BENEFIT 287: Preventatives of Takfir (موانع التكفير)

Ahlus-Sunnah wal Jamā‘ah do not declare anyone from among the people of the Qiblah to be a disbeliever unless: (1) The necessary conditions are met (توفر الشروط), and (2) The preventatives are absent (انتقاء الموانع). Sheikh Al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allāh have mercy on him, said: «لحوق الوعيد بالمعين مشروط بشروط وانتفاء الموانع» "The application of the prescribed punishment to a specific individual is contingent upon fulfilling the necessary conditions and removing the preventatives" [Majmu‘ Al-Fatawa, 12/484). Thus, the conditions for takfir are as follows: 1⃣. الوقوع في مكفر Engaging in an act of kufr: If this condition is not fulfilled, takfir is not valid. 2⃣. قيام الحجة عليه Establishing the Evidence Against the Individual: If evidence has not been established against a specific individual from the people of the Qiblah, it is not permissible to declare them a disbeliever. Sheikh Al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah raḥimahullāh states: «وأما من لم تقم عليه الحجة، مثل أن يكون حديث عهد بالإسلام، أو نشأ ببادية بعيدة لم تبلغه فيها شرائع الإسلام ونحو ذلك، أو غلط فظن أن الذين آمنوا وعملوا الصالحات يستثنون من تحريم الخمر، كما غلط في ذلك الذين استتابهم عمر، وأمثال ذلك فإنهم يستتابون، وتقام عليهم الحجة، فإن أصروا كفروا حينئذ، ولا يحكم بكفرهم قبل ذلك» "As for those upon whom evidence has not been established, such as someone who is new to Islam or has grown up in a remote land where the laws of Islam have not reached them, or someone who has erred, such as believing that the prohibition of alcohol does not apply to those who have faith and perform righteous deeds—as those who misunderstood this were brought to account by ’Umar—such individuals are to be corrected and evidence presented to them. If they persist, only then are they deemed disbelievers. Before that, they are not judged as disbelievers." [Al-Ēmān Al-Awsat, ed. Ibn Al-Jawzi, p. 552] 3⃣. انتفاء الموانع The Absence of Preventatives: an individual from the people of the Qiblah cannot be declared a disbeliever unless the preventatives of takfir are absent. ___ These preventatives are as follows: 1⃣. الجهل Ignorance is unanimously considered a preventative of declaring a specific individual as a disbeliever. 2⃣. التأويل Misinterpretation is also unanimously recognised as a preventative of takfir. Abu Muhammad Ibn Hazm, may Allāh have mercy on him, stated: «ولا يسع أحدا خلاف الحق أصلا لكن من خالفه جاهلا متأولا فهو مخطىء معذور مأجور أجرا واحدا كما ذكرنا آنفا وفرض على كل من بلغه الحق أن يرجع إليه فإن عانده بقلبه أو بلسانه عالما بالحق فهو كافر» "No one is permitted to deviate from the truth in any circumstance. However, if someone opposes the truth out of ignorance or misinterpretation, they are mistaken but excused and rewarded with a single reward, as we have mentioned earlier. It is an obligation upon anyone to whom the truth is conveyed to accept it. If they reject it knowingly, whether in their heart or with their tongue, they are a disbeliever." [Al-Iḥkām fī Uṣūl Al-Aḥkām, 4/155)] Sheikh Al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allāh have mercy on him, said: «وَكَذَلِكَ مَنْ كَانَ مُتَأَوّلًا فِي مُحَارَبَتِهِ مُجْتَهِدًا لَمْ يَكُنْ كَافِرًا، كَقَتْلِ أُسَامَةَ بْنِ زَيْدٍ لِذَلِكَ الْمُسْلِم مُتَأَوِّلًا لَمْ يَكُنْ بِهِ كَافِرًا. وَإِنْ كَانَ اسْتِحْلَالُ قَتْلِ الْمُسْلِمِ الْمَعْصُومِ كُفْرًا، وَكَذَلِكَ تَكْفِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِ كُفْرُ، كَمَا قَالَ النَّبِيُّ: ((إِذَا قَالَ الرَّجُلُ لِأَخِيهِ: يَا كَافِرُ، فَقَدْ بَاءَ بِهَا أَحَدُهُمَا)) وَمَعَ هَذَا إِذَا قَالَهَا مُتَأَوّلًا لَمْ يَكْفُرْ، كَمَا قَالَ عُمَرُ بْنُ الْخَطَّابِ لِحَاطِبِ بْنِ أَبِي بَلْتَعَةَ» "Similarly, anyone who engages in combat due to misinterpretation and acts based on ijtihad is not considered a disbeliever. For instance, when Usāmah ibn Zayd killed a Muslim under a misinterpretation, he was not declared a disbeliever, even though seeming it permissible to kill an innocent Muslim is an act of Kufr.