Is it true that Imam Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab declared the Companion Ammar ibn Yasir — may Allah be pleased with him — an infidel, based on his interpretation of the noble verse: "Whoever disbelieves in Allah after his belief, except for him who is compelled while his heart is at peace with faith"?

Shaykh Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab held the Companions in high esteem and appreciation, rejecting any defamation against them, considering their mistakes to be matters of ijtihad (independent reasoning). The Shaykh differentiated between mere fear, which is not an excuse for disbelief (kufr), and genuine duress (ikrah), which permits uttering words of disbelief while the heart remains firm in faith, citing verses from Surah An-Nahl (106-107) and the incident of Ammar ibn Yasir. He clarified that among the causes of disbelief are preferring this world over the Hereafter, or allying with disbelievers out of fear or appeasement. He also explained that the exception for duress applies specifically to those compelled to speak or act, not to matters of creed.