Who is the "safih" (fool/simple-minded person) in God's Law, and are they a fasiq (transgressor) or a kafir (disbeliever)?
Linguistically, "safah" (folly/imprudence) means a deficiency and lightness in intellect and recklessness. Religiously, it is extravagance in spending money on matters that have no benefit, neither legally nor rationally. It can pertain to worldly affairs, such as wasteful and extravagant financial transactions, or to matters of the Hereafter, and it includes ignorance, weakness of judgment, and poor comprehension.
It is not appropriate to apply a single specific ruling to the "safih" (fool/imprudent person), as their ruling varies according to the type and context of their folly. They might be a disbeliever, as in Allah's saying: "The fools among the people will say, 'What has turned them away from their qiblah (direction of prayer) which they used to face?'" [Al-Baqarah 2:142]. Or they might be ignorant and weak-minded, as in the Hadith: "Whoever seeks knowledge to compete with the scholars or to argue with the fools..." Or they might be a transgressor, like the "Ruwaybidhah" who speaks on public matters. It may also refer to children in the context of legal interdiction (hajr) and similar matters.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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