Manhaj.Com | Takfir and the Excuse of Ignorance: Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzaan (2)

In this series of articles we present the statements of the Scholars of Ahl al-Sunnah which clarify and explain the issue of (العذر بالجهل), the excuse of ignorance, and also (المعلوم من الدين بالضرورة), that which is known from the religion by necessity. There is much confusion and speculation about this issue, despite the fact that it is very clear in the speech of the Scholars. One should also be aware of factions of the Takfiris, Qutbis who allege that the Scholars of Ahl al-Sunnah such as Imaam Ibn Baz, Imaam Ibn Uthaymin, Imaam al-Albaani, Shaykh Abd al-Muhsin al-Abbaad and many other contemporary Scholars are "revisionists," a charge levelled because these Scholars did not agree to their methodologies and positions (of mass takfir of nations and societies or takfir of certain rulers). Hence, they extended this claim of revisionism beyond the issue of the takfir of the rulers into other issues (such as the excuse of ignorance and that which is known from the religion by necessity) in order to discredit these Scholars and make the people not take from them and instead to drive the people towards the Harakiyyeen and their figureheads. These Qutbis and Takfiris are ignorant people, they are pretenders to knowledge, and they employ much deception. Instead of being honest and saying that difference in this issue can be found right through the history of the da'wah of Tawhid in Najd, and varying sayings can be found amongst the Scholars of the da'wah, they opted for their usual trait of deception and lies and tried to attack those Scholars who spoke against their Qutbi da'wah by accusing them of being "revisionists" merely because they held the view of granting the excuse of ignorance in matters of kufr and shirk within certain circumstances. Addressing their falsehood and their conniving in detail is for another place. Here we want to systematically document the sayings of the scholars for the purposes of building a record and at a later time, we will inshaa'Allaah, discuss some of these issues with the purpose of clarification.

Shaykh Salih al-Fawzan on takfir of the Raafidah

The Shaykh was asked:

أحسن الله إليكم صاحب الفضيلة: يقول: هل الرافضة كفار، وهل يُفرق بين علمائهم وعامتهم في ذلك؟

May Allah be benevolent to possessor of excellence, he says: Are the Rafidah disbelievers and is to be distinguished between their scholars and general-folk in that regard?

The Shaykh answered:

القاعدة أن كلَّ من دعا غير الله أو ذبح لغير الله أو عمل أي عبادة لغير الله فإنه كافر سواء كان من الرافضة و غيرهم ، من الرافضة و غيرهم . مَن عَبَدَ غير الله بأي نوع من أنواع العبادة فإنه كافر و كذلك من زعم أنّ أحدًا يجب إتباعه من غير الرسول صلى الله عليه وسلم فإنه كافر من الرافضة و من غيرهم. الرافضة يرون أنّ لأئمتهم منزلة أعلى مرتبة من الرسل و أن أئمتهم لا يخطئون و أنهم معصومون ، معصومون لا يخطئون ، و أن لهم الحق في أن يحللوا ما أرادوا و يحرموا ما أرادوا، أليس هذا أعظم الكفر و العياذ بالله. هذا عندهم في كتبهم ما هو بخفي، وعندهم أمور كثيرة غير ذلك

The principle is that whoever invoked those besides Allaah or sacrificed to other than Allaah or performed any action of worship for other than Allaah, then he is a disbeliever whether he is from the Raafidah or other than them, from the Raafidah or other than them. Whoever worships other than Allaah with any of the types of worship, then he is a disbeliever and likewise whoever claims that it is obligatory to follow one besides the Messenger (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam), then he is a disbeliever, from amongst the Raafidah or other than them. The Raafidah consider their imaams to have a higher status than the Messenger, and that their imaams do not err, that they are infallible, they do not errr. And that they have the right to declare lawful what they wish and declare unlawful what they wish. Is this not the greatest disbelief and refuge is with Allaah. This is found with them in their books, this is not hidden, and they have many affairs besides that.

The Questioner said:

يقول: وهل يُفَرَّق بين علمائهم وعامتهم في ذلك؟

He (the questioner) says: Is to be distinguished between their scholars and general-folk in that regard?

The Shaykh replied:

علماؤهم أشد، لأنهم يعرفون أن هذا باطل وأخذوه، لا شك في كفرهم، أما عوامهم فإذا أقيمت عليهم الحجة و أصروا يكفرون، أما ما لم تقم عليهم الحجة فهؤلاء أهل ضلال و لا يكفرون .

Their scholars are more severe, because they know that this is falsehood and they adopted it, there is no doubt about their disbelief. As for their common-folk, if the proof is established against them and then they persist, they disbelieve. As for when the proof is not established, then they are people of misguidance and they do not disbelieve.

Source: At-Ta'leeq al-Mukhtasar alaa al-Qaseedah al-Nooniyyah (3/1342) through Sahab.Net and original audio here on the Shaykhs website, download (MP3).

Three clear points are taken from the above fatwa: a) Not everyone who falls into kufr or shirk automatically becomes a kafir or mushrik, b) there are situations in which the one falling into kufr and shirk may be excused - from those who ascribe to Islaam - such as ignorance, blind-following, faulty interpretation (ta'weel) and the likes, c) judging upon a specific individual requires presence of conditions and absence of barriers (to takfir) and this is what is meant by "establishing the proof".

The Shaykh does have other speech that suggests the excuse of ignorance does not apply (in matters treated as "known by necessity" or "through conveyance of the Qur'an" etc.), however the intent here is to show that this view has been held by the Shaykh (and that there is differing about it between the Scholars) and this is a silencing of the Haddaadiyyah who are using this issue to ascribe Irjaa' to many of the Salafi Scholars who affirm the excuse of ignorance and they include Scholars of Tawhid from Najd in what has passed and likewise the contemporary Scholars, al-Albani, Ibn al-Uthaymin, Abdul-Muhsin al-Abbaad and so on.