❖ Sharʿī Ruling on Voting in Favor of Forbidden Matters in Islam ❖
Question:
If a vote is held on a matter clearly declared ḥarām in Islam—such as alcohol, interest, etc.—and someone, despite knowing the clear Islamic prohibition, votes in its favor, what is the Islamic ruling on such a person?
Answer by:
Fadhīlat al-Shaykh ʿAbdul Wakīl Nāṣir ḥafiẓahullāh
✔ Presenting proofs and clarifying Islamic rulings is one matter, while the listener’s understanding and acceptance is another.
✔ Certain things in Islam are universally and unequivocally known to be forbidden, such as:
▪ Alcohol (شراب)
▪ Carrion (مردار)
▪ Pork (خنزیر)
▪ Interest (سود)
If someone acknowledges these are ḥarām, yet still says:
"Since the majority voted in favor, these things should now be made permissible in society..."
—then such a statement is tantamount to introducing a new fitnah and directly opposing Divine legislation.
Declaring someone a disbeliever (takfīr) is not within everyone's authority and should not be approached lightly.
✔ However, the general sharʿī ruling on someone who declares a forbidden act to be permissible is as follows:
"استحلال معصیة ولو کان صغیرة کفر"
"To declare a sin—no matter how minor—as permissible is an act of disbelief."
It is essential to differentiate between ruling on an act and ruling on a specific individual.
A person may fall into a statement of kufr, but applying the label requires detailed analysis, fulfillment of conditions, and absence of valid excuses.
◈ Voting in favor of clearly forbidden matters, after their prohibition has been clearly explained through Qur'an and Sunnah, is a grave sin and may fall under the category of kufr istihlāl (declaring ḥarām as ḥalāl).
◈ However, issuing a fatwa of takfīr on an individual requires qualified scholars and should not be taken up by the general public.
◈ It is obligatory to clarify the ruling of Allah and His Messenger ﷺ and warn against normalizing ḥarām through democratic or societal means.
Question:
If a vote is held on a matter clearly declared ḥarām in Islam—such as alcohol, interest, etc.—and someone, despite knowing the clear Islamic prohibition, votes in its favor, what is the Islamic ruling on such a person?
Answer by:
Fadhīlat al-Shaykh ʿAbdul Wakīl Nāṣir ḥafiẓahullāh
❀ Clarification of the Matter:
✔ Presenting proofs and clarifying Islamic rulings is one matter, while the listener’s understanding and acceptance is another.
✔ Certain things in Islam are universally and unequivocally known to be forbidden, such as:
▪ Alcohol (شراب)
▪ Carrion (مردار)
▪ Pork (خنزیر)
▪ Interest (سود)
If someone acknowledges these are ḥarām, yet still says:"Since the majority voted in favor, these things should now be made permissible in society..."
—then such a statement is tantamount to introducing a new fitnah and directly opposing Divine legislation.
❖ Does This Render a Person a Disbeliever (Kāfir)?
Declaring someone a disbeliever (takfīr) is not within everyone's authority and should not be approached lightly.✔ However, the general sharʿī ruling on someone who declares a forbidden act to be permissible is as follows:
"استحلال معصیة ولو کان صغیرة کفر"
"To declare a sin—no matter how minor—as permissible is an act of disbelief."
❖ Important Clarification:
It is essential to differentiate between ruling on an act and ruling on a specific individual. A person may fall into a statement of kufr, but applying the label requires detailed analysis, fulfillment of conditions, and absence of valid excuses.✔ Summary:
◈ Voting in favor of clearly forbidden matters, after their prohibition has been clearly explained through Qur'an and Sunnah, is a grave sin and may fall under the category of kufr istihlāl (declaring ḥarām as ḥalāl).
◈ However, issuing a fatwa of takfīr on an individual requires qualified scholars and should not be taken up by the general public.
◈ It is obligatory to clarify the ruling of Allah and His Messenger ﷺ and warn against normalizing ḥarām through democratic or societal means.
