The Seventh Case: Altering (Istibdāl)

Description: This refers to someone ruling by other than what Allāh has revealed, independent of any of the previous cases; meaning: one replaces the ruling of Allāh with that of another, without Istiḥlāl (legalising), Juḥud (rejecting), Takdhīb (denying), Tafdhīl (preferring), Musāwāh (equating), or attributing this ruling to the religion of Allāh. Ruling: This constitutes minor disbelief (i.e. it does not remove one from the fold of Islam). Evidence for this ruling is based on two points: 1. Consensus on not declaring the unjust ruler a disbeliever. Ibn ’Abdil Barr stated: «وأجمع العلماء على أن الجور في الحكم من الكبائر لمن تعمد ذلك عالماً به» "The scholars have unanimously agreed that deliberate injustice in judgment is a major sin for those who commit it knowingly." [At-Tamhīd (16/358)] The unjust ruler is the one who alters; there is no difference between the two since one becomes unjust only after altering the ruling of Allāh with another. 2. Lack of evidence indicating major disbelief: There is no evidence necessitating that this act is major disbelief, which would in turn invalidate the previous consensus and expel this Muslim from Islam, which they entered with certainty. There are six issues related to this case: