QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS:
Question:
Some of the Takfeeris make takfeer of themselves (i.e. declare themselves disbelievers). One of the brothers who was in Afghanistan informed me that he sat next to one of them one time while this Takfeeri was busy making takfeer (of people). Then all of a sudden that Takfeeri called him, so he said: What do you want?” So he (the Takfeeri) said: “I have committed kufr (disbelief)!”
Answer: Yes, they make takfeer on themselves and they make takfeer on one another. I would like for my brothers in Islaam to refer to the book: “Al-Farq bainalFiraq” and the book “Al-Milal wan-Nihal” of ash-Shahrastaanee, as well as “AlFasl” of Ibn Hazm. So perhaps four or five of them may sit in one gathering and they will not get up from that meeting except that one of them has made takfeer of another.
Question:
There can be found a group of these Takfeeris in ‘Aden in the central Mosque. They have entered the masjid recently. How should we deal with them?
Answer: It is obligatory to warn the people about them because if you present them with the opportunity, they will shed blood and make lawful that which is prohibited, as the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم informed us they would do.
Question:
The hadeeth of Umm Salamah (radyAllaahu ‘anhaa) reported by Muslim: “There will come upon you leaders of whom you will approve of (the good they do) but reject (the bad). So whoever rejects (their bad deeds), he is absolved from blame. And whoever hates (their bad deeds), he is (also) saved. However, whoever is pleased with them and follows them (i.e. bad deeds), (then he is destroyed).” They (the Sahaabah) said: “Shall we fight against them?” He said: “No, so long as they establish the prayer amongst you.” Isn’t this hadeeth a refutation against them?
Answer: Yes, I have not mentioned several ayaat and ahaadeeth (during this discussion), such as the hadeeth of ‘Ubaadah bin As-Saamit (radhi Allaahu anhu), who reported that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said:
“Whoever bears witness that there is no deity that has the right to be worshipped except Allaah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allaah; that ‘Eesaa is the slave and messenger of Allaah, His word, which He placed in Maryam, and a spirit from Him; and that Paradise is true and the Hellfire is true, Allaah will admit him into Paradise, regardless of what actions he has.”
This hadeeth and those similar to it prove that it is not permissible to fight against Muslims.
Question:
The lowest level of Islaam is not persisting upon committing sins. So if you persist upon committing a sin, then you are a disbeliever. How would you reply to this claim?
Answer: If someone persists on committing a sin, there is no proof that indicates that he is a disbeliever, unless he is persisting upon committing disbelief. As for him persisting upon continuously committing a sin, then this person is guilty of committing a major sin. And Allaah praises the righteous people, saying:
وَلَمْ یُصِرُّواْ عَلَى مَا فَعَلُواْ وَهُمْ یَعْلَمُونَ
“And they do not persist in what (wrong) they have done, while they know.”
[Surah Aali ‘Imraan: 135]
So this person is sinning if he persists in his evil. But as for this action taking him to the level of disbelief, then where is the evidence for this??
Question:
Is it permissible for us to make takfeer of the Jamaa’ah at-Takfeer (i.e. declare them to be disbelievers)?
Answer: No, we do not declare them to be disbelievers, for the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said: “Whoever says to his brother: ‘O Kaafir’, then it falls back on one of them. If he is as he said he is (then it falls on him), and if not then it returns back to him.” So we do not say that they are disbelievers. ‘Alee bin Abee Taalib said about the Khawaarij: “Flee from kufr (disbelief).”
So we consider them to be innovators and misguided, more astray that the donkey of their people.
Question: Is it permissible to wage war against the Jamaa’at at-Takfeer?
Answer: We should not wage war agsint them unless they inititate it against us and we feel that they will present a danger to Islaam and the Muslims. So in that case, we should do what ‘Alee bin Abee Taalib did. Otherwise, the core foundation with regard to the Muslim is that his blood (i.e. life) is sacred, and it is not permissible to wage war against them, unless they initiate first by fighting against the Muslims or it is feared that they will bring harm to the Muslims.
Question:
The Jamaa’at at-Takfeer use as evidence the argument that the proof was established upon mankind with Allaah’s statement:
وَإِذْ أَخَذَ رَبُّكَ مِن بَنِي آدَمَ مِن ظُهُورِهِمْ ذُرِّیَّتَهُمْ وَأَشْهَدَهُمْ عَلَى أَنفُسِهِمْ أَلَسْتَ بِرَبِّكُمْ
قَالُواْ بَلَى شَهِدْنَا أَن تَقُولُواْ یَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ إِنَّا آُنَّا عَنْ هَذَا غَافِلِينَ
“And remember when your Lord brought forth from the Children of Aadam from their loins, their seed and made them testily as to themselves, saying: ‘Am I not your Lord?’ They said: ‘Yes, we testify’ lest you should say on the Day of Resurrection: ‘Verily we were unaware of this.’” [Surah Al-A’raaf: 172]
And they deem Ibn ‘Abbaas’ interpretation (tafseer) of Allaah’s statement:
وَمَن لَّمْ یَحْكُم بِمَا أَنزَلَ اللّهُ فَأُوْلَـئِكَ هُمُ الْكَافِرُونَ
“And whoever doesn’t rule by what Allaah has revealed, then they are the disbelievers” [5] in which he said: “It is a (minor) disbelief less than (major) disbelief” to be a weak narration.
Answer: As for using this ayah as evidence, it states that Allaah has taken a covenant from the Children of Aadam, however there is no mention in it that there is not left any excuses for them. the proof for this is Allaah’s statement:
وَمَا آُنَّا مُعَذِّبِينَ حَتَّى نَبْعَثَ رَسُولاً
“And We never punish until We have sent a messenger (to forewarn).” [Surah AlIsraa: 15]
Another proof is Allaah’s statement:
وَمَا آَانَ اللّهُ لِيُضِلَّ قَوْمًا بَعْدَ إِذْ هَدَاهُمْ حَتَّى یُبَيِّنَ لَهُم مَّا یَتَّقُونَ
“And Allaah will never lead a people astray after He has guided them until He (first) makes clear to them what they should avoid.” [Surah At-Tawbah: 115]
And in the Saheeh, from the narration of Hudhaifah radhi Allaahu anhu, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم informed us that:
“There was a man who when death approached him asked his children: ‘What kind of a father was I to you?’ They replied: ‘The best father.’ So he said: ‘If I order you to do something, would you do it?’ They said: ‘Yes.’ He said: ‘When I die, burn my body and scatter my ashes (throughout the land and sea), for I swear by Allaah, if Allaah is able to get a hold of me, He will surely punish me with a severe torment, the likes of which no other creature in the universe will face.’ So when he died his children did what he asked. So Allaah commanded the land and the sea to gather his remains, until he brought the man forth and Allaah said to him: ‘What caused you to do what you did?’ He replied: ‘My fear of you.’ So Allaah said to him: “I have indeed forgiven you.’” This is proof that this individual was excused due to his ignorance. He doubted Allaah’s Ability. We don’t say that the word qadira here holds the meaning of: to restrain. So its meaning is not: “If Allaah restrains me.” This is since according to the context of the hadeeth, the appropriate meaning is that it refers to Allaah’s Ability.
There is also the hadeeth of Hudhaifah radhi Allaahu anhu, in which he said:
“It is imminent that a time will come upon the people in which one will not know what fasting or prayer is.” So it was said: “What then will remain with them, O Hudhaifah?” He replied: “The testification that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allaah.” It was said: “And what benefit will this testification be for them?” He said: “It will take them out from the Hellfire.”
So there are many proofs in the Qur’aan and the Sunnah that indicate that one is excused due to ignorance. One of these proofs is the hadeeth reported by Abu Hurairah radhi Allaahu anhu and Al-Aswad bin Saree’ in Musnad Ahmad concerning how the people of Fitrah (innate inclination) will be tested:
“On the Day of Judgement, three types of people will present their arguments to Allaah. One of them will say: ‘I was deaf and could not hear.’ Another will say: ‘I was simple-minded and didn’t have any intellect.’ And the third will present his argument. So Allaah will bring forth a strip from the Hellfire and say to them: ‘Enter it.’ So if they enter it, it will be cool and safe on them. And if they do not enter it, He will say to them: ‘Now you have disobeyed Me. And you would have been the most disobedient to My messengers.’”
The Jamaa’at at-Takfeer is a deviant group of people. So we advise our brothers in AlBaydaa and Ibb and other places to beware of them and to regard them as misguided individuals who are far away from the Religion. And they should consider them as a danger to Islaam and the Muslims. So they serve as an instrument for everyone that wishes to attack the Religion.
Likewise, we advise them to repent to Allaah, and to turn back to the people of knowledge. And if they remain upon their misguidance and meet Allaah holding these deviant beliefs, they will regret it, and Allaah is the One who we ask for assistance.
Question:
Who is the one who has the ability to make takfeer (declare someone a disbeliever)?
Answer: The scholars are the ones who are capable of placing rulings upon an individual – i.e. if he is either a Muslim or a disbeliever, unless of course if he is a Christian or a Jew or a Communist. Then in this case it is known to the Muslims that such people are disbelievers. There can be found a group that is called Jamaa’at atTakfeer, which is present in Egypt, Sudan and Yemen. This group declares Muslims to be disbelievers due to sins (they commit). And we have made several refutations against them. They feel restrained and pressed back by Da’wah but not by prison and terrorism. However, by calling to the Book and the Sunnah their misguidance can be exposed. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said:
“Whoever says to his brother: ‘O Kaafir’, then it falls back on one of them. If he is as he said he is (then it falls on him), and if not then it returns back to him.”
So it is not permissible for a Muslim to declare other Muslims to be disbelievers.[6]
Footnotes:
[5] Surah Al-Maaíidah: 44
[6] This last question and answer was taken from the valuable book ìTuhfat-ul-Mujeeb” (pg. 226-227), which is a compilation of questions and answers and miscellaneous treatises from Shaikh Muqbil AlWaadiíee, may Allaah have mercy on him.
Source: Posted from al-ibaanah’s eBook – Debating the Concepts of the Jamaa’at at-Takfeer – Imaam Muqbil bin Haadee Al-Waadi’ee
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