Was Sheikh Al-Khatib Al-Idrisi correct in weakening Ibn Abbas's saying "kufr duna kufr" (unbelief short of unbelief) and prioritizing Ibn Mas'ud's saying "that is the disbelief" regarding the issue of ruling by other than what Allah has revealed, justifying this by Ibn Abbas's saying contradicting the Quranic text and Ibn Mas'ud's saying, who had a longer companionship and was more jurisprudent?

The chains of transmission regarding the narration from Ibn Abbas concerning ruling by other than what Allah has revealed contain disagreement. The correct view is that this narration does not mean that all forms of ruling by other than what Allah has revealed constitute minor disbelief. Rather, some instances are major disbelief and some are minor, depending on the situation. An example of minor disbelief is what occurred in the era of Ibn Abbas, namely the violation of some rulings while acknowledging and submitting to Allah's judgment. Similarly, the narration from Ibn Mas'ud does not mean that whoever accepts a bribe to rule contrary to what Allah has revealed is absolutely guilty of major disbelief. Rather, if he denies Allah's ruling or deems it lawful, then it is major disbelief; otherwise, it is minor disbelief. Ibn Kathir mentioned that Ibn Mas'ud called bribery in judgment "disbelief" and recited the verse, and that Ibn Abbas said: "Whoever denies what Allah has revealed has disbelieved, and whoever acknowledges but does not rule accordingly is an oppressor and a disobedient person." The majority of scholars hold that the verse refers to the People of the Book, or to whoever denies Allah's ruling. Disbelief in this context refers to the People of the Book and those who resemble them in denial or deeming unlawful. The Khawarij generalized that everyone who rules by other than what Allah has revealed is a disbeliever, and this contradicts the consensus of the Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama'ah. Major disbelief is for whoever does not rule by what Allah has revealed concerning monotheism, or commits shirk (polytheism), or takes its practitioners as allies, or denies what the Messenger brought. As for ruling by other than what Allah has revealed in subsidiary matters, while acknowledging His judgment, this does not take one out of the fold of Islam.