The Ruling Concerning the One who Mocks the Religion
by The Albaani Site
Translated by Ahmed Abu Turaab
Questioner: Mocking the religion which has been mentioned in His Saying, the Blessed and Most High, “Say, ‘Was it at Allaah, and His Aayat that you were mocking? Make no excuse, you have disbelieved after you had believed …'” [Tawbah 9:66] is it kufr in belief [kufr i’tiqaadi] or disbelief in actions [kufr amali]?
Al-Albaani: There is no doubt that this is kufr in belief–infact, this is disbelief with two horns. Because it is not possible for a believer no matter how weak his faith is to mock the Signs [aayaat] of Allaah the Mighty and Majestic. And this type of disbelief is what comes under our previous statement where we would say, “It is not permissible to declare a Muslim to be outside the fold of Islaam except if something emanates from his tongue which shows us what has settled in his heart.” So here, his mockery of the Signs of Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, is the biggest confirmation from him that he does not believe in that which he is mocking. So thus he is a disbeliever who has performed kufr in belief [i’tiqaadi].
Mawsoo’atul-Allaamah, al-Imaam, Mujaddidil-Asr, Muhammad Naasirid-Deen al-Albaani, of Shaikh Shady Noaman, vol. 5, p. 522.
The Albaani Site 
Assalamu alaikum,
May Allah reward you for providing these beneficial translations
May Allah have mercy upon the Shaikh, one of the Imams of Ahlus-Sunnah of this time. May Allah reward him immensely for his contribution to the Islam and the Sunnah. However, it is not a condition for an Aalim and Imam to get everything correct in every instance. If it is proven that Shaikh al-Albani رحمه الله or anybody else is incorrect, then we do not follow them in their view in a particular case. We maintain the honour of the scholar but we reject the error.
In this case, major Kufr can occur through belief, statements, actions, and doubt. This can be Major Kufr in and of itself, and its not always a condition that confirmation of what is in the heart or that the person beliefs in such thing. In this case, mocking the religion is major Kufr in and of itself.
Yes, some actions are minor kufr, that do not take one out of the fold of Islam, like fighting the Muslim being Kufr ‘Amalee and believing it to be permissible is Kufr ‘itiqadee . While, other actions do take one out of the fold of Islam, like prostrating to an idol is Major kufr, not matter what is in the person’s heart.
There are few observations that in this post that other scholars say are incorrect.
1. “It is not permissible to declare a Muslim to be a disbeliever unless he utters something which would show us what is settled in his heart.”
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Question: Is the committal of disbelief limited to denying (the truth; i.e.
takdheeb) and holding a firm belief (in falsehood; i.e.‘Itiqaad)?
Answer: Disbelief is not just restricted to denial. Disbelief occurs due to denial when someone denies Allaah or rejects the Messenger.
Or if someone rejects something that is known from the Religion by necessity, he also commits disbelief.
It can also occur due to an action, as is the case when someone prostrates to an idol, even if he doesn’t believe in it. If someone tramples over the mus-haf with his feet whilst doing so intentionally, he commits disbelief. Or if he stains the mus-haf with impurities or with urine intentionally, he commits disbelief.
Likewise, disbelief may occur through speech. For example, if someone reviles Allah or reviles the Messenger or curses the Religion of Islaam or mocks and ridicules Allaah and His Messenger, he commits disbelief based on such speech.
Disbelief also may occur due to doubt. If someone has doubt in Allaah or about His angels or he doubts the revealed Books or Messengers or he has doubts about Paradise and the Hellfire. For example, he says:“I don’t know if there is a Paradise or not” or “…if there is a Hellfire or not?” He commits disbelief due to this doubt and uncertainty.
Disbelief may also occur due to abandonment, say for example if someone turns away from the Religion, not learning it or worshipping Allaah. He commits disbelief due to this abandonment. As for the views of the Murji’ah that disbelief only occurs due to takdheeb (denial/rejection) then this is false.
Taken from: An Explanation of The Nullifiers of Islam by Shaikh Muhammad bin Abdul Wahab explained by ash-Shaikh al-‘Allammah ‘Abdul Aziz Rajihee حفظه الله
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Types of Riddah
Q 2: It is said that Riddah (apostasy) may be committed either by words or actions. I hope that you briefly clarify for me the verbal, practical and doctrinal forms of Riddah.
A: Riddah is reverting to Kufr (disbelief) after accepting Islam. It may be by word, action, erroneous belief or doubt.
Consequently, whoever associates other partners with Allah; denies His Lordship, His Oneness, one of His Attributes or some of His Books or Messengers; curses Allah or His Messenger; denies any of the consensually forbidden things or renders them lawful; denies one of the Five Pillars of Islam or doubts their obligation; doubts Resurrection, the truthfulness of Muhammad (peace be upon him) or any of the Prophets or prostrates to an idol, a planet or the like, has disbelieved and apostatized from Islam. Please read the chapters discussing Riddah in the books of Fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence), as scholars have elaborated on this topic.
Based on the above explanation, you can understand the verbal, practical, and doctrinal forms of Riddah.
Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta’
Member: `Abdullah ibn Qa`ud Member: `Abdullah ibn Ghudayyan
Deputy Chairman: `Abdul-Razzaq `Afify
Chairman: `Abdul-`Aziz ibn `Abdullah ibn Baz
Fatwas of the Permanent Committee – Group 1 – Part 2 – Page 9
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2. “So here, his mocking the Aayaat of Allaah عز وجل is the greatest confirmation from him that he does not believe in that which he is mocking. Hence, he is a disbeliever who has committed kufr i`tiqaadi.”
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Question: Is this statement correct, “Abusing Allah and Abusing the Messenger is not Kufr by itself, but it is a sign of belittlement and derision (contempt) in the heart”?
Answer, “This statement is not correct. It is the saying of the Murjiyah and it is a false statement, rather abuse itself is Kufr, and mockery itself is Kufr as Allah says,
“Say, ‘Was it at Allah, and His Ayat and His Messenger that you were mocking? Make no excuse; you have disbelieved after you had believed.” [Soorah Tawbah (9): 65-66]
So, Allah declared Kufr on them after Eeman by this phrase (of mockery), and did not say if you believed anything of it (i.e. belittlement) in your hearts. So, Allah ruled Kufr on them by this phrase (of mockery) and established that a statement can be a statement of Kufr.
(The statement that an act of) ‘Kufr is not Kufr; rather a sign of what is in the heart’, is false (because) none can know what is in the heart except Allah; and Kufr can occur by heart, and occur by statement, and occur by action; and this statement (mentioned in the question) goes along with the madhhab of the Murjiyah.”
[Question and Answer of Eman and Kufr ash-Shaikh ‘Abdul-Aziz bin ‘Abdillah Ar-Rajihee حفظه الله (question no: 8)]
أسئلة وأجوبة في الإيمان والكفر لفضيلة الشيخ : عبد العزيز بن عبد الله الراجحي حفظه الله
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Is the following statement correct or not: “The one who curses Allaah and the Messenger (sallalaahu „alaihi wasallam), this is not Kufr in itself but rather it is an indication and a sign of what is in his hidden in the heart”?
This (statement) is false, since Allaah has ruled the Munaafiqeen (Hypocrites) with Kufr (disbelief) after (them having) Emaan due to their statement: „We have not seen anyone more eager to fill their stomachs nor more lying with their tongues nor more cowardly in the battlefield than the likes of these companions of ours.‟ They meant by this the Messenger of Allaah (sallalaahu ‘alaihi wasallam) and his Companions. So Allaah revealed the ayah:
(65) وَلَئِن سَأَلْتَهُمْ لَيَقُولُنَّ إِنَّمَا كُنَّا نَخُوضُ وَنَلْعَبُ قُلْ أَبِاللّهِ وَآيَاتِهِ وَرَسُولِهِ كُنتُمْ تَسْتَهْزِؤُونَ
(66)…لاَ تَعْتَذِرُواْ قَدْ كَفَرْتُم بَعْدَ إِيمَانِكُمْ
“If you ask them (about this), they declare: “We were only talking idly and joking.” Say: “Was it at Allâh [Subhânahu wa Ta’âla], and His Ayât (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) and His Messenger [sal-Allâhu ‘alayhi wa sallam] that you were mocking?” Make no excuse; you disbelieved after you had believed.” (Surah At-Tawbah 009:065-066)
So they have disbelieved in this situation, and it was not conditioned whether they had belief of it in their heart. They were ruled with Kufr because of what they did, though they said “We were only talking idly and joking”, meaning that they did not intend what they said in their hearts. And likewise is the saying of Allaah:
(74)…يَحْلِفُونَ بِاللّهِ مَا قَالُواْ وَلَقَدْ قَالُواْ كَلِمَةَ الْكُفْرِ وَكَفَرُواْ بَعْدَ إِسْلاَمِهِمْ
“They swear by Allâh that they said nothing (bad), but really they said the word of disbelief, and they disbelieved after accepting Islâm” (Surah At-Tawbah 009:074)
They were judged with Kufr for their statement of Kufr, and they were given the news that they have disbelieved after accepting Islaam.
[Questions and Answers of Eeman and Kufr by ash-Shaikh al-‘Allammah Sālih bin Fawzān Al Fawzān حفظه الله (question no: 8)]
أسئلة وأجوبة في مسائل الإيمان والكفر لفضيلة الشيخ العلامة صالح الفوزان حفظه الله
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Again,Shaikh al-Albani رحمه الله made ijitihad and will get rewarded for striving to reach the truth. But it is not permissible for people to follow him in his incorrect views. And he forbade people being fanatical towards his opinions and he taught Ahlus-Sunnah to take the truth over the opinion of men.
I hope you can take this on board and refer back to these sources. This is not an attack upon the Shaikh رحمه الله , rather great scholars of the past made mistakes and others scholars came after them and corrected them.
May Allah bless you.
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