What is required regarding excommunication in general, and the excommunication of a specific individual to avoid embarrassment? Is it obligatory to excommunicate sects with disbelief-inducing innovations, such as the Mu'tazilah? What is the ruling on excommunicating someone whose atheism has been reported, or from whom one has heard that which casts doubt on the existence of God? What is required regarding secularists, communists, Sufis, and specific individuals among them? Is it obligatory to believe in the disbelief of one who circumambulates a grave, or says the Qur'an is created, or slanders Lady Aisha?

It is sufficient for a Muslim to believe generally in the disbelief of disbelievers and to submit generally to the ruling of the Sharia. Judging a specific individual as a disbeliever, if they are an original disbeliever, presents no difficulty. As for judging someone to be an apostate, there is no need to actively seek it out. If something necessitating apostasy becomes evident, and it is among the clear-cut issues like atheism, then this does not require establishing a proof (hujjah). Otherwise, it requires the fulfillment of the conditions for declaring someone a disbeliever and the absence of impediments (such as being an adult, sane, acting by choice, and not excused by ignorance or misinterpretation). This is specific to those deeply rooted in knowledge.

Breaching a definitive consensus (ijma' qat'i) that has become one of the necessities of religion is disbelief, and there is no dispute in declaring someone who denies a necessity of religion as a disbeliever. The criterion for declaring someone a disbeliever is that whoever rejects what is known by necessity from the religion is a disbeliever, on condition that they know it to be a rejection of what is known by necessity, and that they know it to be a necessity.

It is not permissible to declare a specific individual a disbeliever except by fulfilling two conditions: confirming that the act is an act of disbelief, and verifying that the description applies to the person (with the fulfillment of the conditions for declaring someone a disbeliever, such as knowledge and intent). This matter is extremely serious and has immense consequences.