Disbelief

This Hadīth contains a severe threat and strong warning for those who commit any of these three acts; so what about the one who commits all of them? The first act refers to someone who knows his real father and is sure about his lineage, yet he denies it and acts as if he doesn't know who his father is and claims that his father is someone else, or ascribes himself to another tribe other than his own. The second act refers to someone who knowingly makes a claim of something that does not belong to him, such as lineage, wealth, a right, a deed, or knowledge. It also includes the person who falsely claims having a particular kind of characteristic and takes advantage of it to draw people's attention to him. Not only shall this person suffers severe punishment, but also the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) has disassociated himself from him and asked this person to choose his abode in Hell because he is one of its inhabitants. The third act refers to someone who labels an innocent Muslim with disbelief, Judaism, Christianity, or enmity to Allah. Such false charges shall return to the one who makes them, because he is more deserving of these detestable attributes than the Muslim who is free from such accusations.

صحيح البخاري، دار طوق النجاة، ط 1422هـ. صحيح مسلم، ط دار إحياء التراث العربي، تحقيق محمد فؤاد عبد الباقي. تيسير العلام، للبسام، الناشر: مكتبة الصحابة، الأمارات - مكتبة التابعين، القاهرة، الطبعة العاشرة، 1426هـ - 2006 م. الإلمام بشرح عمدة الأحكام، لإسماعيل الأنصاري، ط دار الفكر بدمشق، الطبعة الأولى 1381هـ.

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informs of two traits in people that are from the disbelievers' practices and from the morals of Jāhiliyyah (the pre-Islamic era of ignorance), which are: First: Defaming people's lineages, belittling them, and treating them arrogantly. Second: Raising the voice when a calamity strikes by way of expressing resentment at the divine decree or tearing clothes out of extreme discontent.

1. Encouraging Muslims to be modest and to refrain from treating people with arrogance.
2. It is obligatory to deal patiently with calamities and to avoid discontentment.
3. These deeds are from the minor Kufr (disbelief), and one who possesses any of the traits of Kufr is not a disbeliever, the commission of which leads to apostasy unless he commits major Kufr.
4. Islam forbids whatever leads to dissension among Muslims like defaming lineages and others.

صحيح مسلم (1/ 82) (67). كتاب التوحيد، للإمام محمد بن عبد الوهاب (ص96). الملخص في شرح كتاب التوحيد، لصالح الفوزان (ص279). الجديد في شرح كتاب التوحيد، للقرعاوي (ص315).

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) warned that whoever says to another person: You are a defiant sinner, or: You are a disbeliever, if this person is not as he said, then he will be worthy of this mentioned description, and his accusation will rebound on him. However, if this person is as he said, then nothing will rebound on him given that he said the truth.

1. It is prohibited to accuse people of disbelief or defiant disobedience without a Shariah-approved justification.
2. Verification is obligatory before making judgments about people.
3. Ibn Daqīq al-‘Īd said: This is a grave threat to whoever falsely accuses a Muslim of being a disbeliever, which is a great dilemma.
4. Ibn Hajar al-‘Asqalāni said: The fact that he does not consequently become a defiant sinner or a disbeliever does not entail that he is not deemed sinful when he said to him: You are a defiant sinner; rather, this situation needs to be tackled in detail. If he meant to advise him or others by clarifying his condition, then this is permissible. However, if he meant to insult, expose, and abuse him, then this is impermissible because he is commanded to conceal his faults and teach him and advise him in a friendly manner. So, whenever he can fulfill this in a lenient manner, then he is not allowed to do it violently because he could be a cause for tempting him and making him insist on such an act, given the fact that many people are too disdainful to accept the command, especially when the one who gives the command is inferior to the one commanded.

صحيح البخاري (8/ 15) (6045). صحيح مسلم (1/ 79) (61). نزهة المتقين، لمجموعة من الباحثين (2/ 1073). كنوز رياض الصالحين، لمجموعة من الباحثين (18/ 446). بهجة الناظرين، لسليم الهلالي (3/ 82). شرح رياض الصالحين، لابن عثيمين (6/ 220). التنوير شرح الجامع الصغير، للصنعاني (9/ 275).

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) reported about ‘Abdullah ibn Jud‘ān, one of the chiefs of Quraysh before Islam. His good deeds include that he used to uphold kinship ties, feed the poor, and do other noble acts commended by Islam. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) pointed out that these deeds will not benefit him in the Hereafter because of his disbelief in Allah and the fact that he did not ever say: My Lord, forgive my sins on the Day of Judgment.

1. The Hadīth points out the merit of belief and that it is a requirement for accepting people's good deeds.
2. It shows the evil impact of disbelief and that it renders virtuous deeds worthless.
3. The good deeds of the disbelievers will not avail them in the Hereafter due to their lack of belief in Allah and the Last Day.
4. The honorable deeds of a disbeliever will be recorded for him if he embraces Islam, and he will be rewarded for them.

صحيح مسلم (1/ 196) (214)، شرح النووي على مسلم (3/87)، المفهم لما أشكل من تلخيص كتاب مسلم (1/ 459)، إرشاد الساري لشرح صحيح البخاري (4/ 170)، التنوير شرح الجامع الصغير (2/364)، فتح المنعم (2/54)، البحر المحيط الثجاج في شرح صحيح الإمام مسلم بن الحجاج (3/ 455).

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) offered the Fajr prayer in Al-Hudaybiyah, a village close to Makkah, after rainfall at night. After he made taslīm and finished the prayer, he turned towards the people and asked them: Do you know what your Almighty Lord has said? They replied: Allah and His Messenger know best. He said: Allah Almighty clarified that people fall under two categories upon rainfall: believers in Allah Almighty and disbelievers in Him. Those who say, "We have had rainfall out of Allah's bounty and mercy," ascribing the rainfall to Allah, are believers in Allah, the Creator, and the Disposer of the affairs of the universe, and they disbelieve in the stars. And those who say, "We have had rainfall due to such and such star," are disbelievers in Allah and believers in the stars. But this is minor disbelief, as they attribute rainfall to a star, while Allah did not make it a cause of rainfall, neither in terms of the Shariah nor in terms of destiny. But as for those who ascribe rainfall and other earthly occurrences to the rise and decline of the stars, believing that they are the actual doer, they have fallen into major disbelief.

1. It is recommended to say after rainfall: We have had rainfall out of the grace and mercy of Allah.
2. Those who attribute the blessing of rainfall and other things to the stars, believing that they create and bring them into existence, fall into major disbelief. But as for those who attribute rainfall to the stars in believing that they are a mere cause, they fall into minor disbelief, because the stars are not a Shar‘i or material cause for rainfall.
3. A blessing can be a cause of disbelief if it is denied or a cause of belief if recognized.
4. We are forbidden from saying "We have had rainfall due to such and such star," even if it refers to time, to block the means to polytheism.
5. Our hearts should be attached to Allah Almighty regarding bringing blessings and warding off afflictions.

صحيح البخاري (1/ 169) (846)، صحيح مسلم (1/ 83) (71)، البحر المحيط الثجاج في شرح صحيح الإمام مسلم بن الحجاج (2/ 484)، المفهم لما أشكل من تلخيص كتاب مسلم (1/ 260).

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) warned against abandoning the obligatory prayers and informed us that what stands between a man and falling into Shirk (polytheism) and disbelief is the abandonment of prayer. Prayer is the second pillar of Islam and is of great significance in this religion. Whoever abandons it out of denial of its obligation has become a disbeliever by consensus among the Muslims, and whoever abandons it altogether out of negligence or lethargy is a disbeliever, a ruling the Companions are reported to have agreed upon unanimously. But if a person abandons it sometimes and performs it at other times, he is subject to this stern warning.

1. The Hadīth stresses the significance of prayer and its observance, for it is the distinguishing feature between disbelief and belief.
2. It gives a severe warning against abandoning and neglecting the prayers.

صحيح مسلم (1/ 88) (82)، المفهم لما أشكل من تلخيص كتاب مسلم (1/ 271)، البحر المحيط الثجاج في شرح صحيح الإمام مسلم بن الحجاج (2/ 622).

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) pointed out that the covenant and pledge between the Muslims and the disbelievers and hypocrites is prayer. So, whoever abandons it has become a disbeliever.

1. The Hadīth shows the great status of the prayers and that they are the distinguishing feature between the believer and the disbeliever.
2. The rulings of Islam are established based on the outward circumstances of people, regardless of their inward circumstances.

سنن النسائي (1/ 231) (463)، سنن الترمذي (4/ 365) (2621)، سنن ابن ماجه (2/ 181) (1079)، مسند أحمد (38/ 20) (22937)، فيض القدير (4/ 395)، ذخيرة العقبى في شرح المجتبى (6/ 192) (6/ 193).