Does one who transmits a statement of disbelief, while disavowing and detesting it, fall into disbelief, or does he become an infidel if he transmits a statement of disbelief as a mockery of it, while detesting it in his heart, especially since Ibn Taymiyyah says: "Whoever utters a word of disbelief with his tongue, without necessity, intending it, he becomes an infidel"?
The rule "The conveyor of disbelief is not a disbeliever" is not absolute; rather, it has details:
- If the narration is for a legitimate religious purpose, such as clarifying the corruption of disbelief or warning against it, then the narrator does not become a disbeliever. Allah Almighty has indeed narrated the statements of disbelievers in the Qur'an for denunciation and warning.
- If the narration is in a manner that approves of the statement of the one being narrated from, then the narrator becomes a disbeliever.
As for someone who utters a word of disbelief initially, not under duress, and knowing that it is a word of disbelief, he becomes a disbeliever outwardly and inwardly by consensus, whether he says it seriously or in jest. It is not permissible to utter a word of disbelief for worldly gains.
And whoever transmits a word of disbelief from another without need or motive, while knowing it is disbelief, it is feared that the ruling of a disbeliever may apply to him.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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