This treatise was authored by Sheikh Sa'eed Da’aas, a distinguished Sheikh who was murdered at the hands of the Houthis, may Allāh have mercy on him.
18 November 2024 • 1.25K views
In this treatise, the author, raḥimahullāh, addresses the critical error that led Muhammad Al-Imam to absolve the Rafidha of Kufr.
EXTRACTED:
Al-Hafidh Ibn Rajab stated [Jami' al-'Uloom wa al-Hikam (1/130)]: "As for abandoning the religion and separating from the main body, it means apostatising from the religion of Islam, even if one professes the two testimonies of faith. For instance, if a person reviles Allāh or His Messenger while acknowledging the two testimonies, their blood becomes lawful because, through such actions, they have abandoned their religion. Similarly, if someone shows disrespect to the Qur'ān by discarding it in filth or denies matters that are known by necessity in the religion, such as prayer or similar acts that expel a person from Islam."
This is the position of the people of truth from the Salaf and the scholars of Islam who maintain that Ēmān consists of speech, action, and belief. Those who deviated in this matter and strayed from the truth are the Murji’ah, who erred in understanding the reality of Ēmān and Kufr. They confined Ēmān to the heart’s affirmation alone, as claimed by Jahm and his followers. According to them, a person is not deemed a Kāfir unless the heart's affirmation (تصديق) is removed, even if they commit the gravest acts of Kufr. They stipulate that Kufr requires that one believes in that Kufr for the heart's affirmation to be nullified.
This is the view and belief of Muhammad Al-Imam, which led him into the grave error of absolving the Rafidha—those heretics who declare takfir, tafsiq, and tadhlil—on the Companions of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and the Mother of the Believers, Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her), accusing her of what Allāh Himself absolved her from, along with other blatant acts of disbelief. He conditioned their Kufr on their awareness of their own Kufr, their intent to commit Kufr, and their belief in it—phrased as "the intention to destroy Islam," "stubborn opposition to Islam," and "not thinking it to be the truth, even though this has been proven through definitive evidence."
He equated them with those to whom the message of Islam has not reached, stating: "They think this to be true based on what they perceive as definitive evidence... they are ignorant and need the proof to be established against them." By "establishing proof," he meant that they must come to realise they are upon Kufr, intend it, desire it, and affirm it in their hearts. This differs from the concept of proof that invalidates any excuse for opposition, even if the individual wrongly believes they are correct or guided. According to Muhammad Al-Imam’s view, such proof does not warrant declaring someone a Kafir.
The essence of Muhammad Al-Imam's belief is restriction of Kufr to the denial (تكذيب) of the heart and the absence of its affirmation (تصديق). This is the view of Jahm ibn Safwan and his followers among the Murji’ah, who do not recognise physical acts of Kufr, as was explained earlier. They judge those who commit the gravest acts of Kufr as still possessing Ēmān, provided they do not consciously intend, will, or believe in Kufr. This is what Muhammad Al-Imam referred to with phrases like "the intention to destroy Islam" and similar expressions, as previously mentioned.
Al-Allāmah Ibn Al-Qayyim stated in 'Miftah Dar As-Sa‘ādah' (1/94):
"The Qur'an has clarified that Kufr is of various categories:
(a) The first is Kufr stemming from ignorance, misguidance, and blindfollowing of forefathers. This is the Kufr of the majority of followers and common people.
(b) The second is Kufr arising from denial, obstinance, and intentional opposition to the truth. This type of Kufr is often found among those with intellectual authority over their communities of disbelievers, or those with political leadership, or individuals whose livelihoods and wealth depend on their communities.