Series of Answers by the Eminent Scholar Ata bin Khalil Abu al-Rashtah, Ameer of Hizb ut Tahrir
To the Visitors of his Facebook Page "Faqhi"
Answer to a Question
To Islam Zidan
Question:
Assalamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuh,
How do I avoid disbelief (kufr) or polytheism (shirk) and die as a Muslim? Because I do not want to be among those whose deeds are most lost... and is disbelief only an action, a word, or a belief???
Please answer, and may Allah bless you.
Answer:
Wa Alaikum Assalam Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuh,
Your question consists of two parts:
First: How does one avoid polytheism and disbelief and die as a Muslim...
Second: Is disbelief an action, a word, or a belief...
We will begin by answering the second part of the question because the answer to the first part is built upon it...
- Answer to the second part of the question:
Creed (Aqeedah) and faith (Iman) have the same meaning: it is the decisive belief (tasdiq jazim) that conforms to reality based on evidence (dalil). The seat of faith is the heart, and it depends on decisive belief—not mere belief—and it must conform to reality and be based on evidence so that it is firmly established in the depths of the heart; only then is a person a believer. Disbelief (kufr) is likewise situated in the heart because it relates to belief, and the seat of belief is the heart. Allah (swt) says:
قَالَتِ الْأَعْرَابُ آَمَنَّا قُلْ لَمْ تُؤْمِنُوا وَلَكِنْ قُولُوا أَسْلَمْنَا وَلَمَّا يَدْخُلِ الْإِيمَانُ فِي قُلُوبِكُمْ
"The bedouins say, 'We have believed.' Say, 'You have not [yet] believed; but say [instead], "We have submitted," for faith has not yet entered your hearts.'" (Surat Al-Hujurat [49]:14)
This is because it was not settled in their hearts.
وَلَكِنَّ اللَّهَ حَبَّبَ إِلَيْكُمُ الْإِيمَانَ وَزَيَّنَهُ فِي قُلُوبِكُمْ وَكَرَّهَ إِلَيْكُمُ الْكُفْرَ وَالْفُسُوقَ وَالْعِصْيَانَ أُولَئِكَ هُمُ الرَّاشِدُونَ
"But Allah has endeared to you the faith and has made it pleasing in your hearts and has made hateful to you disbelief, defiance and disobedience. Those are the [rightly] guided." (Surat Al-Hujurat [49]:7)
مَنْ كَفَرَ بِاللَّهِ مِنْ بَعْدِ إِيمَانِهِ إِلَّا مَنْ أُكْرِهَ وَقَلْبُهُ مُطْمَئِنٌّ بِالْإِيمَانِ وَلَكِنْ مَنْ شَرَحَ بِالْكُفْرِ صَدْرًا فَعَلَيْهِمْ غَضَبٌ مِنَ اللَّهِ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ
"Whoever disbelieves in Allah after his belief... except for one who is forced [to renounce his religion] while his heart is secure in faith. But those who [willingly] open their breasts to disbelief, upon them is wrath from Allah, and for them is a great punishment." (Surat An-Nahl [16]:106)
Therefore, the pivot of faith and disbelief is the belief and conviction of the heart, not speech or action, because speech and action are from the deeds of the limbs and the tongue, which are different from the belief of the heart. However, two matters must be noted in this context:
1- Although speech and action are not themselves conviction, they may indicate and reveal a conviction. In this case, the speech and action take the ruling of conviction, and a person can become a disbeliever through them. A Muslim falls into disbelief in four states:
a- By conviction (i'tiqad): such as believing in something other than Islam. For example, believing in the prophethood of someone after Muhammad ﷺ, like one who believes in the prophethood of Al-Qadiyani. He disbelieves because of this conviction as his heart is tied to something other than Islam.
b- By doubt (shakk): such as doubting a definitive matter among the matters of Islam. Whoever doubts the prophethood of Muhammad ﷺ becomes a disbeliever because his heart is no longer tied to the belief in Muhammad's ﷺ prophethood.
c- By speech (qawl) that indicates a conviction: such as a person saying that there is no Creator or that the Holy Qur'an is not the word of Allah. Whoever says such a thing becomes a disbeliever by his speech which indicates his conviction. However, it is required in this case that the speech does not carry any other interpretation (ta'wil), and the disbelief in it must be clear and definitive.
d- By action (fi'l) that indicates a conviction: such as prostrating to an idol or performing the prayers of the Jews or Christians. Such an action indicates the conviction of the doer. Whoever prostrates to an idol or performs the prayer of the Jews or Christians has disbelieved by this action due to its indication of a conviction contrary to Islam. Likewise, in this case, the action must not be open to interpretation, and the disbelief in it must be clear and definitive.
These are the four states by which a Muslim becomes a disbeliever. As for believing in something other than Islam or doubting something definitive in Islam, it is clear that they are acts of the heart because conviction and doubt relate to belief. However, speech and action, in themselves, are not acts of the heart but are acts of the limbs and the tongue. Nevertheless, since they relate to the work of the heart by indicating the conviction within it, they are treated as conviction in the aforementioned examples. All other words and actions that do not indicate the conviction of the doer remain outside the circle of disbelief and faith, such as one who commits a sin while acknowledging Islam and its creed.
Therefore, the practice of Muslims is not to declare a Muslim a disbeliever for a sin he committed unless it involves denial (inkar). For example, one who does not fast but denies the obligation of fasting becomes a disbeliever. As for the one who does not fast but acknowledges the obligation of fasting, he is a transgressor (fasiq) and not a disbeliever. This is because declaring someone a disbeliever (takfir) can only be done with certainty. Takfir is a grave matter in Islam, and the Messenger ﷺ says:
إِذَا قَالَ الرَّجُلُ لِأَخِيهِ يَا كَافِرُ فَقَدْ بَاءَ بِهِ أَحَدُهُمَا
"If a man says to his brother, 'O disbeliever,' then it has become true of one of them." (Narrated by Bukhari from Abu Hurayrah)
In a narration by Ahmad from Ibn Umar, the Prophet ﷺ said:
مَنْ كَفَّرَ أَخَاهُ فَقَدْ بَاءَ بِهَا أَحَدُهُمَا
"Whoever declares his brother a disbeliever, it has become true of one of them."
2- Decisive belief (tasdiq jazim) linguistically has an implied indication, which is the agreement of the tongue with the heart. One does not deny what he decisively believes in. Thus, a person cannot say "I believe in Allah and am certain He is the Creator of this universe with no partner," and then say that Allah makes mistakes, or has a partner, or is not a creator, or deny what Allah (swt), the Creator of the universe, has obligated, if it is proven with certainty that He has obligated it. For example, to say "I believe in Allah" while denying prayer, fasting, or any matter known from the religion by necessity (ma'lum min ad-din bid-darurah). Such a person is a disbeliever because he denies a command of Allah that is established definitively.
This is why Iblis (may Allah curse him) disbelieved; he denied the correctness of Allah's command to him to prostrate to Adam, even though he believed in the existence of Allah. He denied the validity of His command, as Allah (swt) said:
قَالَ مَا مَنَعَكَ أَلَّا تَسْجُدَ إِذْ أَمَرْتُكَ قَالَ أَنَا خَيْرٌ مِنْهُ خَلَقْتَنِي مِنْ نَارٍ وَخَلَقْتَهُ مِنْ طِينٍ
"[Allah] said, 'What prevented you from prostrating when I commanded you?' [Satan] said, 'I am better than him. You created me from fire and created him from clay.'" (Surat Al-A'raf [7]:12)
He declared that Allah (swt) was wrong in His command to prostrate. Iblis believed the correct thing was for Adam to prostrate to him, not for him to prostrate to Adam. Thus, he denied the validity of Allah’s command and became one of the criminal disbelievers. Similarly, those who were certain in their hearts of the truth of the signs brought by Moses (as) but denied them with their tongues and called them magic were disbelievers. Allah (swt) says:
وَجَحَدُوا بِهَا وَاسْتَيْقَنَتْهَا أَنْفُسُهُمْ ظُلْمًا وَعُلُوًّا فَانْظُرْ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَاقِبَةُ الْمُفْسِدِينَ
"And they rejected them, while their [inner] selves were convinced thereof, out of injustice and haughtiness. So see how was the end of the corrupters." (Surat An-Naml [27]:14)
Summary:
The origin of disbelief is that it is a conviction (in other than Islam) and is not merely a word or an action, unless the word or action indicates a conviction or contains a denial of something definitive in Islam. In these cases, the word and action take the ruling of conviction and constitute disbelief—we seek refuge with Allah.
- Answer to the first part of the question:
As for how a person avoids disbelief and polytheism and dies as a Muslim, this returns to two fundamental matters:
1- To follow the correct methodology in adopting the creed (Aqeedah) as explained by the Holy Qur'an and the purified Prophetic Sunnah. We can summarize its most important features in the following points:
a- Taking the creed by certainty (yaqin), not by conjecture (dhann), meaning the evidences that indicate the requirement must be definitive in their transmission and their meaning. Allah (swt) says:
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِالْآخِرَةِ لَيُسَمُّونَ الْمَلَائِكَةَ تَسْمِيَةَ الْأُنْثَى * وَمَا لَهُمْ بِهِ مِنْ عِلْمٍ إِنْ يَتَّبِعُونَ إِلَّا الظَّنَّ وَإِنَّ الظَّنَّ لَا يُغْنِي مِنَ الْحَقِّ شَيْئًا
"Indeed, those who do not believe in the Hereafter name the angels female names. And they have thereof no knowledge. They follow not except assumption, and indeed, assumption avails not against the truth at all." (Surat An-Najm [53]:27-28).
Conjecture is not sufficient in creed; it must be a definitive certainty.
b- Relying on rational evidence (dalil aqli) for understanding the creed regarding things that fall under the senses, such as reflecting on Allah's creation, and relying on textual evidence (dalil naqli) brought by revelation for matters of the unseen (ghayb) which do not fall under the senses. One must stop only at what is mentioned in the text, meaning not complicating the discussions of the Islamic creed or its philosophy. Rather, it should be taken and understood with ease and simplicity, yet with depth and enlightenment, exactly as the companions of the Messenger ﷺ took and understood it:
- A person reflects and contemplates the creatures and looks into them, thereby realizing they have a Creator. Allah (swt) says:
أَفَلَا يَنْظُرُونَ إِلَى الْإِبِلِ كَيْفَ خُلِقَتْ * وَإِلى السَّمَاءِ كَيْفَ رُفِعَتْ * وَإِلَى الْجِبَالِ كَيْفَ نُصِبَتْ * وَإِلَى الْأَرْضِ كَيْفَ سُطِحَتْ
"Then do they not look at the camels - how they are created? And at the sky - how it is raised? And at the mountains - how they are erected? And at the earth - how it is spread out?" (Surat Al-Ghashiyah [88]:17-20)
And He (swt) says:
أَمْ خُلِقُوا مِنْ غَيْرِ شَيْءٍ أَمْ هُمُ الْخَالِقُونَ * أَمْ خَلَقُوا السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ بَلْ لَا يُوقِنُونَ
"Or were they created by nothing, or were they the creators [of themselves]? Or did they create the heavens and the earth? Rather, they are not certain." (Surat At-Tur [52]:35-36)
And He (swt) says:
وَفِي الْأَرْضِ آيَاتٌ لِلْمُوقِنِينَ * وَفِي أَنْفُسِكُمْ أَفَلَا تُبْصِرُونَ
"And on the earth are signs for the certain [in faith]. And in yourselves. Then will you not see?" (Surat Adh-Dhariyat [51]:20-21)
- Then one contemplates the verses of the Holy Qur'an, which is made easy for those whom Allah eases it. Allah (swt) says:
وَلَقَدْ يَسَّرْنَا الْقُرْآنَ لِلذِّكْرِ فَهَلْ مِنْ مُدَّكِرٍ
"And We have certainly made the Qur'an easy for remembrance, so is there any who will remember?" (Surat Al-Qamar [54]:17).
One believes in the rulings and matters of the unseen mentioned in it and does not delve into the unseen that does not fall under his senses. Rather, he believes in them as revealed. He believes in the Beautiful Names of Allah as they were reported and does not delve into the Essence (Dhat) of Allah (swt).
لَا تُدْرِكُهُ الْأَبْصَارُ وَهُوَ يُدْرِكُ الْأَبْصَارُ وَهُوَ اللَّطِيفُ الْخَبِيرُ
"Vision perceives Him not, but He perceives [all] vision; and He is the Subtle, the Acquainted." (Surat Al-An'am [6]:103).
He believes in all matters of the unseen: the Last Day, Paradise, Hell... etc., and restricts himself to what is mentioned in the Holy Qur'an and the established Sunnah from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, without addition or subtraction. Allah (swt) says:
تِلْكَ مِنْ أَنْبَاءِ الْغَيْبِ نُوحِيهَا إِلَيْكَ مَا كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُهَا أَنْتَ وَلَا قَوْمُكَ مِنْ قَبْلِ هَذَا فَاصْبِرْ إِنَّ الْعَاقِبَةَ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ
"That is from the news of the unseen which We reveal to you, [O Muhammad]. You knew it not, neither you nor your people, before this. So be patient; indeed, the [best] outcome is for the righteous." (Surat Hud [11]:49).
And He (swt) says:
قُلْ لَا يَعْلَمُ مَنْ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ الْغَيْبَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَمَا يَشْعُرُونَ أَيَّانَ يُبْعَثُونَ
"Say, 'None in the heavens and earth knows the unseen except Allah, and they do not perceive when they will be resurrected.'" (Surat An-Naml [27]:65).
2- The Muslim must be sincere in his intention to Allah (swt), truthful with His Messenger ﷺ, relying upon Allah Almighty, guided by His guidance, fearing Him, avoiding injustice and disobedience, and supplicating to Allah (swt) to keep him steadfast on the truth and faith. As mentioned in the noble Hadith narrated by At-Tirmidhi in his Sunan from Anas, who said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to frequently say:
يَا مُقَلِّبَ القُلُوبِ ثَبِّتْ قَلْبِي عَلَى دِينِكَ
"O Turner of the hearts, keep my heart firm upon Your religion."
Consequently, Allah will keep him firm, by His permission, with the firm word:
يُثَبِّتُ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا بِالْقَوْلِ الثَّابِتِ فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا وَفِي الْآخِرَةِ وَيُضِلُّ اللَّهُ الظَّالِمِينَ وَيَفْعَلُ اللَّهُ مَا يَشَاءُ
"Allah keeps firm those who believe, with the firm word, in worldly life and in the Hereafter. And Allah sends astray the wrongdoers. And Allah does what He wills." (Surat Ibrahim [14]:27).
Whenever he fears Allah, is sincere, and is truthful, Allah will make his matter easy. Allah (swt) says:
فَأَمَّا مَنْ أَعْطَى وَاتَّقَى * وَصَدَّقَ بِالْحُسْنَى * فَسَنُيَسِّرُهُ لِلْيُسْرَى * وَأَمَّا مَنْ بَخِلَ وَاسْتَغْنَى * وَكَذَّبَ بِالْحُسْنَى * فَسَنُيَسِّرُهُ لِلْعُسْرَى * وَمَا يُغْنِي عَنْهُ مَالُهُ إِذَا تَرَدَّى * إِنَّ عَلَيْنَا لَلْهُدَى * وَإِنَّ لَنَا لَلْآخِرَةَ وَالْأُولَى
"As for he who gives and fears Allah, and believes in the best [reward], We will ease him toward ease. But as for he who withholds and considers himself free of need, and denies the best [reward], We will ease him toward difficulty. And what will his wealth avail him when he falls? Indeed, [incumbent] upon Us is guidance. And indeed, to Us belongs the Hereafter and the first [life]." (Surat Al-Layl [92]:5-13)
3- In conclusion, I draw the questioner's attention to the fact that the Muslim who believes in the creed of Islam—meaning he believes in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers, the Last Day, and Al-Qada wal Qadar (Divine Decree), its good and its bad—as stated in the Book of Allah:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آَمَنُوا آَمِنُوا بِاللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ وَالْكِتَابِ الَّذِي نَزَّلَ عَلَى رَسُولِهِ وَالْكِتَابِ الَّذِي أَنْزَلَ مِنْ قَبْلُ وَمَنْ يَكْفُرْ بِاللَّهِ وَمَلَائِكَتِهِ وَكُتُبِهِ وَرُسُلِهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآَخِرِ فَقَدْ ضَلَّ ضَلَالًا بَعِيدًا
"O you who have believed, believe in Allah and His Messenger and the Book that He sent down upon His Messenger and the Scripture which He sent down before. And whoever disbelieves in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers, and the Last Day has certainly gone far astray." (Surat An-Nisa [4]:136).
And as stated in the Hadith of the Messenger ﷺ reported by Bukhari from Abu Hurayrah, and reported by Muslim from Abdullah bin Umar, and the wording is by Muslim: Abdullah bin Umar said, my father Umar bin al-Khattab narrated to me: "While we were sitting with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ one day, there appeared before us a man with extremely white clothes and extremely black hair. No signs of travel were visible on him, and none of us knew him. He sat down by the Prophet ﷺ, rested his knees against his, placed his palms on his thighs, and said: 'O Muhammad, tell me about Islam.' The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
الْإِسْلَامُ أَنْ تَشْهَدَ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللهُ وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ، وَتُقِيمَ الصَّلَاةَ، وَتُؤْتِيَ الزَّكَاةَ، وَتَصُومَ رَمَضَانَ، وَتَحُجَّ الْبَيْتَ إِنِ اسْتَطَعْتَ إِلَيْهِ سَبِيلًا
'Islam is to testify that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, to establish prayer, to give zakat, to fast Ramadan, and to perform Hajj to the House if you are able to find a way.'
He said: 'You have spoken the truth.' We were amazed at him asking him and then confirming him. He said: 'Tell me about faith (Iman).' He said:
أَنْ تُؤْمِنَ بِاللهِ، وَمَلَائِكَتِهِ، وَكُتُبِهِ، وَرُسُلِهِ، وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ، وَتُؤْمِنَ بِالْقَدَرِ خَيْرِهِ وَشَرِّهِ
'It is to believe in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers, the Last Day, and to believe in Al-Qadar (Divine Decree), its good and its bad.'
He said: 'You have spoken the truth.' He said: 'Tell me about excellence (Ihsan).' He said:
أَنْ تَعْبُدَ اللهَ كَأَنَّكَ تَرَاهُ، فَإِنْ لَمْ تَكُنْ تَرَاهُ فَإِنَّهُ يَرَاكَ
'It is to worship Allah as if you see Him, for though you do not see Him, He certainly sees you.'...
Then he left, and I stayed for a while. Then he said to me: 'O Umar, do you know who the questioner was?' I said: 'Allah and His Messenger know best.' He said: 'That was Jibril, who came to you to teach you your religion.'"
Finally, I ask Allah (swt) for the questioner a good life spent in obedience to Allah (swt) and obedience to His Messenger ﷺ, so that he may succeed in both worlds, and that is the great success.
Your brother, Ata bin Khalil Abu al-Rashtah
3 Sha'ban 1438 AH Corresponding to 30/04/2017 CE
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