Third Point: Scholars do not declare someone who commits adultery with his father's wife as a disbeliever, even if they repeat the sin!
22 August 2024 • 1.19K views
I say: If marrying the wife of one’s father were considered disbelief merely due to the act itself, without an internal belief of istiḥlāl, then the scholars would have declared those who commit adultery with their father’s wife as disbelievers. Keep this point in mind, as it is crucial.
Fourth Point:—and this is a concession—this text is ambiguous and should be understood in light of other definitive texts; such as those which clarify that circumstantial evidence is not sufficient in determining what is in a person’s heart, as shown in the earlier ḥadīth of Usāmah, may Allāh be pleased with him (page #). Especially considering the consensus of Ahlus-Sunnah that sinners, regardless of the severity of their sins, are not disbelievers, while they also unanimously agree on the disbelief of those who do istiḥlāl of forbidden acts. Interpreting ambiguous texts in light of clear and definitive ones is the approach of Ahlus-Sunnah, as opposed to that of the people of innovation. Allāh said:
﴿هُوَ ٱلَّذِیۤ أَنزَلَ عَلَیۡكَ ٱلۡكِتَـٰبَ مِنۡهُ ءَایَـٰتࣱ مُّحۡكَمَـٰتٌ هُنَّ أُمُّ ٱلۡكِتَـٰبِ وَأُخَرُ مُتَشَـٰبِهَـٰتࣱۖ فَأَمَّا ٱلَّذِینَ فِی قُلُوبِهِمۡ زَیۡغࣱ فَیَتَّبِعُونَ مَا تَشَـٰبَهَ مِنۡهُ ٱبۡتِغَاۤءَ ٱلۡفِتۡنَةِ وَٱبۡتِغَاۤءَ تَأۡوِیلِهِۦۖ وَمَا یَعۡلَمُ تَأۡوِیلَهُۥۤ إِلَّا ٱللَّهُۗ وَٱلرَّ ٰسِخُونَ فِی ٱلۡعِلۡمِ یَقُولُونَ ءَامَنَّا بِهِۦ كُلࣱّ مِّنۡ عِندِ رَبِّنَاۗ وَمَا یَذَّكَّرُ إِلَّاۤ أُو۟لُوا۟ ٱلۡأَلۡبَـٰبِ﴾
"He is the One Who has revealed to you ˹O Prophet˺ the Book, of which some Āyāt are definitive—they are the foundation of the Book—while others are ambiguous. Those with deviant hearts follow the ambiguous Āyāt seeking ˹to spread˺ doubt through their ˹false˺ interpretations—but none grasps their ˹full˺ meaning except Allāh. As for those well-grounded in knowledge, they say, “We believe in this ˹Qur'ān˺—it is all from our Lord.” But none will be mindful ˹of this˺ except people of reason." [Sūrah Āli-’Imrān: 7]