Background
Compiled by: Tauheed.com
In the al-Hajj magazine, issue dated 16 Sha‘ban 1382H, a formal inquiry was published from Sheikh Muhammad Yusuf Banuri (رحمه الله), head of Madrasah Tarbiyah al-Islamiyyah, Karachi.
The inquiry sought the Islamic ruling on Ghulam Ahmad Parwez and his followers.
The letter included nearly 20 sample beliefs from Parwez’s ideology for review.
The Fatwa of Sheikh ‘Abdul ‘Aziz ibn ‘Abdullah ibn Baz (رحمه الله)
“Anyone who studies the twenty beliefs mentioned in the inquiry regarding Ghulam Ahmad Parwez, as published in the above-mentioned magazine, will know with absolute certainty — beyond any possibility of doubt — that anyone who holds, believes in, and calls others to such beliefs is a disbeliever (kafir) committing major disbelief (kufr akbar), an apostate from Islam.
Such a person must be called to repent. If he openly repents, rejects his false beliefs, and publicly announces his retraction in local newspapers — just as his false beliefs were published — then he may be pardoned.
If he refuses to repent, then it is obligatory upon the Muslim ruler to execute him.
This ruling is among the well-known essentials of Islam (ma‘lum min al-din bi-darurah), and its proofs from the Qur’an, Sunnah, and the consensus (ijma‘) of scholars are numerous — too many to enumerate in this brief response.”
(Fatwa published in al-Hajj magazine, 16 Sha‘ban 1382H)
Summary of the Ruling
- Belief Status: Holding Parwez’s beliefs = kufr akbar (major disbelief)
- Legal Status: Apostate (murtadd) from Islam
- Repentance:
- Must be public and explicit
- Must be published in local media to match the spread of the false beliefs
- If No Repentance: Execution by the Muslim ruler is obligatory
- Evidences: Established by Qur’an, Sunnah, and scholarly consensus
Conclusion
According to Sheikh Ibn Baz (رحمه الله), based on the documented beliefs presented by Sheikh Yusuf Banuri (رحمه الله), Ghulam Ahmad Parwez was a clear disbeliever and outside the fold of Islam.
The same ruling applies to anyone who holds and propagates such beliefs.
