Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

 

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

 

As-Salaamu-Aliekum brother Burhan,

 

May Allah shower his blessings to his servants like you who stive in his cause to spread the truth.

 

I wanted clarification regarding certains answers which you had given.

 

Yuo had quoted in one of your answers that -  "One enters Islam of his own free will, and one leaves Islam of his own free will; neither can one force a person to become a believer, nor can one force someone who wishes to remain a believer to leave the fold of Islam. If someone declares the `shahaadah` or testimony of faith in the Oneness of Allah Subhanah and the appointment of Prophet Mohamed (saws) as His last and final Messenger, he will be regarded as a muslim in the sight of Shariah and all the rights that are due to a muslim will be accorded to him in full. "

 

If this is the case then all the shias, bohras, Agakhanis etc proclaim the shahada, then why do major scholars like Bilal philips etc openly declare them as Kafirs. I have seen bilal philips CDs where he says that shias are kafirs. Not only Bilal philips but most(almost all) salafi as well as Ahele-hadith, tableege jamaat and Ahle-Sunna-Wal-Jamaa scholars declare them as Kafirs. Is their opinion correct?

 

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

 

Answer:

 

Are shia kaafir disbelievers ?

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

 

Sunan of Abu-Dawood Hadith 2526  Narrated by Anas ibn Malik

The Prophet (saws) said: ‘Three things are the roots of faith:

1. to refrain from (killing) a person who utters, "There is no god but Allah";
2. and not to declare him unbeliever whatever sin he commits;
3. and not to excommunicate him from Islam for his any actions.”

 

Dear and beloved brother in Islam, if one professes belief in the Absolute Oneness of Allah and the appointment of Prophet Mohamed (saws) as the Last and Final Messenger of Allah, none has a right to declare them as disbelievers or ex-communicate these brothers from the fold of Islam! 

 

As long as one professes belief in the Absolute Oneness of Allah Subhanah and the appointment of Prophet Mohamed (saws) as Allah’s Last and Final Messenger, regardless of their beliefs and actions, they will be regarded as legal believers in the Sight of Shariah Law and the believers, and every right that is due to a believer will be accorded to them in full.

 

If there are differences in the beliefs or acts between two believers who have professed their belief in Allah and His Last Messenger (saws); it is Allah Subhanah Who Alone Will Decide and Judge on the Day of Judgment who amongst them is a ‘real’ muslim and who is not…..but in the life of this world, every such person who professes belief in the Absolute Oneness of Allah Subhanah and the appointment of Prophet Mohamed (saws) as Allah’s Last and Final Messenger will be honored as a ‘muslim’ and all the rights that are due to a muslim will be accorded to them in absolute full.

 

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 45 Surah Al-Jathiyah verse 17:

Then they differed amongst themselves after the knowledge (of Islam) had come to them, only because they wanted to wrong one another. Your Lord will judge between them on the Day of Resurrection concerning the matters in which they have been differing."

 

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 23 Surah Mu’minoon verse 52-53:

And you all belong to one and the same Ummah,  and I(Allah) am your Lord; so fear Me Alone!  Yet afterwards the people divided themselves into different sects, and each sect rejoicing in what it has.  Well, leave them deeply involved in their heedlessness up to an appointed time. 

 

Al-Tirmidhi Hadith 171         Narrated by Abdullah ibn Amr

That Allah's Messenger (saws) said: “There will befall my Ummah exactly all those evils which befell the people of Israel (Jews and Christians),  so much so that if there was one amongst them who openly committed fornication with his mother, there will be amongst  my Ummah one,  who will do the same.   And if the people of Israel were fragmented into seventy-two sects,  my Ummah will be fragmented into seventy-three sects.   All of them will be in Hell Fire except one sect.”   The noble Companions asked: “O Allah's Messenger (saws), which one is that?”   Whereupon he (saws)  said: “It is one to which I and my companions belong.”

 

Your Question: If this is the case then all the shias, bohras, Agakhanis etc proclaim the shahada, then why do major scholars like Bilal philips etc openly declare them as Kafirs. I have seen bilal philips CDs where he says that shias are kafirs. Not only Bilal philips but most(almost all) salafi as well as Ahele-hadith, tableege jamaat and Ahle-Sunna-Wal-Jamaa scholars declare them as Kafirs. Is their opinion correct?

Regardless of whether one chooses to call oneself by their self-appointed sect of being a Shia, or a Sunni, or a Bohra, or Aga Khani, or Hanafi, or Maliki, etc. etc…..as long as one has professed belief in the Absolute Oneness of Allah Subhanah and the appointment of Prophet Mohamed (saws) as Allah’s Last and Final Messenger, every such person will be considered a legal muslim in the Sight of Shariah Law and of the believers, and every single right that is due to a muslim will be accorded to them in full.

 

In our humble opinion, if any person or scholar, or any group indeed declares one who professes belief to be a disbeliever or a ‘kaafir’, it is obvious that their this declaration would be absolutely incorrect and a violation of the clear guidance of Allah and His Messenger (saws).

 

Having said that, we would like to clarify that if one sees another muslim (for example) bowing down in prostration to human beings or graves, or refusing to pray, or refusing  to fast, etc…..one may say that the doing (or not doing) of that deed is an act of disbelief or ‘kufr’; but it would be incorrect to call or treat them as ‘kaafirs’ or disbelievers. 

 

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone.  Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

 

 

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

 

 

Burhan