Section Two

A Detailed Clarification on the Issue of Judging by Other Than What Allāh Has Revealed This issue involves nine cases: six of which constitute major disbelief (kufr akbar) without any disagreement, followed by three cases concerning which some of the later scholars disagreed, although the correct view is that these fall under minor disbelief (kufr aṣghar). The First Case: Legalisation (istiḥlāl) Description: This occurs when a person rules by other than what Allāh has revealed, while believing that doing so is permissible and not prohibited. Ruling: There is unanimous agreement that this case constitutes major disbelief. The evidence for this is twofold: The First: The unanimous agreement among Ahlus-Sunnah that anyone who deems any of the prohibitions to be permissible is a disbeliever. Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allāh have mercy on him, said: «من فَعَلَ المحارم مُستحلا لها ؛ فهو كافر بالاتفاق» "Whoever commits forbidden acts while deeming them permissible is a disbeliever by unanimous agreement." [Aṣ-Ṣārim Al-Maslūl (3/971)] The Second: The unanimous agreement among Ahlus-Sunnah that anyone who deems it permissible to judge by other than what Allāh has revealed is a disbeliever. Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allāh have mercy on him, stated: «والإنسان متى حلل الحرام المجمع عليه، أو حرم الحلال المجمع عليه، أو بدل الشرع المجمع عليه: كان كافراً، مرتداً باتفاق الفقهاء، وفي مثل هذا نزل قوله تعالى -على أحد القولين- ﴿وَمَن لَّمْ يَحْكُم بِمَا أَنزَلَ اللهُ فَأُوْلَيكَ هُمُ الْكَفِرُونَ﴾ [المائدة ٤٤]، أي: هو المستحلُ للحكم بغير ما أنزل الله» "If someone legalises something that is unanimously forbidden, or forbids something that is unanimously allowed, or changes an agreed-upon law, they are considered a disbeliever and an apostate by consensus of the jurists. The Āyah 'And whoever does not judge by what Allāh has revealed—then it is those who are the disbelievers' [Al-Mā'idah 5:44] applies to such a person, according to one interpretation, meaning: the one who permits judging by other than what Allāh has revealed." [Majmū’ Al-Fatāwā (3/267)] There are six issues related to this case: