Part C – Warning Against the
Fitnah of Takfeer
By the
Muhadith, Allama, Ash-Shaykh
Muhammad Nasir ud-Deen al-Albaani
Translated By
Abbas Abu Yahya
The Relationship between Takfeer & Rebellion
From the general matters which are beneficial to mention and narrate: I met some of those who used to be from Jamaaat al- Takfeer then Allaah Azza wa Jaal guided them.
I said to them: here you call some of the rulers kuffar, so what do you think, for example of making the imams of masaajid kuffar, and those who give the khutbah, and those who give the adhaan in the masaajid, and those who render service to the masaajid?! What do you think about making Takfeer of the teachers of the knowledge of the Sharia’ in schools, and other places, for example?
They said: they are kuffar because they are pleased with the rule of the rulers who judge without what Allaah has revealed!!!
I said to them: If this ‘being pleased’ was in agreement with the heart (i.e. belief), judging without what Allaah has revealed, then the kufr of action is altered to the kufr of belief. So, any ruler, who rules without what Allaah has revealed, and sees and believes that this ruling, is the appropriate ruling to be applied in this time! And that the ruling of the Sharia’ from the text of the Book and Sunnah is not appropriate to be applied, then there is no doubt that this kufr of this ruler is the kufr of belief and is not the kufr of action alone, and whoever is pleased with this, and believes it, then he also falls into the same group.
Then I said to them: Firstly, it is not possible for you to make a judgment upon every ruler who rules with the western kufr laws or with even some of them, and that if they were questioned about judging with other than what Allaah has revealed?! They would answer; that ruling with these rules is the truth and correct in this time! And it is not allowed to rule with the rules of Islaam!! Otherwise, if they say this, they would – truly- become kuffar without doubt or suspicion!
Then, if we came down to the people who are ruled, and from amongst them there are the scholars, amongst them are the righteous people etc. So how can you judge upon them with kufr just because you see them living under the rule, which includes them just as it includes you exactly! But you declare them to be kuffar, and apostates and that ruling with what Allaah has revealed is obligatory! Then you make an excuse for yourselves and contradict yourselves: that differing with the judgments of the Sharia’ with mere actions does not deem necessarily the ruling on the one who differs with the Sharia’ that he is an apostate from his Deen!
This is exactly what the people other than you are saying, whether you accuse them – wrongly – with the ruling of Takfeer and apostasy!!!
And from amongst the general discussions which show their mistakes and uncover their deviation, is saying to them:
When is a judgment given upon a Muslim that he has apostated from his Deen? A Muslim who testifies that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allaah, and perhaps he prays.
Is it sufficient just one time? Or is it obligatory to be announced that he has apostated from the Deen?
They would not know the answer! They will not be guided to the truth!! So we are forced to give them the following example; we say to them:
A judge, judges with the Sharia’; this is his usual practice and this is his system, but in one judgment he misjudged, and gave a judgment against the Sharia’, i.e. he gave the right to the oppressor and prohibited it from the oppressed, so this is – most certainly – judging without what Allaah has revealed! So do you say that his kufr is the kufr of apostasy?
They will say: No, because this happened to him one time.
We say: What if the same judgment was issued from him a second time or a different judgment in which he also differed with the Sharia’, so has he committed kufr?
Then we repeat this to them: he does this ‘three times!’ or ‘Four times!’ when do you say that he has committed kufr? It is not possible for them to place a limit on the number of his judgments in which he has gone against the Sharia’, by which he can be declared a kaafir!!
The opposite of this is completely possible if it is known from him that he, in his first judgment deemed it correct to judge without what Allaah has revealed, – believing it is permissible to do so – and disapproved of judging with the Sharia’, then it would be correct to judge him with apostasy, even for this first judgment!
Contrary to this, if we saw several judgments from him in a number of decisions in which he went against the Sharia’, and if we were to ask him why did you judge without what Allaah has revealed?
He would reply saying: I was frightened and afraid for myself! Or I was bribed for example and that is worse than the first example, but along with this, it is not possible to say he is a kaafir until he declares what is in his heart, that he does hold the view of judging without what Allaah Azza wa Jaal has revealed, and only then is it possible to say that he is a kaafir, the kufr of apostasy.
A summary of the speech: it is necessary to know that kufr, like fisq(sinning) and oppression is divided into two types:
– Kufr and fisq and oppression which places one outside the Ummah, and all of these return to making it permissible by the heart.
– The other does not place one outside of the Ummah; and all of these return to making it permissible by actions.
Making Takfeer of Sinners is not Allowed
So every type of sin and specifically what is widespread in this time from what is regarded as permissible actions, such as interest, illegal sexual relations, drinking alcohol amongst them, all of these are kufr of action. So it is not allowed for us to make Takfeer of the sinners- who have been deceived by some of these sins – just because they have perpetrated a sin and regarded it as permissible actions for themselves! Except if it becomes apparent to us – with certainty – and it is unveiled with what is in the depths of their ownselves that from their Aqeedah they do not prohibit what Allaah and His Messenger have prohibited. So, if we know they have fallen into this opposition with their hearts, then we can judge that they have committed kufr, the kufr of apostasy.
And if we don’t know this, then there is no way for us to judge them with kufr, because we fear we will fall into the threat of the saying of his – SallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam – : “If a man says to his brother: ‘Oh kaffir! Indeed it returns to one of them.’
There are many ahadeeth mentioned with this meaning. I will mention a hadeeth, which is a great evidence. It is in the story of that Companion who killed one of the mushrikeen . When the mushrik saw that he was about to come under the blow of the sword of the Muslim Companion, he said, “I testify that none is worthy of worship except Allaah!!” The Companion took no interest in that and killed him!! When the news reached the Prophet – SallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam – he disapproved of it severely. The Companion mentioned an excuse that he did not say what he said except from the fear of being killed, but the answer of the Messenger – SallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam – was:
“Did you open up his heart?!”
Therefore the kufr of belief does not have a fundamental connection with just actions, but it has a connection with the heart.
And it is not possible for us to know what is in the heart of the faasiq (sinner) or the adulterer or the thief or the one who is a fornicator nor the one who takes interest, etc. Except if he confesses with his tongue what is in his heart. As far as his action is concerned then it is notification that he has opposed the Sharia’, with a differing of action.
So, we say: without doubt you have opposed the Sharee’ah! and indeed you have committed fisq(a sin)! and adulterated! But we do not say: ‘Indeed you have become a kaafir and apostated from your Deen’, until there manifests from him something which will be an excuse for us with Allaah Azza wa Jaal in judging him regarding apostasy and following that comes the well know ruling in Islaam which is none other than the saying of the Messenger – SallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam -: “Whoever changes his Deen then kill him.”
Then I said and I continue to say to those who constantly make Takfeer of the Muslim rulers: let’s suppose the kufr of these rulers is the kufr of apostasy! And suppose there was a ruler who was above them, then it would be obligatory – in this situation – on that higher ruler to implement the Islaamic punishment on them.
However, how do you benefit yourselves practically if we agree for the sake of argument that all of these rulers are kuffar, and their kufr is the kufr of apostasy?
What can you possibly do and establish?
If the Takfeer is say: for the sake of ‘al Walaa wa al Baraa’, loyalty to the believers and disassociation from the kuffar!! Then we reply to them: loyalty and disassociation are connected to friendship and hate – by the heart and by actions -, and it is dependent on capability, therefore it is not conditional that you proclaim Takfeer, and declare apostacy, just because ‘al Walaa wa al Baraa’ are present. Rather, friendship and hate could both take place in an innovator, sinner, or an oppressor!!
Then I say to these people, here we have the kuffar, and they have occupied the many lands of Islaam! We are with sadness being trialed with the occupation of Palestine by the Jews. What is possible for us and for you to do about it? Is it important to stand – alone – against those rulers whom you think and claim are kuffar?
If only you had left this issue alone, and started laying down the foundation for the structure, on which the foundations of an Islaamic government stands, which is following the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allaah – SallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam -, this is how he educated his Companions, and they built from this source its system and its foundation.
We mention this a lot, and we emphasize it a lot: that it is necessary for all Muslim organizations to work in truth, in order to bring back the rule of Islaam. Not only in the Islaamic lands, but on the whole earth, and that is the fulfillment of His Tabaraka wa Ta’aala saying:
<<It is He who has sent His Messenger with the guidance the Deen of Truth, to make it superior over all other religions even though the Mushrikeen hate it>>
What has been mentioned by prophecies in some of the prophetic hadeeth is that this Ayaat will be realized at a later time.
For it to be possible for the Muslims to implement this Qur’aanic text and this divine promise, it is necessary to follow an evident path and a clear way. Will this evident path be by announcing a revolution against these rulers of whom it is thought that their kufr is the kufr of apostasy?! Then along with their suspicion, which is wrong and a suspicion which is mistaken, they cannot do anything!!