Is saying "you are a hypocrite" to oneself and then seeking forgiveness considered an act of disbelief (kufr)?
It is not permissible to describe a Muslim as a "hypocrite" or "sinner," and whoever does so does not become an infidel, but rather is subject to disciplinary punishment. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, forbade such statements, as in the of Utban, where the Prophet disapproved of the Companion's statement about Malik: "That one is a hypocrite," explaining that Allah has forbidden the Hellfire for anyone who says "There is no god but Allah, seeking thereby the Countenance of Allah." And Allah's Almighty saying: {And do not defame yourselves nor insult one another by nicknames}, Qatadah interpreted it as a prohibition against slandering or describing a Muslim as a "sinner" or "hypocrite." If one who utters such words does not become an infidel, then it is even more fitting that one who merely thinks it without uttering it does not become an infidel.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
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- Original fatwa ID
- 118475
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- Text
- Summary from Ftawy's records, reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
- Read the full ruling
- Read the full answer on Ftawy