بيان غلط من زعم أن من عبد الأوثان لا يكفر بعينه
Letter to the Murtad
-Clarifying the Mistake of the One Who Deems That Takfîr Is Not Individually Declared Upon the Idol Worshippers-1
Shaykh'ul Islâm Muhammad bin Abd'il Wahhâb Rahimahullâh
The Shaykh Muhammad bin Abd'il Wahhâb sent a letter in response to a man from the inhabitants of al-Hasâ (also known as al-Ahsâ) named Ahmad bin Abd'il Karîm. This person used to know Tawhîd and declare Takfîr upon the Mushrikûn. Later, a doubt occurred to him regarding this due to some phrases he saw in the statements of Shaykh Taqiyy'ud Dîn (Ibnu Taymiyyah), and from those statements, he understood other than what the Shaykh Rahimahullâh intended.
The Shaykh Muhammad bin Abd'il Wahhâb Rahimahullâh said in this letter:
In the name of Allâh, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
From Muhammad bin Abd'il Wahhâb to Ahmad bin Abd'il Karîm,
May peace be upon the messengers, and all praise is due to Allâh, the Lord of the Worlds.
To proceed:
Your letter has arrived wherein you explain the matter which you mentioned. You also mentioned that you are in a paradox which you request to be removed. Thereafter, another letter arrived from you wherein you mentioned that you came across the statements of Shaykh'ul Islâm (Ibnu Taymiyyah) and that it had removed the paradox you had. We ask Allâh to guide you to the religion of Islâm.
And what do the statements of the Shaykh (Ibnu Taymiyyah) indicate? Does it indicate that Mu'ayyan (individualistic) Takfîr will not be declared upon a person who worships the idols more than al-Lât and al-Uzzâ were worshipped and also reviles the religion like Abû Jahl reviled the religion of the Mesenger after testifying to it (being the truth)?
On the contrary, the phrases are unambiguous and explicit with regards to declaring Takfîr -with explicit Kufr that expels one from the Millah (religion of Islâm)- upon Ibnu Fayrûz, Sâlih bin Abdillâh and their likes2 -let alone those other than them. The Kufr of those who worship the idol on the grave of Yûsuf and his likes, supplicates to them in poverty and in ease, reviles the religion of the Messenger after affirming it, and espouses the worship of idols after affirming it (being Shirk) is unambiguous and explicit in the statements of Ibn'ul Qayyim which you mentioned and in the statements of the Shaykh that have removed the paradox you were in.
There is no recklessness in my statements. On the contrary, you attest to this. However, when Allâh blinds a heart, there is no way-out. For you, I fear the statement of Allâhu Taâlâ,
"That is because they believed, then disbelieved, therefore their hearts were sealed, so they understand not." (al-Munâfiqûn 63/3)
The doubt that has entered in you is merely because of a small piece of meat which is in your hand. You fear that you and your family will lose provisions when you abandon the land of the Mushrikûn, thus doubting the sustenance of Allâh. Also, evil companions have misled you as is their customs.
You are descending degree by degree, -and we seek refuge in Allâh! You first doubted, then (went to) the abode of Shirk, befriended them, and prayed behind them, then you acquitted yourself from the Muslims by doing Mudâhanah (compromising) to the Mushrikûn. After this, you were casted to Ibnu Ghannâm and others, acquitted yourself from the Millah of Ibrâhîm, and have made them a witness against you regarding following the Mushrikûn without the presence of Ikrâh (coercion), but with fear and Mudârâh (cajoling). You have missed Allâhu Taâlâ's statement regarding Ammâr bin Yâsir Radiyallâhu Anh and his likes,
"Whoever disbelieves in Allâh after his belief... except for one who is coerced (to renounce his religion) while his heart is firm in faith."
Until Allâhu Taâlâ's statement,
"That is because they loved and preferred the life of this world over that of the Hereafter." (an-Nahl, 16/106-107)3
Allâh has only excused the coerced one whose heart is firm in faith with the condition of firmness of the heart. Coercion in creed does not happen, coercion only happens with statements and actions. It has been clearly stated here that whoever states a word necessitating Kufr or acts upon it has committed Kufr except for one who is coerced with the aforementioned condition, and this is due to choosing the worldly life and not due to creed.
Ponder upon yourself; did they coerce you and subject you to the sword just like Ammâr Radiyallâhu Anh or not? Moreover, ponder; is this due to his creed changing or is it due to choosing the world?
Only one rank is left for you and it is that you openly revile the religion of the prophets like Ibnu Rafî and have returned to worship al-Aydarûs, Abû Hadîdah, and their likes. However, the affairs are in the hand of the One who changes the hearts.
The first thing I will advise you with is that you should ponder upon the Shirk you are upon; is it the very Shirk which your Nabî Sallallâhu Alayhi wa Sallam came with restricting the people of Makkah from? Or is the Shirk of the people of Makkah a different type of Shirk that is more severe than yours? Or is your Shirk more severe?
When you have mastered this issue and understand that most of those who are with you have heard the verses and the words of the people of knowledge consisting of the predecessors and latter ones, they have affirmed it, and have said, "I bear witness that this is the truth and we knew this before Ibnu Abd'il Wahhâb", thereafter, they openly revile what they witnessed to be the truth and, openly declared the beauty of Shirk and its followers and the needlessness of being free from its people; thus ponder upon this, is this a [complicated] issue or is it the issue of clear apostasy mentioned by the people of knowledge have in the chapters of apostasy? However, that which is strange is the evidences you mentioned, it is as if they came from one who cannot hear and see.
As for you bringing forth as evidence that the Nabî Sallallâhu Alayhi wa Sallam and those after him did not declare Takfîr upon the hypocrites and did not kill them; all of the elite and laymen who possess an intellect know that if they had manifested a single word or action consisting of idol-worship or reviling Tawhîd which the Messenger Sallallâhu Alayhi wa Sallam came with, they would be killed in the most severe manner.
If you claim that those with you manifest adherence to the religion that you confirm to be the religion of the Messenger Sallallâhu Alayhi wa Sallam, that they are free from Shirk in word and deed, they have nothing left from it except for some hidden thoughts that reflect on facial expressions or the slip of the tongue, they have repented from their previous religion, killed the Tawâghît, and tore down the worshipped houses, then do inform me.
If you claim that the Shirk rejected by the Messenger of Allâh Sallallâhu Alayhi wa Sallam is greater than this, then do inform me.
If you claim that after a person manifests Islâm, Takfîr cannot be declared upon him when he manifests idol-worship and claims this to be the religion per se, openly reviles the religion of the prophet and calls it the religion of the People of Âridh4, and issues verdicts that the one who sincerely devotes the religion solely to Allâh is to be killed, burnt, and that his wealth is permissible to be taken; then this is your issue and you have affirmed this. You have mentioned that from the era of the Prophet Sallallâhu Alayhi wa Sallam until this very day, none was killed nor declared Takfîr upon from the adherents of religion.
Don't you remember the following statement by Allâhu Taâlâ,
"If the hypocrites and those in whose hearts is a disease do not stop..." (al-Ahzâb, 33/60)
Until the statement of Allâhu Taâlâ,
"Accursed, they shall be seized wherever found, and massacred completely." (al-Ahzâb, 33/61)5
Remember Allâhu Taâlâ's statement,
"You will find others that wish to have security from you and security from their people. Every time they are sent back to temptation (Kufr), they are plunged into it..." (an-Nisâ, 4/91)
Until Allâhu Taâlâ's statement,
"Then seize them and kill them wherever you find them." (an-Nisâ, 4/91) Until the end of the verse.6
Also remember Allâhu Taâlâ's statement regarding those who hold false beliefs regarding the prophets,
"Would he order you to disbelief after you had been Muslims?" (Âl-i Imrân, 3/80)
Remember what is authentically narrated from the Messenger of Allâh Sallallâhu Alayhi wa Sallam that he appointed a man with a flag to kill a man who married the wife of his father and to take his wealth! Which of the two is greater? Marrying the wife of one's father or reviling the religion of the prophets after having recognised it? Remember Rasûlullâh Sallallâhu Alayhi wa Sallam had intended an expedition towards Banu'l Mustaliq when he was told that they withheld the Zakâh, until Allâhu Taâlâ belied the one who conveyed this!
Remember Rasûlullâh Sallallâhu Alayhi wa Sallam's statement regarding (the Khawârij;) the most worshipping of this Ummah and the hardest working,
"If I reach them, I will kill them as Âd was killed. Wherever you meet them, kill them! For he who kills them shall get a reward on the Day of Resurrection."7
Remember the battle between as-Siddîq and his companions and those who withheld the Zakâh, that they enslaved their children, and took their wealth as booty!
Remember the consensus of the companions regarding killing the people of the Masjid of Kûfah and their disbelief and apostasy because they said one word that affirmed the prophethood of Musaylimah!
However, the companions disagreed regarding the acceptance of their repentance when they repented. This issue is mentioned in the Sahîh of al-Bukhârî and its commentary in the chapter of Kafâlah.
Remember the consensus of the companions when Umar Radiyallâhu Anh consulted them regarding the one who deemed intoxicants permissible for the elite even though he was from the people of Badr, by using as evidence the statement of Allâhu Taâlâ,
"There is no sin, for those who believe and do good deeds, in what they ate." (al-Mâ'idah, 5/93)
The companions made consensus regarding the disbelief, apostasy, and killing of one who holds beliefs regarding Alî, that is akin to the beliefs held by these people regarding Abd'ul Qâdir. Alî bin Abî Tâlib Radiyallâhu Anh burnt them alive, while Ibnu Abbâs disagreed with him regarding burning them and said they should have been killed with the sword. This is so, even though they were from the first century, and took knowledge from the companions.
Also remember the consensus of the people of knowledge from the Tâbi'ûn and others regarding the killing of al-Ja'd bin Dirham!
Ibn'ul Qayyim Rahimahullâh said,
"Every possessor of Sunnah gave thanks for this sacrifice. What an excellent sacrifice my brother."8
If we would count all those whom the scholars declared Takfîr upon, issued verdicts regarding their apostasy and their death despite their claim of Islâm, the speech would elongate. However, among the last events that took place is the incident of the kings of Egypt Banû Ubayd and their people. They claimed to be from Ahl'ul Bayt, prayed the Friday and congregational prayers, appointed judges and muftis. The scholars made consensus regarding their disbelief, apostasy, war being waged against them, their land being the land of Harb, and that it is obligatory to wage war against them, even if the dwellers therein are coerced and hate them.
Remember the statements regarding apostasy in al-Iqnâ (by al-Hajjâwî) and its commentary (by Mansûr al-Buhûtî) and how they mentioned various types of apostasy found with you! Mansûr (al-Buhûtî) then said, "Calamities have spread by means of these sects and they have corrupted many things from the creed of the people of Tawhîd. We ask forgiveness and well-being from Allâh." These are Mansûr's words in verbatim.9
Mansûr then mentioned the killing of one who is from them and the ruling of his wealth. Did one person from the people consisting of the Sahâbah, the companions of Rasûlullâh Sallallâhu Alayhi wa Sallam until the era of Mansûr say that Takfîr is declared upon all of these types but not declared upon individuals?
1- Ar-Rasâ'il'ush Shakhsiyyah, 33rd letter, p. 216-225; ad-Durar'us Saniyyah, 10/63-74; Ibnu Ghannâm, Rawdhat'ul Afkâr, p. 431-440.
2- Those mentioned here are claimants of knowledge who opposed the call of Tawhîd.
3- Allâhu Taâlâ said,
"Whoever disbelieves in Allâh after his belief... except for one who is coerced (to renounce his religion) while his heart is firm in faith. But those who (willingly) open their breasts to disbelief, upon them is wrath from Allâh, and for them is a great punishment; that is because they loved and preferred the life of this world over that of the Hereafter. And Allâh guides not the people who disbelieve." (an-Nahl, 16/106-107)
4- Âridh is a region in Saudi Arabia which includes Dir'iyyah and Riyadh.
5- Allâhu Taâlâ said,
"If the hypocrites, and those in whose hearts is a disease, and those who spread rumors in al-Madînah do not stop, We shall certainly let you overpower them: then they will not be able to stay in it as your neighbours but a little while. Accursed, they shall be seized wherever found, and massacred completely." (al-Ahzâb, 33/60-61)
6- Allâhu Taâlâ said,
"You will find others that wish to have security from you and security from their people. Every time they are sent back to temptation, they are plunged into it. So if they do not withdraw from you or offer you peace or restrain their hands, then seize them and kill them wherever you find them. And We have given you a clear authority against them." (an-Nisâ, 4/91)
7- With similar wording in Al-Bukhârî, Hadîth no. 3611, 7432; Muslim, Hadîth no. 1064, 1066.
8- Ibn'ul Qayyim, al-Kâfiyat'ush Shâfiyah [Nûniyyah], Dâr'u Atâ'ât'il Ilm, 1/62, no. 52. The related part of the statement from the beginning of the verses is as follows,
"Because of this al-Ja'd was sacrificed by Khâlid al-Qasrî, on the day the sacrifices were slaughtered.
When al-Ja'd said Ibrâhîm is not at all the close friend, nor was Mûsâ the close one, spoken to.
Every possessor of Sunnah gave thanks for this sacrifice. What an excellent sacrifice my brother!"
9- Al-Buhûtî, Kashshâf'ul Qinâ, Wazârat'ul Adl, 14/233.
