Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Dear Brother,

Asalamaalaikum Warahmatullahi Wa Barakatuh

I’m an Islam Revert and alhamdolilah I am more than 1 year in Islam now. I just want to clarify or ask something regarding the rulings or law of how one Muslim even you are born or Reverted, etc.. be consider as Khafir or simply be thrown out of Islam.Please be informed that I’m confuse due to the different lectures I attended, some lecturer’s said that if you are not attending a daily prayer, you are not a Muslim, some says that if you have no submission to the will of Allah subhanawataallah,or you are not following all the things ordained to you by islam, you are not a muslim too (they say that you are a Muslim just in name).. But some lectures said that it is Haraam for us to tell to our brother even though they are doing such an act (i.e. not attending jumaah prayer, daily prayer , doing evil things, etc. ) because we don’t know what was in their heart, and since they are not involve in Shirk which is one of the Khabair Sin.

Please kindly make it clear and what was the sign if the person was already involve in Khufr or near in being a Khafir..

Jazzakallakhair….

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Excommunicate from islam

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Your Question: I just want to clarify or ask something regarding the rulings or law of how one Muslim even you are born or Reverted, etc.. be consider as Khafir or simply be thrown out of Islam.

Sunan of Abu-Dawood Hadith 2526 Narrated by Anas ibn Malik

The Prophet (saws) said: Three things are the ‘roots of faith’:

1. to refrain from (killing) a person who utters, "There is no god but Allah".
2. not to declare him a disbeliever whatever sin he commits,
3. not to excommunicate him from Islam for his any actions.

It is absolutely and categorically unlawful and prohibited in Islam for a believer to call or declare another believer, who has professed belief in the Absolute Oneness of Allah and the appointment of Prophet Mohamed (saws) as the Last and Final Messenger of Allah, a ‘kafir’ or a disbeliever…..absolutely regardless of his actions.

As long as one professes belief in the Absolute Oneness of Allah Subhanah and in the appointment of Prophet Mohamed (saws) as the Last and Final Messenger of Allah….such a person will be regarded as a ‘legal’ believer in the sight of the believers and in the sight of Shariah Law. Every single right that is due to a believer will be accorded to him/her in absolute full….he/she may marry amongst the believers, his/her food will be deemed lawful for the believers, he/she will inherit from their believing relatives, their believing heirs will inherit from them, they will be allowed to visit the Sacred House, they will given a ‘muslim’ burial, etc……every single right that is due to a believer will be accorded to them in absolute full, regardless of their actions.

Whether or not this ‘legal’ believer is a ‘real’ believer can and will only be determined and judged by none other than The All-Wise, All-Knowing Lord Alone on the Day of Judgment.

Your Question: ….some lecturer’s said that if you are not attending a daily prayer, you are not a Muslim, some says that if you have no submission to the will of Allah subhanawataallah,or you are not following all the things ordained to you by islam,

Jabir reports that the Prophet (saws) said, "Between a person and disbelief is discarding prayer."

Related by Ahmad, Muslim, Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah.

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 4994 (part) Narrated by Abdullah ibn Mas'ud

Allah's Messenger (saws) said, "……. By Him in Whose hand my soul is, a man is not a Muslim till his heart and tongue are submissive (to Allah), and he is not a believer till his neighbor is safe from injurious behavior on his part."

Related by Ahmad and Bayhaqi.

Regardless of the negligence of one’s obligatory duties, if one has professed belief in the Absolute Oneness of Allah and the appointment of Prophet Mohamed (saws) as the Last and Final Messenger of Allah….such a person will remain a ‘legal’ muslim in the sight of the believers and in the sight of Shariah Law……but it is probable that one who is severely negligent of his obligatory duties might not be regarded as a ‘beleiver’ in the Just Court of the Lord Most High on the Day of Judgment.

Thus if one who calls himself a ‘muslim’ but is negligent in observing his obligatory duties, or the heart and tongue of this ‘muslim’ is not submissive to his Lord Creator, or the neighbor of this ‘muslim’ is not safe from his injurious behavior…..does not in any way imply that the person will be deemed or treated or called a ‘kafir’ or ‘disbeliever’ in the life of this world! Because the person has declared the ‘shahaadah’, he will remain a legal ‘muslim’ in the sight of the believers and in the sight of Shariah Law for the life of this world; but it is probable that such an evil sinner will not be deemed a ‘real’ muslim in the Sight of the Lord Most Majestic Most Supreme on the Day of Judgment!

Your Question: …..and since they are not involve in Shirk which is one of the Khabair Sin.

Even if (Allah forbid) one who has declared the ‘shahaadah’ and calls himself a ‘muslim’ involves or indulges in acts of the unforgivable abomination of ‘shirk’……as heinous and as grave the sin of ‘shirk’ may be, because the person has declared the ‘shahaadah’, he will be considered a ‘legal’ muslim in the sight of the believers, and every single right that is due to a believer will be accorded to him in full. It is only on the Day of Judgment when the Lord All-Knowing, All-Just will Determine with Absolute Justice who amongst those who called themselves ‘muslims’ on the earth were ‘fake’ and who amongst them were ‘real’.

It is categorically prohibited and a grave sin in Islam for a ‘muslim’ to call another ‘muslim’ a ‘mushrik’ (polytheist) or a ‘kaafir’ (disbeliever)….regardless of his actions! The absolute most one can say is that the acts the brother ‘muslim’ is indulged in are those of the heinous crimes of ‘shirk’ and ‘kufr’…. but to call or declare one who has professed the ‘shahaadah’, a ‘kaafir’, or a ‘mushrik’, or to ex-communicate him from the fold of Islam would be categorically prohibited for the believers in the Sight of the Lord.

The only time it would be lawful for a believer to call one who professed belief a disbeliever is, if and when that person himself declares apostasy.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan