh Riyaad as-Saaliheen, vol. 4, pp. 306-307 by Shaykh Muhammad Saalih al-Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him)
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