بَيَانُ كُفْرِ وَضَلَالِ مَنْ زَعَمَ أَنَّهُ يَجُوزُ لِأَحَدٍ الخُرُوجُ مِنْ شَرِيعَةِ مُحَمَّدٍ ﷺ
Clarification of the Disbelief and Misguidance of Those Who Claim that it is Permissible for Anyone to Abandon the Shariah of Muhammad (ﷺ)
لِسَمَاحَةِ الشَّيْخِ العَلَّامَةِ
عَبْدِ العَزِيزِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ بَازٍ
رَحِمَهُ اللهُ
Author His Eminence Shaykh
‘Abdul-‘Azīz ibn ‘Abdullāh ibn Bāz
بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ
The Twelfth Treatise:
Clarification of the Disbelief and Misguidance of Those Who Claim that it is Permissible for Anyone to Abandon the Shariah of Muhammad (ﷺ)
Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may Allah‘s peace and blessings be upon the Seal of the Prophets and Messengers, our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and all his Companions.
To proceed: I have reviewed the article published in Al-Sharq Al-Awsat newspaper, issue number (5824) dated 5/6/1415 AH, written by someone who called himself: ‘Abdul-Fattāh al-Hāyik, under the title: (The Misunderstanding).
The summary of the article: His denial of what is necessarily known from the religion of Islam, by text and consensus; namely, the universality of Muhammad‘s message to all humankind, and his claim that whoever does not follow Muhammad (ﷺ) and does not obey him, but remains a Jew or a Christian, is upon a true religion. Then, he audaciously challenged the wisdom of the Lord of the worlds—Glorified be He—in punishing the disbelievers and the disobedient, considering it to be futile.
He distorted the religious texts, placing them out of context, and interpreted them according to his whims, disregarding the clear proofs and explicit texts that indicate the universality of the message of Muhammad (ﷺ) and the disbelief of those who hear of him and do not follow him, and that Allah Almighty does not accept any religion other than Islam. He ignored these explicit texts so that the ignorant would be deceived by his words.
This act is explicit disbelief and apostasy from Islam, and a denial of Allah Almighty and His Messenger (ﷺ), as is known to those of knowledge and faith who have read the article.
It is obligatory upon the ruler to refer him to the court for his repentance and to judge him according to what the purified Shariah necessitates.
Allah Almighty has clarified the universality of the message
of Muhammad (ﷺ) and the obligation of obedience to him upon both humans and jinn. This is not unknown to anyone with the slightest grasp of knowledge among Muslims.
Allah Almighty says:
﴿قُلْ يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنِّي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ إِلَيْكُمْ جَمِيعًا الَّذِي لَهُ مُلْكُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا هُوَ يُحْيِي وَيُمِيتُ فَآمِنُوا بِاللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ النَّبِيِّ الْأُمِّيِّ الَّذِي يُؤْمِنُ بِاللَّهِ وَكَلِمَاتِهِ وَاتَّبِعُوهُ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَهْتَدُونَ 158﴾
{Say [O Prophet]: “O people, I am the Messenger of Allah to you all. To Him belongs the dominion of the heavens and earth; none has the right to be worshiped except Him; He gives life and causes death.” So believe in Allah and His Messenger, the unlettered Prophet, who believes in Allah and His words, and follow him, so that you may be guided.} [Surat al-A‘rāf: 158] Allah Almighty also says:
﴿...وَأُوحِيَ إِلَيَّ هَذَا الْقُرْآنُ لِأُنْذِرَكُمْ بِهِ وَمَنْ بَلَغَ...﴾
{This Qur’an has been revealed to me so that I may warn you thereby and whomsoever it reaches.} [Surat al-An‘ām: 19] Allah Almighty also says:
﴿قُلْ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ تُحِبُّونَ اللَّهَ فَاتَّبِعُونِي يُحْبِبْكُمُ اللَّهُ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ...﴾
{Say: “If you love Allah then follow me; Allah will love you and forgive you your sins.”} [Surat Āl ‘Imrān: 31] Allah Almighty also says:
﴿وَمَنْ يَبْتَغِ غَيْرَ الْإِسْلَامِ دِينًا فَلَنْ يُقْبَلَ مِنْهُ وَهُوَ فِي الْآخِرَةِ مِنَ الْخَاسِرِينَ85﴾
{Anyone who seeks a religion other than Islam, never will it be accepted from him; and in the Hereafter he will be among the losers.} [Surat Āl ‘Imrān: 85] Allah Almighty also says:
﴿وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ إِلَّا كَافَّةً لِلنَّاسِ بَشِيرًا وَنَذِيرًا...﴾
{We have not sent you [O Prophet] except as a bearer of glad tidings and a warner to all mankind.} [Surat Saba’: 28] Allah Almighty also says:
﴿وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ إِلَّا رَحْمَةً لِلْعَالَمِينَ 107﴾
{We have not sent you [O Prophet] except as a mercy to the worlds.} [Surat al-Anbiyā’: 107] Allah Almighty also says:
﴿وَقُلْ لِلَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ وَالْأُمِّيِّينَ أَأَسْلَمْتُمْ فَإِنْ أَسْلَمُوا فَقَدِ اهْتَدَوْا وَإِنْ تَوَلَّوْا فَإِنَّمَا عَلَيْكَ الْبَلَاغُ وَاللَّهُ بَصِيرٌ بِالْعِبَادِ 20﴾
{And say to those who were given the Scripture and to the illiterate: “Have you submitted yourselves?” If they do, then they are rightly guided, but if they turn away, your duty is only to convey the message. And Allah is All-Seeing of His slaves.} [Surat Āl ‘Imrān: 20] And Allah Almighty says:
﴿تَبَارَكَ الَّذِي نَزَّلَ الْفُرْقَانَ عَلَى عَبْدِهِ لِيَكُونَ لِلْعَالَمِينَ نَذِيرًا 1﴾
{Blessed is the One Who has sent down the Criterion to His slave, so that he may be a warner to the worlds.} [Surat al-Furqān: 1]
Al-Bukhārī and Muslim narrated from Jābir (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (ﷺ) said:
“I have been granted five things that none before me was granted: I have been made victorious with the awe from a one-month distance; the earth has been made a place of worship for me and a means of purification; so, anyone of my Ummah should pray wherever he may be when the time of prayer is due; the spoils of war have been made lawful for me, whereas it was not lawful for anyone before me; I have been granted the intercession; and every prophet used to be sent to his people exclusively, whereas I have been sent to all mankind.”
This is a clear indication of the universality and comprehensiveness of the message of our Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) to all of humanity, and that it has abrogated all previous legislations. Whoever does not follow Muhammad (ﷺ) and does not obey him is a disbeliever and sinner, worthy of punishment. Allah Almighty says:
﴿...وَمَنْ يَكْفُرْ بِهِ مِنَ الْأَحْزَابِ فَالنَّارُ مَوْعِدُهُ...﴾
{But whoever of the factions disbelieves in it, the Fire will be their promised end.} [Surat Hūd: 17] Allah Almighty also says:
﴿...فَلْيَحْذَرِ الَّذِينَ يُخَالِفُونَ عَنْ أَمْرِهِ أَنْ تُصِيبَهُمْ فِتْنَةٌ أَوْ يُصِيبَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ﴾
{So let those who disobey his command beware lest some trial may afflict them or they may be afflicted with a painful punishment.} [Surat an-Nūr: 63] Allah Almighty also says:
﴿وَمَنْ يَعْصِ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ وَيَتَعَدَّ حُدُودَهُ يُدْخِلْهُ نَارًا خَالِدًا فِيهَا وَلَهُ عَذَابٌ مُهِينٌ14﴾
{But whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger and transgresses His limits, He will cause him to enter the Fire, abiding therein forever, and for him there will be a humiliating punishment.} [Surat an-Nisā’: 14] Allah Almighty also says:
﴿...وَمَنْ يَتَبَدَّلِ الْكُفْرَ بِالْإِيمَانِ فَقَدْ ضَلَّ سَوَاءَ السَّبِيلِ﴾
{Whoever exchanges faith for disbelief has indeed strayed from the sound path.} [Surat al-Baqarah: 108] The verses in this regard are numerous.
Allah Almighty has linked obedience of the Messenger (ﷺ) with His obedience and clarified that whoever embraces a belief other than Islam is a loser, from whom neither compensation nor ransom will be accepted. Allah Almighty says:
﴿وَمَنْ يَبْتَغِ غَيْرَ الْإِسْلَامِ دِينًا فَلَنْ يُقْبَلَ مِنْهُ وَهُوَ فِي الْآخِرَةِ مِنَ الْخَاسِرِينَ85﴾
{Anyone who seeks a religion other than Islam, never will it be accepted from him; and in the Hereafter he will be among the losers.} [Surat Āl ‘Imrān: 85] Allah Almighty also says:
﴿مَنْ يُطِعِ الرَّسُولَ فَقَدْ أَطَاعَ اللَّهَ...﴾
{Whoever obeys the Messenger has indeed obeyed Allah.} [Surat an-Nisā’: 80] Allah Almighty also says:
﴿قُلْ أَطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُوا الرَّسُولَ فَإِنْ تَوَلَّوْا فَإِنَّمَا عَلَيْهِ مَا حُمِّلَ وَعَلَيْكُمْ مَا حُمِّلْتُمْ وَإِنْ تُطِيعُوهُ تَهْتَدُوا...﴾
{Say: “Obey Allah and obey the Messenger. But if you turn away, he is only responsible for his duty and you are responsible for your duty. If you obey him, you will be guided.”} [Surat an-Nūr: 54] Allah Almighty also says:
﴿إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ وَالْمُشْرِكِينَ فِي نَارِ جَهَنَّمَ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا أُولَئِكَ هُمْ شَرُّ الْبَرِيَّةِ 6﴾
{Those who disbelieve from the People of the Book and the polytheists will be in the fire of Hell, abiding therein forever. It is they who are the worst of creatures.} [Surat al-Bayyinah: 6]
Muslim narrated in his Sahīh Collection that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:
“By the One in Whose Hand my soul is, there is none of this Ummah, be he Jewish or Christian, who hears of me and then dies without believing in what I have been sent with except that he will be among the people of Hellfire.”
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) demonstrated through his actions and words the falsity of the religion of those who did not embrace Islam. He fought against the Jews and the Christians, as he did against other disbelievers, and took the Jizyah (protection tax) from those who gave it to him among them, so that they would not prevent the message from reaching the rest of them, and so that whoever wished among them could enter Islam without fear of being hindered, prevented, or killed by his people.
Al-Bukhāri and Muslim narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: While we were in the mosque, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) came out and said:
“Let us go to the Jews.” So, we went out with him until we reached Bayt al-Midrās. The Prophet (ﷺ) stood there and called them saying: “O assembly of the Jews, embrace Islam and you will be safe.” They said: “O Abu al-Qāsim, you have conveyed the message.” The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) then said: “That is what I want. Embrace Islam and you will be safe.” They said: “O Abu al-Qāsim, you have conveyed the message.” He said: “That is what I want.” Then, he repeated it for the third time...” to the end of the Hadīth.
The bottom line here is that he (ﷺ) went to the religious people from among the Jews at their Bayt al-Midrās and invited them to Islam, saying to them: “Embrace Islam and you will be safe,” and he repeated it to them.
Similarly, he sent his letter to Heraclius, inviting him to Islam, and informing him that if he refused, he would bear the sin of those who refrained from Islam due to his refusal. It is narrated in the Two Sahīh Collections of Al-Bukhāri and Muslim that Heraclius called for the Prophet's letter, and when he read it, it contained:
“In the Name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful. From Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, to Heraclius, the ruler of the Romans. Peace be upon him who follows the guidance. To proceed: I invite you with the invitation of Islam. Embrace Islam, and you will be safe. Embrace Islam, and Allah will give you your reward twice. But if you turn away, then upon you will be the sins of the Arians.
﴿يَٰٓأَهۡلَ ٱلۡكِتَٰبِ تَعَالَوۡاْ إِلَىٰ كَلِمَةٖ سَوَآءِۭ بَيۡنَنَا وَبَيۡنَكُمۡ أَلَّا نَعۡبُدَ إِلَّا ٱللَّهَ وَلَا نُشۡرِكَ بِهِۦ شَيۡـٔٗا وَلَا يَتَّخِذَ بَعۡضُنَا بَعۡضًا أَرۡبَابٗا مِّن دُونِ ٱللَّهِۚ فَإِن تَوَلَّوۡاْ فَقُولُواْ ٱشۡهَدُواْ بِأَنَّا مُسۡلِمُونَ 64﴾
{Say: “O people of the Book, come to a common term between us and you, that we worship none but Allah and associate no partners with Him, and that we do not take one another as lords besides Allah.” But if they turn away, say: “Bear witness that we are Muslims [submitting to Allah].”} [Surat Āl ‘Imrān: 64]”
When they turned away and refused to embrace Islam, the Prophet (ﷺ) and his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) fought against them and imposed the Jizyah (tribute) upon them.
To affirm their misguidance and that they follow a false religion after it was abrogated by the religion of Muhammad (ﷺ), Allah Almighty commands the Muslims to ask Him every day, in every prayer, and in every Rak‘ah to guide him to the correct and accepted straight path, which is Islam. And to keep him away from the path of those who have incurred Allah's wrath, namely the Jews and their likes who know that they are upon falsehood and persist in it. And to keep him away from the path of those who are astray, who worship without knowledge, claiming to be on the path of guidance while they are on the path of misguidance. They are the Christians and those similar to them from other nations who worship in misguidance and ignorance. All of this is to make Muslims know with certainty that every religion other than Islam is invalid and that whoever worships Allah in a way other than Islam is misguided, and whoever does not adopt this belief is not among the Muslims. There are numerous evidences in this regard from the Qur’an and the Sunnah.
It is incumbent upon the author—‘Abdul-Fattāh—to hasten to sincerely repent and write an article declaring his repentance. Whoever turns to Allah Almighty with true repentance, Allah will accept his repentance, as Allah Almighty says:
﴿...وَتُوبُوا إِلَى اللَّهِ جَمِيعًا أَيُّهَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ﴾
{And turn to Allah in repentance all together, O believers, so that you may be successful.} [Surat an-Nūr: 31] Allah Almighty also says:
﴿وَالَّذِينَ لَا يَدْعُونَ مَعَ اللَّهِ إِلَهًا آخَرَ وَلَا يَقْتُلُونَ النَّفْسَ الَّتِي حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ إِلَّا بِالْحَقِّ وَلَا يَزْنُونَ وَمَنْ يَفْعَلْ ذَلِكَ يَلْقَ أَثَامًا 68 يُضَاعَفْ لَهُ الْعَذَابُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ وَيَخْلُدْ فِيهِ مُهَانًا 69 إِلَّا مَنْ تَابَ وَآمَنَ وَعَمِلَ عَمَلًا صَالِحًا فَأُولَئِكَ يُبَدِّلُ اللَّهُ سَيِّئَاتِهِمْ حَسَنَاتٍ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ غَفُورًا رَحِيمًا 70﴾
{and those who do not invoke besides Allah another god, and who do not kill a soul whom Allah has forbidden, except in the course of justice, and who do not commit adultery, for whoever does any of this will face the penalty,
the punishment will be doubled for him on the Day of Resurrection, wherein he will remain disgraced forever,
except those who repent and believe, and do righteous deeds; for them Allah will change their evil deeds into good deeds, for Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.} [Surat al-Furqān: 68-70] And the Prophet (ﷺ) said:
“Islam abolishes whatever was before it, and repentance wipes out what preceded it.” The Prophet (ﷺ) also said:
“The one who repents from a sin is like the one who is sinless.”
There are many verses and Hadīths in this regard.
I ask Allah Almighty to show us the truth as truth and help us follow it, and to show us falsehood as falsehood and help us avoid it, and to bestow upon us and the writer ‘Abdul-Fattāh and all Muslims sincere repentance, and to protect us all from the misleading trials and the obedience to the whims and the Satan. Indeed, He is the One Guardian of that and Capable of it.
And may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, his Companions, and those who follow them with righteousness until the Day of Judgment.
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