A summary of the concepts held by the Ahl al-Sunnah.
The definition of kufr (disbelief).
Kufr in the linguistic sense.
It means to cover and conceal.
It is said,
"The farmer covered the seed,"
meaning he covered it with soil.
Likewise, kufr of blessings (ingratitude),
means to deny and conceal them.
The kafir (disbeliever),
is the one who denies the blessings of Allah the Exalted.
Similarly, the word kafir,
refers to the dark night,
because it covers things with its darkness.
As for kufr in the religious sense,
it is the covering of faith.
It is the denial of one,
or more of the pillars of faith,
such as denying the oneness,
of Allah the Almighty,
or denying His angels,
or His scriptures, or any part of them,
even a single verse.
Or denying His messengers,
and calling them liars.
Or denying the Last Day,
or the divine decree (qadar).
Or denying any of the laws of Allah,
or His rites upon which there is consensus,
regarding them.
Kufr is the opposite of faith.
It occurs through the heart, the tongue,
and actions.
Among the types of kufr are also,
beyond the kufr of denial and rejection,
the kufr of refusal and arrogance,
the kufr of declaring the forbidden as lawful (istihlal),
the kufr of mockery,
the kufr of major hypocrisy,
the kufr of desertion (i'rad),
and the kufr of doubt.
Major kufr,
and minor kufr.
Major kufr,
is that which expels one from the fold of Islam,
like the types mentioned,
in the previous concept.
It contradicts the very essence of faith.
Therefore, Allah does not forgive it,
except through repentance.
Its perpetrator will abide eternally,
in the Fire on the Day of Resurrection,
if he does not repent from it.
Minor kufr,
is that which is termed kufr,
such as committing some,
acts of kufr,
which diminish faith,
but do not nullify it.
Examples include ingratitude for blessings,
fighting a Muslim,
wailing over the dead,
slandering lineages,
minor showing off (riya'),
and swearing by other than Allah.
All these actions,
have been termed kufr in the religious texts.
However, other religious evidences indicate,
that it is not intended to mean,
expulsion from the fold of Islam.
Rather, the one who commits them is considered,
to have committed a grave sin.
Even if he enters the Fire,
because of them, he will not abide therein eternally.
When the term,
"kufr" is used absolutely,
it refers in principle,
to major kufr,
which nullifies all deeds,
and causes its perpetrator to abide eternally in the Fire,
if he dies upon it,
and does not repent from it,
unless the evidences indicate otherwise.
Takfir (declaring someone a disbeliever).
Takfir,
is the judgment,
passed upon a legally responsible person (mukallaf) of kufr,
whether it is original kufr,
like that of a Jew or a Christian,
or if he was a Muslim,
and apostatized from Islam,
by falling into an act of kufr,
among the nullifiers of faith.
Takfir is a right,
belonging to Allah the Exalted.
Personal desires have no place in it,
nor do whims or passions.
It cannot occur except,
by fulfilling its conditions,
and the absence of its impediments,
such as coercion, error,
ignorance, or misinterpretation.
The Ahl al-Sunnah are moderate,
regarding takfir, between the Khawarij,
who declare takfir for every,
sin without regard,
for the conditions and impediments,
and the Murji'ah,
who judge an action as kufr,
but do not declare takfir,
upon the specific individual who committed it,
unless he declares his denial,
and his lawfulness of the act.
For them, there is no kufr of refusal and arrogance,
nor kufr of mockery.
It is sufficient for them,
to utter the two testimonies of faith,
to become a Muslim,
even if he lacks the action,
of the heart and its speech,
and even if he lacks the entire,
genus of action.
Therefore, the Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama'ah,
do not declare takfir for every sin.
They only declare takfir,
for the sin which the texts have stated,
is kufr,
such as abandoning prayer entirely,
ruling by other than what Allah has revealed,
insulting the Messenger,
peace be upon him,
or insulting his religion,
and so on.
They do not declare takfir upon a specific individual,
unless the conditions for his takfir are met,
and the impediments are absent.
They do not limit this,
to denial and declaring the forbidden as lawful,
because kufr according to the Ahl al-Sunnah,
involves many matters.
Among them is belief,
such as believing that Allah has an equal,
or a partner in His Lordship,
or His divinity,
or His names and attributes.
Among them is declaring the forbidden as lawful,
for declaring sins as lawful,
is kufr in itself,
even if the one who declares it lawful does not commit them.
Declaring it lawful is not,
a condition for kufr,
except in sins that are,
lesser than kufr and shirk.
As for prostrating to an idol,
or insulting the Messenger, peace be upon him,
it is not required,
to declare the act lawful,
for the perpetrator to be labeled a kafir.
Rather, he is described as such,
by the mere act of doing it,
even if he did not declare it lawful,
provided that the conditions have,
been met and the impediments,
have been absent.
Kufr can occur by the tongue,
such as insulting Allah and His Messenger,
praising shirk,
lampooning the prophets and angels,
or mocking the Shari'ah.
Kufr can also occur,
by action,
such as one who fights the prophets,
supports the disbelievers against the Muslims,
desecrates the Mushaf,
sacrifices to or prostrates,
to other than Allah, or legislates,
besides Allah.
The principles of takfir.
The issue of declaring,
a specific individual a kafir or not,
is a grave matter,
from two perspectives.
The first:
declaring takfir upon a specific individual who does not deserve,
takfir,
based merely on doubts that do not rise,
to the level of certainty in his kufr.
The second:
not declaring takfir upon him despite,
the fulfillment of the conditions and the absence of,
the impediments that would make one certain,
of his kufr and dealing,
with him according to the rulings of Islam.
For declaring takfir upon a specific individual,
there are principles that must be observed,
the most important of which are:
First:
The judgment upon a specific individual must be,
With knowledge and justice.
This is achieved by ensuring that the judgment
regarding whether someone has committed an act of disbelief or not
proceeds from sound religious knowledge
of the rulings of takfir, its parameters,
and its conditions,
as well as a realistic understanding of the specific individual’s situation
who is the subject of the judgment.
One must verify all of this,
and it must not be
based on assumptions and delusions.
Furthermore, the judgment must be rendered
with justice and piety, avoiding caprice,
and protecting the sanctity of the soul.
Allah the Almighty says:
“(O man), follow not that whereof thou hast no knowledge. Lo! the hearing and the sight and the heart - of each of these it will be asked.” (17:36)
[concerning which] he has knowledge.
“(O man), follow not that whereof thou hast no knowledge. Lo! the hearing and the sight and the heart - of each of these it will be asked.” (17:36)
All of those
will be held accountable for it.
And Allah the Almighty says:
"O you who
believe, be persistently standing firm
for Allah, witnesses in justice,
and do not let the hatred
of a people prevent you
from being just."
“O ye who believe! Be steadfast witnesses for Allah in equity, and let not hatred of any people seduce you that ye deal not justly. Deal justly, that is nearer to your duty. Observe your duty to Allah. Lo! Allah is Informed of what ye do.” (5:8)
And fear Allah;
indeed, Allah is Acquainted
with what you do.
Second:
The reference point for defining
faith and disbelief, and what they
entail, must be the clarification provided by Allah
the Almighty in His Book,
and the clarification provided by His Messenger,
peace be upon him, in his Sunnah,
and the understanding of the Companions,
may Allah be pleased with them.
This principle
is a corollary of the one preceding it,
for it is not permissible to delve into matters
of faith and disbelief
except with firm knowledge
of their meanings and boundaries,
according to the understanding of the righteous salaf.
Otherwise, one will fall into the affliction
of the sects of the innovators
regarding the definition of both faith and disbelief,
such as the Khawarij
and the Murji'ah.
Third: Whoever has been established [as a believer],
it is not permissible to expel him from it
except with certainty.
This is subsumed
under the great
legal maxim:
"Certainty is not removed by doubt."
So, that which is established with certainty
as apostasy,
one judges accordingly.
But that which is doubted to be apostasy,
one does not judge accordingly.
Fourth:
Judgments in this world are based on outward appearances,
while Allah takes charge of the inner secrets.
One should not pry into the inner states of people,
as Allah has not commanded us
to do so.
Whoever appears to be a Muslim,
he is judged as such.
And whoever appears to be in contradiction to faith,
he is judged accordingly.
The consideration in this
is the final state of the
accountable person.
The Prophet, peace be upon him, used to
treat people
according to their outward appearance,
accepting the outward Islam of the hypocrites
even though they were disbelievers
in their hearts,
unless this hypocrite manifests
his disbelief in word or deed.
At that point,
he is judged by this outward manifestation.
Fifth:
A general judgment declaring a
statement or action to be disbelief
does not necessitate applying that judgment to a specific individual.
Rather, it is said:
"This statement or action
is disbelief,"
but it does not follow that everyone who commits it [is a disbeliever]
until the conditions of takfir are met
and the impediments are removed.
This is an important rule
regarding takfir, declaring someone an innovator,
or declaring them corrupt.
Sixth:
One does not judge a specific individual
by the implications of his speech or action,
nor is he bound by the necessary consequences
of his speech or action,
unless these implications
and consequences are presented to him,
and he accepts and commits to them.
As for if he denies them
when they are presented to him,
then he is not judged as a disbeliever.
Impediments to Takfir
There are impediments
to takfir.
If they are present, or if one of them is present
in a specific person at the time he commits
the act of disbelief,
he is not personally judged as a disbeliever
until they are removed from him
and he persists thereafter in what he
is doing.
The most important of these impediments are:
Error, interpretation,
coercion, and ignorance.
The details of this
are in the following concepts.
Error as an impediment
to takfir:
Error is the opposite of correctness.
The intent is
that a person falls into an act of disbelief
by mistake, not intending what he says
or does,
such as a slip of the tongue that comes out by mistake
in a state of intense emotion, whether from extreme
joy or sadness.
One of the clearest examples of this
is what is mentioned in the hadith about Allah's joy
at the repentance of His servant,
and the illustration of that
by the joy of the one who found his mount
after it was lost in the desert.
He erred due to the intensity of
his joy and said:
"O Allah, You are my servant
and I am Your Lord," while he intended
the opposite.
Such errors occur frequently,
especially among non-Arabs
who do not know the meanings of
Arabic words precisely.
An example of error in actions
is one who insults the Mushaf,
thinking it is another book,
such as a geography book,
for example, or a foreign
dictionary. This person
is excused for his error due to his lack of knowledge
that it is the Qur'an.
Whereas one who insults the Mushaf
while knowing it is a Mushaf,
but says,
"I did not know that
insulting it is disbelief," this person
is not excused because
he insulted it intentionally,
so his ignorance of the ruling does not benefit him.
The most correct
and clearest evidence for the lack of
accountability for error
is that when the Muslims complied
with the saying of Allah the Almighty:
"And whether you disclose what is in your hearts
or conceal it, Allah will bring you to account
for it,"
then He forgives whom He wills
and punishes whom He wills,
and Allah is over
all things competent.
And they said:
"We hear and we obey.
[We seek] Your forgiveness, our Lord,
and to You is the final destination."
Allah the Almighty abrogated
this ruling with His saying:
"Allah does not charge a soul
except [with that within] its capacity."
“Allah tasketh not a soul beyond its scope. For it (is only) that which it hath earned, and against it (only) that which it hath deserved. Our Lord! Condemn us not if we forget, or miss the mark! Our Lord! Lay not on us such a burden as thou didst lay on those before us! Our Lord! Impose not on us that which we have not the strength to bear! Pardon us, absolve us and have mercy on us, Thou, our Protector, and give us victory over the disbelieving folk.” (2:286)
[It will have] what it has earned.
"Our Lord, do not impose blame upon us
“Allah tasketh not a soul beyond its scope. For it (is only) that which it hath earned, and against it (only) that which it hath deserved. Our Lord! Condemn us not if we forget, or miss the mark! Our Lord! Lay not on us such a burden as thou didst lay on those before us! Our Lord! Impose not on us that which we have not the strength to bear! Pardon us, absolve us and have mercy on us, Thou, our Protector, and give us victory over the disbelieving folk.” (2:286)
“Allah tasketh not a soul beyond its scope. For it (is only) that which it hath earned, and against it (only) that which it hath deserved. Our Lord! Condemn us not if we forget, or miss the mark! Our Lord! Lay not on us such a burden as thou didst lay on those before us! Our Lord! Impose not on us that which we have not the strength to bear! Pardon us, absolve us and have mercy on us, Thou, our Protector, and give us victory over the disbelieving folk.” (2:286)
as You laid upon those before us.
Our Lord, and burden us not
with that [which we have no strength to bear].
“Allah tasketh not a soul beyond its scope. For it (is only) that which it hath earned, and against it (only) that which it hath deserved. Our Lord! Condemn us not if we forget, or miss the mark! Our Lord! Lay not on us such a burden as thou didst lay on those before us! Our Lord! Impose not on us that which we have not the strength to bear! Pardon us, absolve us and have mercy on us, Thou, our Protector, and give us victory over the disbelieving folk.” (2:286)
And pardon us,
and forgive us, and have mercy upon us."
And from the Prophet, peace be upon him,
[it is narrated] that Allah the Almighty,
after the saying:
"Our Lord, do not impose blame upon us,"
“Allah tasketh not a soul beyond its scope. For it (is only) that which it hath earned, and against it (only) that which it hath deserved. Our Lord! Condemn us not if we forget, or miss the mark! Our Lord! Lay not on us such a burden as thou didst lay on those before us! Our Lord! Impose not on us that which we have not the strength to bear! Pardon us, absolve us and have mercy on us, Thou, our Protector, and give us victory over the disbelieving folk.” (2:286)
said: "Yes."
Narrated by Muslim in a
long hadith.
Misinterpretation as a barrier
to declaring someone an unbeliever (takfir).
The intended meaning of this
is misinterpretation in understanding the texts of the two Revelations,
based on an understanding that contradicts the understanding of
the salaf and the principles of the Shari'ah.
A person in such a state is excused
until it is clarified to him
that his understanding is erroneous.
Thereafter, he is no longer excused
if he persists in his erroneous interpretation.
This is like someone who misinterprets the saying of Allah the Exalted:
"There is no blame upon those
who believe and do righteous deeds
for what they have eaten [in the past],
if they [now] fear Allah and believe
and do righteous deeds,
and then fear Allah and believe,
and then fear Allah and do good;
and Allah loves the doers of good."
[He interprets this to mean] that whoever believes, fears Allah,
does righteous deeds,
and does good,
then there is no sin upon him in drinking wine.
Such a person is not declared an unbeliever
for deeming wine lawful,
due to his corrupt interpretation.
Rather, the error
and corruption of this interpretation must be clarified to him.
He is not declared an unbeliever for his invalid interpretation
after it has been clarified to him;
for he is not excused thereafter.
The interpretation that serves
as a barrier to declaring a specific individual an unbeliever,
until his misconception is removed,
is the interpretation that does not lead
to the nullification of the Shari'ah,
or to falling into manifest polytheism (shirk),
or to involving
the denial of what was brought by
the Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
or the rejection of a fundamental principle
without which the religion cannot stand.
[This excludes] the interpretations of the Batiniyyah,
the heretics (zanadiqa), and the philosophers,
which involve atheism,
disbelief in the Last Day,
the nullification of the rulings of the Shari'ah,
the abandonment of religious obligations,
and the deeming of forbidden things as lawful.
Coercion as a barrier to takfir.
Coercion (ikrah)
is the forcing of another person against their will
to perform an act or utter a statement
that contradicts their consent and choice,
and compelling them to do what they do not desire.
This is considered valid by
the consensus of the scholars
when applying legal rulings,
even if they differ regarding its forms
and the ruling for each form,
and the conditions of valid coercion.
The basis for this is the saying of Allah the Exalted:
"Whoever disbelieves in Allah
after his belief,
except for one who is forced [to do so]
while his heart is secure
in faith."
“Whoso disbelieveth in Allah after his belief - save him who is forced thereto and whose heart is still content with the Faith - but whoso findeth ease in disbelief: On them is wrath from Allah. Theirs will be an awful doom.” (16:106)
[Those who are forced] are those upon whom
[the wrath] of Allah [falls],
and for them is a great punishment.
The scholars have established
conditions for the coercion that
excuses the one who commits it.
The most important of these are: First,
that the coercer be capable
of carrying out his threat
against the coerced person. Second,
that the coerced person be unable
to defend himself by any means.
Third,
that it is highly probable to the
coerced person that the threat will be carried out
if he does not do what is demanded of him.
Fourth,
that the harm resulting
from the coercion to commit disbelief
be great and unbearable,
such as killing, torture,
or long-term imprisonment.
Fifth,
that the coerced person not be an Imam
followed by the Ummah;
for in such a case, he must show patience,
so that he does not lead the people astray.
Ignorance
and the failure of the legal address to reach a person
are two barriers to takfir.
Ignorance comes in several meanings,
among them:
the absence of knowledge in the soul,
which is what is intended here;
and believing something to be contrary
to what it actually is.
Whoever falls into a prohibition or violation,
whether it be disbelief,
innovation, or immorality,
due to the non-arrival of
the legal address to him and his ignorance of it,
then he shall not be subject to
the threat in this world or in the
Hereafter, which is promised to
the perpetrator of the violation,
nor shall he be judged by it
until the knowledge reaches him
by which the proof is established against him.
This is the general rule.
As for the details of this,
Ibn al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy on him, says:
"This applies to
the rulings of reward and punishment.
As for the rulings of this world,
they proceed according to
the outward appearance.
Thus, the children of the unbelievers and their insane,
[they are treated as] unbelievers in the rulings of this world;
they have the same status as their guardians."
His words end here.
Similarly,
whoever falls into manifest shirk,
such as prostrating to an idol,
or slaughtering and making vows to other than Allah
the Exalted, he is considered
a polytheist in the rulings of
this world. As for the punishments
of this world and the Hereafter,
they do not befall him except
after the removal of ignorance
and the establishment of the proof.
"And never would We
punish until
We sent a messenger."
Punishment is deserved
for two reasons: one of
them is turning away from the proof
and from seeking it, or acting
upon it and its requirements.
The second is obstinacy against the
proof and refusing to act
upon it after knowing it
and its establishment against the obstinate one.
The first is the disbelief of
turning away, and the second is
the disbelief of obstinacy and arrogance.
As for falling into disbelief
due to ignorance and the non-establishment of the
proof, or the inability
to access it, this is
what Allah has negated for its possessor:
punishment until the
proof of the messengers is established.
The establishment of the proof:
The establishment of the proof differs
according to different times, places,
and individuals.
The proof may be established against the unbelievers
in one time and not another,
or in one place and not another.
Just as it is established
against one person and not another,
either due to a lack of intellect and discernment,
like a child or the insane,
or due to a lack of understanding,
like a non-Arab who does not
understand the address
and there is no translator to translate for him.
Such a person is in the position of
the deaf person who hears
nothing and is unable to understand.
The ignorance for which
a person is excused is that
which he is unable to remove
and is incapable of overcoming.
Otherwise, whenever it is possible for a person
to know the truth,
yet he is negligent or turns away from it,
then at that point,
the sin of negligence and turning away attaches to him.
The different states of ignorance:
For ignorance
of legal rulings and issues,
there are states
that can be summarized as follows:
First:
Is ignorance of the prohibition of something
whose prohibition is definitive [an excuse]?
As happens with one who is a new
convert to Islam, or one who is
in a remote desert, far
from knowledge and its people,
then someone like this is excused for
deeming this forbidden act permissible
until it is clarified to him and the proof
is established against him, and he learns
of its prohibition; and this excuse
removes from him the punishment of this world
and the Hereafter, and prevents
the ruling of his disbelief,
firstly, until he knows its prohibition
and the proof is established against him.
If he persists thereafter
in deeming the forbidden act permissible,
he is then judged
to be a disbeliever.
Secondly:
that the ignorance concerns obscure matters
in creed and the fundamentals
of faith which are not known
except by seeking knowledge of them;
for ignorance of these is also
an excuse for the one who holds it, regarding the rulings
of this world and the Hereafter,
[provided] the prophetic proof is established against him
and he understands it.
Obscurity and clarity
in matters are relative,
differing from one place to another
and from one time to another.
Thirdly:
that the matter involving disbelief
be among the manifest matters
known of the religion
by necessity to be forbidden,
yet the perpetrator may be ignorant
that it is an act of disbelief,
or he may claim as much,
while he knows of its prohibition,
such as cursing Allah, the Almighty and Majestic,
or His Messenger, peace be upon him,
or mocking
them both and the Book of Allah,
or supporting the disbelievers
against the Muslims and aiding them
against them; for such a person
is not excused for his ignorance,
and he is judged to be a disbeliever.
Allah the Almighty says:
"And if you ask them, they will surely say,
'We were only
conversing and playing.'
Say, 'Is it Allah and His verses
and His Messenger that you were
mocking?'"
“Make no excuse. Ye have disbelieved after your (confession of) belief. If We forgive a party of you, a party of you We shall punish because they have been guilty.” (9:66)
"after your belief."
The conditions for applying rulings of disbelief:
There is
a correlation and connection between
the aforementioned impediments to declaring disbelief
and the two conditions for its application,
which are:
First:
verifying the absence of the aforementioned
impediments, or any one of them.
Second:
confirming the occurrence of
the act and the intent behind it,
for rulings are not built upon assumptions
and delusions.
Ilhad (Deviation/Atheism):
The term 'al-had' means to incline.
'Al-had' in the religion of Allah
means to turn away from it and deviate.
When one says 'alhada fulan' (so-and-so deviated),
it means he turned away from the truth
and introduced into it what is not part of it.
And 'alhada' in the Sacred Precinct (Haram)
means he deemed its sanctity permissible
and violated it.
'Ilhad' regarding the names of Allah, the Almighty and Majestic,
is to deviate with them
from what they truly are,
whether by denying them, distorting them
from their meaning,
or naming other than Allah with them, such as idols
and false deities.
Allah the Almighty says:
"And to Allah belong the best
names, so invoke Him by them.
And leave those who deviate (yulhidun)
concerning His names."
'Ilhad' regarding the verses of Allah, the Almighty and Majestic,
is to incline them away from the truth
out of stubbornness, denial,
and arrogance.
Among this is the saying of Allah the Almighty:
"Indeed, those who deviate (yulhidun)
concerning Our verses
are not hidden from Us."
It is customary in our era
to use the word 'mulhid' (atheist)
for one who turns away from the truth
by denying the existence of Allah, the Almighty and Majestic.
Nifaq (Hypocrisy):
Nifaq:
The term 'nifaq'
is derived linguistically from the 'nafiqa'
of the jerboa,
which is a small creature resembling a mouse
that lives in the wilderness
and makes a burrow with two exits:
a visible exit
through which it enters and exits,
and a hidden exit
covered by a thin layer of soil,
from which it escapes when
it is unable to exit through the
original visible door.
The point of resemblance between the hypocrite and the jerboa
is that the hypocrite
has two states:
a state he displays,
which is the declaration of Islam,
and another he conceals,
which is disbelief.
Nifaq is of two types:
Nifaq is of two types:
Major Nifaq,
and Minor Nifaq.
Major Nifaq
is also called 'belief-based hypocrisy',
and it expels its practitioner [from the fold of Islam]
and places him in the Hereafter
“Lo! the hypocrites (will be) in the lowest deep of the Fire, and thou wilt find no helper for them;” (4:145)
if he dies in that state.
Its reality
is that a person displays belief in Allah,
His angels, His books,
His messengers, the Last Day,
and the Divine Decree,
while concealing what contradicts all of that,
or some of it.
This is the hypocrisy that existed during the time of
the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him,
and the Qur'an was revealed
to warn against it, condemn its people,
and declare them disbelievers.
Allah the Almighty says about them:
"That is because they believed,
then disbelieved, so a seal was set
upon their hearts, so they
do not understand."
They are more severe in disbelief and enmity
than the open disbelievers,
as Allah the Almighty says about them:
"They are the enemy, so beware of them."
Among the most important
manifestations of Major Nifaq and the traits of
its people: First,
enmity toward the believers,
as in the previous verse,
and hating their victory
over the disbelievers.
Second: hatred of
the Messenger, peace be upon him,
and what he brought,
turning away from him,
and harming him, or finding fault with him, or slandering him.
Third: joy
and happiness at the defeat of the Muslims
and the decline of their religion.
Fourth: mocking
the believers
for their faith and obedience.
Fifth:
slandering the Islamic Sharia
and describing it as
harsh and contradictory to humanity,
and not suitable for our time.
Sixth:
taking the disbelievers as allies
and loving their legislations
that contradict the law of Allah.
Seventh:
loving the victory of the disbelievers
over the Muslims.
How clear these traits are
in the hypocrites of our time,
in our era,
among politicians, media figures,
secularists, and liberals;
they claim to love their homeland,
while in reality
they are enemies to the homeland and its interests
by their allegiance to its enemies,
their hostility toward the law of Allah
and those who call to it,
and by spreading corruption and immorality
regarding the children of the Ummah,
and the corruption of their religion,
their souls, their minds,
their wealth, and their honor.
As for major hypocrisy,
it occurs when the person
does not reveal it except through the tone
of their speech.
However, if they manifest the aforementioned nullifiers
and call others to them,
then they become an apostate at that point,
and the rulings of apostasy are applied to them.
Minor hypocrisy
is also called
practical hypocrisy.
It is when a person displays
some of the characteristics of the hypocrites
and their actions.
The Prophet,
peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
warned against the most dangerous of these traits
by saying:
"The signs of a hypocrite are three:
when he speaks, he lies;
when he promises, he breaks it;
and when he is entrusted, he betrays."
Agreed upon.
He, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
also said:
"There are four traits, whoever possesses them is
a pure hypocrite,
and whoever possesses one of them
possesses a trait of hypocrisy
until he abandons it:
when he is entrusted, he betrays;
when he speaks, he lies;
when he makes a covenant, he acts treacherously;
and when he disputes, he behaves immorally."
Agreed upon.
The one who possesses these traits
is similar in these
actions to the hypocrites,
even if he is not an unbeliever inwardly,
because he has combined the hypocrisy
of action with the essence of faith.
But if these traits
become entrenched and complete,
the person may strip himself
of Islam entirely
and become a pure hypocrite.
The conclusion of the matter
is that minor hypocrisy
all stems from the discrepancy
between the inner self and the outward appearance.
Other signs of practical
hypocrisy:
other signs
besides what was mentioned.
Among the most important of them:
First, being
a two-faced person, as the Prophet, peace be upon him, said:
"The worst of people
is the two-faced person
who comes to these people
with one face and to those
with another." Agreed upon.
Included in this is the one who is inconsistent
in his speech and actions,
showing love and affection
while his heart harbors evil
and hatred, or showing
grief and sadness over the affliction
of the Muslims while his heart
shows joy and gloating.
Second:
lack of remembrance of Allah, or aversion
to it, and laziness
in obeying Allah.
Third: mocking
the charitable projects
that volunteers undertake,
accusing them of showing off,
and claiming that Allah is in no need
of their donations due to their insignificance,
as Allah the Exalted said:
"Those who criticize
the contributors among the believers
concerning their charities and those
“Those who point at such of the believers as give the alms willingly and such as can find naught to give but their endeavours, and deride them - Allah (Himself) derideth them. Theirs will be a painful doom.” (9:79)
so they mock them;
Allah will mock them,
and for them is a painful punishment."
Fourth:
rejoicing at being safe from trials
in the path of Allah,
and claiming that this is wisdom
and intellect, while prioritizing
the safety of one's own self and wealth
over the safety of the religion.
Fifth: striving
to please the masses or the rulers
with whatever religious opinions they desire,
taking positions contrary to the law of Allah,
defending the disbelievers
and the hypocrites, praising
them, and aligning
with them against the callers
to reform.
Indifference
to the calamities that befall
the Muslims.
Striving to cause division
among the Muslims and inciting
conflict between them.
The hypocrisy of those in finance
and banking
who deceive people
by claiming their transactions are Shari'ah-compliant
and have received approval
from Shari'ah boards,
using this deception
to extort people's wealth.
The hypocrisy of some
media outlets
that claim to be Islamic
while they are equivalent to
the "mosques of harm" (Masajid al-Dirar),
destroying Islam through what they publish
and by clothing truth with falsehood.
They may even make
themselves mouthpieces for the oppressors
and tyrants,
beautifying their actions
and praising them.
The ruling on hypocrites:
the ruling on those of
major hypocrisy
is that in the Hereafter,
“Lo! the hypocrites (will be) in the lowest deep of the Fire, and thou wilt find no helper for them;” (4:145)
remaining there eternally like the disbelievers,
if they die in their hypocrisy,
because they are disbelievers
in their reality.
As for the ruling on them in this world,
it is based
on their outward appearance,
so they are judged as Muslims
as long as they manifest that,
and they are treated according to the laws of Islam,
while remaining cautious of them.
If they manifest their disbelief
through word or deed from the nullifiers of faith,
then they become,
by that, heretics (Zanadiqa) subject to
the rulings of apostates.
The stance toward
the hypocrites
and the duty toward them:
caution and warning others against them,
exposing them and exposing
their plots, conspiracies,
and hidden tools in the war against
the religion and its people.
If signs of major hypocrisy appear in them,
such as their inclination
toward the disbelievers and their mockery
of the religion and its people,
then the duty toward them
is to rebuke them, be harsh with them,
and establish the law of Allah,
unless it is seen that killing them
would cause a greater harm,
in which case one refrains from that
until this harm is removed,
just as the
Messenger, peace be upon him, refrained from
killing 'Abdullah Ibn Ubayy Ibn Salul,
the head of the hypocrites
in Medina, so that
sedition would not erupt,
and it would not be said that Muhammad
kills his companions,
even though he insulted the Messenger, peace be upon him,
and slandered
the mother of the believers, 'A'ishah,
may Allah be pleased with her.
The conclusion on this issue
is that one must observe
the fiqh of balancing and the principles
of weighing interests
and harms.
A summary of the concepts
of the People of the Sunnah.