Source: Fatāwā Arkān-e-Islām
الحمد لله، والصلاة والسلام علىٰ رسول الله، أما بعد!
The issue of whether ignorance in matters of creed can be considered a valid excuse has, like other jurisprudential and interpretive issues, been a matter of differing scholarly opinions. At times, the disagreement over declaring a specific individual to be a disbeliever is merely verbal. All jurists agree that a particular statement or action may constitute disbelief, but the question is whether the ruling applies to a specific individual once all conditions are met and preventive factors are absent, or whether the ruling does not apply if certain obstacles exist.
In this regard, two types of ignorance are generally mentioned:
The following verses shed light on this matter:
Abū Hurayrah (RA) reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
«وَالَّذِیْ نَفْسُ مُحَمَّدٍ بِيَدِهِ…» (Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, al-Īmān, ḥadīth 153)
“By Him in Whose Hand is the soul of Muhammad! There is none from this Ummah — meaning those whom the message has reached — whether Jew or Christian, who hears about me and then dies without believing in what I have been sent with, except that he will be among the inhabitants of the Fire.”
① Fabricating against Allah:
Declaring someone a disbeliever when Allah has not declared him so.
② Dishonoring a Muslim:
Calling someone a disbeliever without evidence while he is free of disbelief.
The Prophet ﷺ said:
«اِذَا اَکْفَرَ الرَّجُلُ اَخَاهُ…» (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī & Muslim, ḥadīth 6014, 60, 61)
“When a man says to his brother, ‘O disbeliever,’ it will apply to one of them.”
وَاللّٰهُ أَعْلَمُ بِالصَّوَابِ
Introduction
الحمد لله، والصلاة والسلام علىٰ رسول الله، أما بعد!
The issue of whether ignorance in matters of creed can be considered a valid excuse has, like other jurisprudential and interpretive issues, been a matter of differing scholarly opinions. At times, the disagreement over declaring a specific individual to be a disbeliever is merely verbal. All jurists agree that a particular statement or action may constitute disbelief, but the question is whether the ruling applies to a specific individual once all conditions are met and preventive factors are absent, or whether the ruling does not apply if certain obstacles exist.
In this regard, two types of ignorance are generally mentioned:
Types of Ignorance
① Non-Muslim or One Unaware of the Religion
- Such individuals belong to a faith other than Islam, or to no faith at all, and are unaware that any religion opposes their way of life.
- In worldly rulings, they are dealt with as disbelievers since they have not accepted Islam.
- In the Hereafter, their case will be left to Allah. The stronger opinion, as stated by Imām Ibn al-Qayyim in Ṭarīq al-Hijratayn, is that such people will be tested, as he mentioned regarding the children of polytheists.
- Allah says:
﴿وَلا يَظلِمُ رَبُّكَ أَحَدًا﴾ (Sūrah al-Kahf: 49)
“And your Lord does not wrong anyone.”
② Muslim but Unaware of a Disbelieving Act
- A Muslim who, out of ignorance, commits a statement or action of disbelief without knowing it is contrary to Islam, and no one has informed him of its ruling.
- Worldly rulings upon him remain according to Islam, and in the Hereafter his case will be left to Allah.
Evidence from the Qur’an
The following verses shed light on this matter:
- ﴿وَما كُنّا مُعَذِّبينَ حَتّى نَبعَثَ رَسولًا﴾ (Sūrah al-Isrāʾ: 15)
“And We do not punish until We send a messenger.” - ﴿وَما كانَ رَبُّكَ مُهلِكَ القُرى حَتّى يَبعَثَ فى أُمِّها رَسولًا…﴾ (Sūrah al-Qaṣaṣ: 59)
“And your Lord would never destroy the towns until He had sent to their chief town a messenger…” - ﴿رُسُلًا مُبَشِّرينَ وَمُنذِرينَ لِئَلّا يَكونَ لِلنّاسِ عَلَى اللَّهِ حُجَّةٌ بَعدَ الرُّسُلِ﴾ (Sūrah al-Nisāʾ: 165)
“Messengers as bringers of good news and warners so that mankind would have no argument against Allah after the messengers.” - ﴿وَما أَرسَلنا مِن رَسولٍ إِلّا بِلِسانِ قَومِهِ لِيُبَيِّنَ لَهُم…﴾ (Sūrah Ibrāhīm: 4)
“And We did not send any messenger except [speaking] in the language of his people so that he might make [the message] clear to them…” - ﴿وَما كانَ اللَّهُ لِيُضِلَّ قَومًا بَعدَ إِذ هَدىهُم حَتّى يُبَيِّنَ لَهُم ما يَتَّقونَ﴾ (Sūrah al-Tawbah: 115)
“And Allah would not mislead a people after He had guided them until He made clear to them what they should avoid.” - ﴿وَهـذا كِتـبٌ أَنزَلنـهُ مُبارَكٌ فَاتَّبِعوهُ…﴾ (Sūrah al-Anʿām: 155–157)
“And this is a Book We have revealed, blessed, so follow it and fear Allah so that you may receive mercy…”
Evidence from the Sunnah
Abū Hurayrah (RA) reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
«وَالَّذِیْ نَفْسُ مُحَمَّدٍ بِيَدِهِ…» (Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, al-Īmān, ḥadīth 153)
“By Him in Whose Hand is the soul of Muhammad! There is none from this Ummah — meaning those whom the message has reached — whether Jew or Christian, who hears about me and then dies without believing in what I have been sent with, except that he will be among the inhabitants of the Fire.”
Statements of the Scholars
- Imām Ibn Qudāmah (RA) (al-Mughnī 8/131):
“If a new Muslim or someone raised in a non-Muslim land, or in an area deprived of knowledge, commits disbelief, he is not declared a disbeliever.” - Shaykh al-Islām Ibn Taymiyyah (RA):
- Advised caution in the matter of Takfīr.
- Declaring a person a disbeliever is only permissible when proof has been established against him.
- Despite great differences among the Salaf, they refrained from declaring each other disbelievers or sinners. (Majmūʿ al-Fatāwā 3/229)
- Shaykh Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Wahhāb (RA) (al-Durar al-Saniyyah 1/56):
“We do not declare those who worship at graves to be disbelievers due to ignorance, for they neither have knowledge nor has anyone informed them.”
Dangers of Takfīr
① Fabricating against Allah:
Declaring someone a disbeliever when Allah has not declared him so.
② Dishonoring a Muslim:
Calling someone a disbeliever without evidence while he is free of disbelief.
The Prophet ﷺ said:
«اِذَا اَکْفَرَ الرَّجُلُ اَخَاهُ…» (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī & Muslim, ḥadīth 6014, 60, 61)
“When a man says to his brother, ‘O disbeliever,’ it will apply to one of them.”
Reasons for Caution in Takfīr
- Must be based on clear evidence from Qur’an and Sunnah.
- Applying the ruling to an individual requires verification of conditions and removal of obstacles.
- Lack of knowledge, coercion, extreme emotional state, or misinterpretation are valid excuses.
Example of the Khawārij
- Though they fought against the Companions and declared them disbelievers, the majority of scholars did not declare the Khawārij to be disbelievers due to their misinterpretation.
- Ibn Taymiyyah (RA) stated:
“ʿAlī (RA) and the Companions fought them but did not declare them disbelievers, rather they called them rebellious and oppressive.” (Majmūʿ al-Fatāwā 7/217, 28/518)
Summary
- One who commits a statement or action of disbelief out of ignorance is excused due to that ignorance.
- The Qur’an, Sunnah, and scholarly statements support the position that Takfīr is not made until proof is established.
- Before Allah, proof is established only when a messenger is sent or the evidence is made clear.
وَاللّٰهُ أَعْلَمُ بِالصَّوَابِ
