What is the ruling on اطلاق (applying) the word "mushrik" (polytheist) to the perpetrator of shirk (polytheism) while refraining from ruling him a kafir (disbeliever) until the establishment of the hujjah (proof), and do the sayings of the imams of the Najdi Da'wah support this?
The terms "" (polytheism/associating partners with God) and "kufr" (disbelief) are equivalent in their linguistic application and rulings. Declaring someone a disbeliever (takfir) is a legal ruling that belongs to Allah and His Messenger. A specific person cannot be declared a disbeliever unless the conditions are met and the impediments are absent. A Muslim may commit an act of disbelief, but may not be declared a disbeliever due to the presence of an impediment such as coercion or ignorance.
A specific Muslim is not declared a disbeliever merely because of an act he committed, until the proof (hujjah) is established against him. Not everyone who falls into disbelief is actually deemed a disbeliever. A statement may be an act of disbelief, and its utterer may be declared a disbeliever in general terms, but the specific person who uttered it is not declared a disbeliever until the proof is established against him.
It is not permissible to apply the term "kufr" or "shirk" to a specific individual except after the conditions are met and the impediments are absent. Declaring a specific person a disbeliever means that he is, in fact, a disbeliever.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/87997
Where this answer came from
- Source platform
- Ftawy
- Original fatwa ID
- 87997
- Added here
- . This is when the answer was added to El Fatwa, not the fatwa's date.
- Text
- Summary from Ftawy's records, reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
- Read the full ruling
- Read the full answer on Ftawy