Kufr can occur with action alone

Kufr can occur with belief, speech or by action only, extracts from the book Tawassut” of Shaykh Alawi Saqqaf, introduced by Shaykh ibn Baz Shaykh

Shaykh Dr ‘Alawi Saqqaf has written a Risalah entitled “Tawassut wal Iqtisad fi Anna Kufra yakunu bi Al-Qawl aw Al-Fi’l Aw Al-I’tiqad” showing that Kufr can occur by speech, action or creed. This book has been introduced by Shaykh Ibn Baz.

Here are some quotes from this great book:

Imam Abu Thawr said : “And if he says: “The Messiah (Prophet ‘Isa (aley salam)) is Allah” and rejects the matter of Islam and says: “My heart does not believe in anything of that (what I said)” then he is Kafir by manifesting such and he is not a believer” (“Shar Usul Al-I’tiqad” of Al-Lalika’i v 4 849 Dar Taybah)

Imam Ishaq ibn Rahawayah said: “Among those upon whom they have agreed for their Takfir (excommunication) and they judged them as they judged the rejector (Jahid) is the believer who believes in Allah (Ta’ala) and in what came from Him, then he kills a Prophet or helps in his killing and even if he acknowledges and says : “killing prophets is Haram”, then he is Kafir, and the same for the one who insults a Prophet…” (“Ta’zim Qadr As-Salah” 2/930 Maktabah Ad-Daar)

Imam Ishaq also said: “Muslims agree that the one who insults Allah or insults His Messenger (saw) or removes something that Allah (‘Azza wa Jalla) has revealed or kills a Prophet among the Prophets of Allah, then he is Kafir even if he confirms all that Allah has revealed” (“Sarim Al-Maslul” of Shaykh Al-Islam ibn Taymiyah 2/15 Ramadi li Nashr)

The great Shafi’i scholar Imam An-Nawawi said: “Things breaking Islam, and it occurs sometimes by a statement that is Kufr and sometimes by an action, and actions necessitating Kufr are those who occur with intent and clear mockery of the religion such as prostration to an idol or to the sun, or throwing the Mushaf in filthy places or magic that includes worship of the sun or similar to it. The Imam said: “In some notes from my Shaykh (it is said) that action by itself (bi Mujarradihi) is not Kufr” and he said: “This is a great error from the commentator and I mention it to bring attention to his mistakes and apostasy occurs by a statement that is Kufr, whether it happened from belief or ‘Inad (stubbornness) or mockery” (“Rawdat At-Talibin” 7/283-284, Dar Al-Kutub Al-‘Ilmiyah)

Hafiz Ibn Al-Humam Al-Hanafi said: “The one who jokes with words of Kufr commits apostasy even if he does not believe in it because of Istikhfaf (belittlement), and it is as Kufr of ‘Inad (stubbornness), and the words with which Kufr occur are known in Fatawa” (“Fath Al-Qadir” 6/91 Dar Al-Kutub Al-Ilmiyah)

Allamah ibn Nujaym Al-Hanafi said: “And the conclusion is that one who utters words of Kufr by joking or playing commits Kufr according to all and there is no consideration of his belief as affirmed by Qadhi Khan in his Fatawa, and the one who speaks by mistake or under compulsion then he does not commit Kufr according to everyone, and the one who speaks (words of Kufr) knowingly and on purpose has committed Kufr according to everyone” (Al-Bahr Ar-Raiq 5/134 Dar Al-Kitab Al-‘Arabi)

Hafiz Ibn Hazm Az-Zahiri said: “As for their saying (Jahmiyah and Murjiyah) that insulting Allah (Ta’ala) is not Kufr and likewise for insulting the Messenger of Allah (saw) then it is a mere claim because Allah (Ta’ala) said: “They swear by Allah they did not say and they have indeed said words of Kufr and have done Kufr after their Islam” (Tawbah 74) So Allah (Ta’ala) clarified with a clear text that among words are some that are Kufr…

And He said : “Say : Of Allah and His signs and His Messenger were you making fun ? Do not find excuses you have indeed committed Kufr after your Iman…” (Tawbah 65-66)

So He (Ta’ala) declared with a clear text that making fun of Allah (Ta’ala) or His signs or a Messenger among His Messengers is Kufr expelling from Iman and He (Ta’ala) did not say about that: “I know that there is Kufr in their heart” rather He declared them Kufar by the mockery itself and the one who says other than that has attributed to Allah what He did not say and has lied upon Allah (Ta’ala)” (“Al-Fasl fi Al-Milal” 3/244-245 Shirkah Maktabaat Ukaz)

Hafiz Ibn Hazm also wrote on the verse “Except the one whose chest is open to Kufr” (Nahl 106):

“And the saying of Allah “Except the one whose chest is open to Kufr” is not on what they thought about belief of Kufr only, but everyone who utters words that are ruled by the people Islam with the ruling of Kufr without being a reader (of these words like one reads in the Quran sayings of Jews and Christians) or being witness or quoting them or forced (to say them) then his chest has opened to Kufr, meaning he opened his chest for accepting the Kufr forbidden to be uttered by the people of Islam and people of Kufr, and it is the same whether they believe in it or not, because this actions is from declaration of Kufr without the permissible forms in his intention (reading, quoting, being forced to, being witness) and it is opening of his heart for that (saying), so their justification with this verse has become void and Tawfeeq is from Allah (Ta’ala)” (“Al-Fasl fi Al-Milal” 3/249-250 Shirkah Maktabaat Ukaz)

Allamah Al-Pazdawi Al-Hanafi said: “Verily making fun of apostasy is Kufr not because of what he made fun of but because of making fun by itself as the one who makes fun of is serious in the matter of making fun of, he has choice and is satisfied, and making fun with words of Kufr is istikhfaf (belittlement) of the religion of truth so he becomes apostate by itself…” (Kashf Al-Asrar Sharh Usul Pazdawi 4/600 Dar Al-Kitab Al-Arabi)

Qadhi Ibn Al-‘Arabi Al-Maliki said about verse “And if you ask them, they will surely say, “We were only conversing and playing.” (At-Tawbah: 65)

“And it is not free that they said this either out of seriousness or jokingly, and whichever of these two cases, it is Kufr because joking with Kufr is Kufr, and there is no difference about this in the community” (“Ahkam Al-Quran” 2/976)

The great Maliki Mufassir Al-Qurtubi in his Tafsir mentioned the speech of Qadhi ibn Al-‘Arabi approving it.

Allamah Fakhr Ad-Din Ar-Razi Ash-Shafi’i said in his Tafsir of the verses: “And if you ask them, they will surely say, “We were only conversing and playing”. “Say : Of Allah and His signs and His Messenger were you making fun ? Do not find excuses you have indeed committed Kufr after your Iman.” (At-Tawbah- 65-66)

“Mockery of the religion, in whatever form, is Kufr in Allah…It shows the falsehood of the one who says that Kufr does not occur except in the actions of the heart” (Mafatih Al-Ghayb)

The great Hanbali jurist Allamah Ibn Qudamah Al-Maqdisi said: “The one who insults Allah (Ta’ala) becomes a Kafir whether he was joking or was serious and likewise for the one making fun of Allah (Ta’ala) or of His Ayat or of His Messengers or of His books” (“Al-Mughni” 12/298-299 Hajr li Taba’ah wa Nashr)

Allamah At-Taftazani said: “The one joking with apostasy becomes apostate by the joke itself and not with what he made fun of because of what is in it of Istikhfaf (belittlement) of religion…and there is answer in it on what is said that apostasy comes only with change of creed, and joking negates it because lack of acceptation of Hukm” (“Sharh Talwih”)

Allamah Az-Zarkashi Ash-Shafi’i said after quoting the verse “Say: Of Allah and His signs and His Messenger were you making fun ? Do not find excuses you have indeed committed Kufr after your Iman.” (At-Tawbah-66):

“The one who utters words of Kufr jokingly and he did not intend Kufr, becomes Kafir” (“Al-Manthur fi Al-Qawaid Fiqhiyah” 2/402-403 Dar Al-Kutub Al-Ilmiyah)

Allamah Al-Ameer As-San’ani said: “The jurists have affirmed in books of Fiqh in the chapter of apostasy that the one who utters words of Kufr becomes Kafir even if he did not intend its meaning” (“Tathir Al-I’tiqad” p 30 Maktabah Dar Al-Fayha, with notes of Shaykh Ismaeel Ansari)

Qadhi Ash-Shawkani said: “And these leaders come on many instances with words of Kufr and they say they are Jews, they would do this and they would do that and (they become) apostate sometimes by a statement and sometimes by an actions and they perceive it not” (“Dawa Al-‘Aajil” p 14 Dar Al-Arqam)

Allamah Ibn ‘Abidin Al-Hanafi said: “Chapter apostate : His saying (one who jokes with words of Kufr) meaning he spoke them with his choice without intending its meaning (without belief of what he was joking)…same as if he was prostrating to an idol or was throwing the Mushaf in filthy places then he becomes Kafir even if he is Musaddiq (declares Islam to be truth)” (“Rad Al-Muhtar ‘ala Dur Al-Mukhtar 6/356-358)

Shaykhul Islam Ibn Taymiyah said: “These people who adopt the saying of Jahm and Salihi, they have indeed affirmed that insulting Allah and His Messenger and uttering words of trinity and all words from words of Kufr, it is not Kufr in Batin (interior) but it is a Dalil (proof) in Zahir (externally) on the Kufr and it is possible for this person insulting to be internally cognizant of Allah, a monotheist and believer in Him, and when the proof is established against them with clear texts or Ijma’ (consensus) that this one is Kafir in Batin and Zahir (internally and externally), they say: This leads that this (insult) necessitate At-Takzib Al-Batin (interior denial) and Iman necessitate absence of this. It is said to them: with us are two known matters

First: Known with necessity of the religion.

Second: Known with necessity in our selves when reflecting.

As for the first, we know that the one who insults Allah and His Messenger freely without any compulsion, rather the one who utters words of Kufr freely without anyone forcing him, and the one who makes fun of Allah and His Ayat and His Messenger then he is Kafir in Batin and Zahir (internally and externally). And the one who says that such a person internally can be a believer in Allah and he is only Kafir externally, then he has said a view known to be false by necessity of the religion…

As for second: If the heart is believing in the truthfulness of the Messenger, and in him being the Messenger of Allah, and is loving the Messenger of Allah and respecting him, this would prevent him from cursing or insulting him, this cannot be conceived from him except with some kinds of Istikhfaf (belittlement) of him or of his honour, and it is known from this that belief only that he is truthful is not Iman except with love and respect of him by the heart” (“Majmu’” 7/557-558)

Shaykhul Islam Ibn Taymiyah also said:

“His Saying: “Anyone who, after accepting faith in Allah, utters unbelief, – except under compulsion, his heart remaining firm in faith – but such as open their breast to unbelief, on them is wrath from Allah, and theirs will be a dreadful penalty. This because they love the life of this world (Duniya) better than the Hereafter: and Allah will not guide those disbeliever people. Those are they whose hearts, ears, and eyes Allah has sealed up, and they take no heed. Without doubt, in the hereafter they will perish. They are the ones whose hearts, ears, and eyes are sealed by Allah, and it is they who are ˹truly˺ heedless. Without a doubt, they will be the losers in the Hereafter” (An-Nahl 106-109)

He (Ta’ala) indeed mentioned those who committed Kufr in Allah after their faith and he mentioned his threat in the hereafter. Then He said: “This because they love the life of this world (Duniya) better than the Hereafter” and He (Ta’ala) clarified that the threat that they deserve is because of that (preference of the Duniya over the hereafter), and it is known that the chapter of Tasdiq (declaring truthful) and Takzib (denial) and knowledge and ignorance is not the chapter of love and hate, and these people (Murjiyah) say that they only deserved the threat because of the disappearance of Tasdiq and Iman in their hearts, and if it is so then its cause can be love of the Duniya over the hereafter and Allah (Subhanahu wa Ta’ala) has made preference of the Duniya over the hereafter as the basis causing their loss. And preference of the Duniya over the hereafter can be with knowledge and Tasdiq that Kufr will harm in the hereafter and that they will not have any share in the hereafter.

And also He (Subhanahu) exempted the compelled person from being among the Kufar, and if Kufr occurred only with Takzib (denial) of the heart and its ignorance then the compelled person would not be excepted from that, because compulsion on this is impossible, so it is known that uttering Kufr is Kufr except in the case of Ikrah (compulsion).

And His saying : “but such as open their breast to Unbelief” meaning preference of Duniya over hereafter, and from this is the saying of the Prophet (saw): “The man will be believer in the morning and Kafir in the night, and he will be believer in the night and become Kafir in the morning, he sells his religion from exchange of Duniya” (Muslim), so the one who speaks without compulsion (Ikrah), he does not speak except that his chest is open for that.” (“Majmu’” 7/561-599)

Shaykul Islam Ibn Taymiyah said:

“And if it is said: “Allah said: “but such as open their breast to Unbelief” it is said: this is in accordance with its beginning because the one who does Kufr without compulsion (Ikrah) then he has opened his chest for Kufr, otherwise the beginning of the Ayah will oppose its end, and if the meaning of the one who committed Kufr is the one who opens his chest, this can be without compulsion (Ikrah), He would not have made exception of the compelled person only, but it was obligatory to make exception of the compelled person and the non-compelled person when his heart is not opened (to Kufr), and when he uttered words of Kufr freely he has then opened his chest for that and it is Kufr. And this is shown by His saying (Ta’ala):

“The Hypocrites are afraid that a Sura should be sent down about them, showing them what is (really passing) in their hearts. Say: “Mock ye! but verily Allah will bring to light all that ye fear (should be revealed).” And if you ask them, they will surely say, “We were only conversing and playing”. “Say : Of Allah and His signs and His Messenger were you making fun ? Do not find excuses you have indeed committed Kufr after your Iman.. If We pardon some of you, We will punish others amongst you, for that they are in sin.” (At-Tawbah 64-66)

So He has informed that they have committed Kufr after their Iman with their saying: “We have uttered Kufr without belief in it (Kufr), but we were joking and playing”. And He made clear that making fun of the Ayat of Allah is Kufr, and this cannot occur except for someone who opened his heart for these words, and if there was Iman in their Heart, it would have prevented them from uttering these words.” (“Majmu’” 7/220)

Shaykhul Islam Ibn Taymiyah said in “Sarim Al-Maslul”: “The one who insults Allah or insults His Messenger has become Kafir in Zahir and Batin, and it is the same whether he believed that it is Haram or he was considering it Halal for him or was neglectful of his creed (kana Zahilan ‘an I’tiqadihi), this is the Madhab of the jurists and Ahlus Sunnah saying that Iman is saying and action…Likewise it is transmitted from Ash-Shafi’i that he was asked about the one who made fun of some of the Ayat of Allah (Ta’ala) and he said: “he is Kafir” and he took evidence from Allah’s saying (Ta’ala): “Say: “Was it at Allah, and His Signs, and His Messenger, that you were mocking?” Make no excuses: ye have committed Kufr after your Iman”

And likewise was said by our companions and others: The one who insults Allah becomes Kafir whether he was joking or was serious because of this verse and it is the truth with certainty…

And it is obligatory to know that the saying that in fact the Kufr of the one insulting is only because of him considering it Halal to insult is a mistake that is rejected and a great error…”

Eman is not possible without any action

Here are clear words from Shaykh ul Islam ibn Taymiyah saying that Iman being possible with no action is the Madhab of Murjiyah in his “Majmu Fatawa” v 7 p 621

“It has become clear the religion, it is necessary to have in it actions, and it is impossible that someone can be Mumin in Allah and His Messenger in his heart, or in his heart and on his tongue, and he does not accomplish Zahir obligations, no prayer, no Zakat, nor Syam or others from obligations…So the man cannot be Mumin in Allah and His Messenger with absence of anything from obligations that Muhammad is particular for making obligatory. And the one who says of production of Iman Al-Wajib without any actions from obligations, whether he considers these obligations Lazim to it or Juzz from it, and this dispute is Lafzi (of words), then he is mistaken with a clear mistake, and this is the innovation of Irja…”

Shaykh Bakr Abu Zayd quoted in his book “Dar ul Fitnah”

“Shaykhul Islam Ibn Taymiyah (rah) said in his “Fatawa” 7/209 : Imam Ash-Shafi’i (rah) said : There was Ijma (consensus) between Sahabah and Tabi’is after them, and those who reached them and they said : Iman is speech, action and intention, and one of the three is not sufficient (la yujzi) without the other”

Here is a Risalah of Shaykh ‘Isam ibn Abdillah As-Sinani, who is a teacher of Shari’ah and Usul Din in Qassim, and his among foremost students of ibn ‘Utheymin.

This Risalah “Aqwal Zawil ‘Irfan fi annal A’mal Al Jawarih Dakhlilatun fi Musama Al Iman” has been checked and approved by Shaykh Al-Fawzan.

http://saaid.net/book/open.php?cat=1&book=171

And in this book the author quotes Ibn Taymiyah in many places clarifying the belief of Ahlus Sunnah on necessity of Jinnsul ‘Amal (category of action), as well as ibnul Qayem, Ishaq ibn Rahawaiyah, Al-‘Ajuri, ‘Ubayd ibn Qassim As-Salam, At-Tabari, ibn Battah, Hafiz Al-Hakami, Muhammad ibn Abdil Wahab, Ibn Baz, Dr Aman Jami, and many others scholars.

And Shaykh Al-Fawzan even commented on one Fatwa of his Shaykh Ibn Baz on Jinns ul ‘Amal being necessary for all Salaf.

And the author made it clear that scholars having said that actions are Shart Kamal (a condition of completion) and Tarik Jinnsul ‘Amal (the one who leaves the category of actions) is not Kafir, then they are not Murjiyah, as the one who are Sunni Salafi and if they agree with Ash’ariya on one point they are not Ash’ari…

But he clearly said that their belief is contradictory with Ahlus Sunnah and is a mistake that should not be followed. One should not say that Jinns ul A’mal is not Wajib for authenticity of Iman and that actions are Shart Kamal, condition of completion.

And the author quoted from Lajnah’s Fatwa on Ahmad Az-Zahrani that he should not follow Zalat of scholars.

As-Sinani gave in his Risalah the following quotes

Ibn Taymiyah quoted in his “Fatawa” 7/171 Sahl ibn Abdillah At-Tustari saying “When Iman is without action it is Kufr.”

Ibn Taymiyah said in his “Fatawa” 7/221 : “The Quran made it clear that Iman of heart necessitate (Yastalzimu) Zahir action according to it…and He negated Iman from those who turn away (Tawala) from obedience to Prophets.”

Ibn Taymiyah quoted Abu Talib Al-Makki about Iman in his “Fatawa” 7/333 : “The one whose belief is Iman in Ghayb and he does not act on Ahkam of Iman and Shara’i of Islam, then he is Kafir with Kufr with which Tawhid is not established…”

Ibn Taymiyah said in his “Fatawa” 7/611 : “And it is impossible that the man is believer with established Iman in his heart that Allah has obligated prayer, Zakah, Syam, Hajj, and he lives all his life not doing one Sajdah to Allah, nor any fast in Ramadan, and does not give Zakah, and does not do Hajj, this is impossible, and this can only be done with hypocrisy in heart and Zandaqah, not with Sahih Iman, this is why Allah described the Kufar with refusal to do Sajdah, as His saying “When Allah will disclose his Saq, they will be called to Sujud and they could not do it…they were called to Sujud when they were healthy”

Ibnul Qayim said in “Fawaid” : “And a Batin which does not have Zahir is not sufficient (la Yujzi) except with excuse of ‘ijz (incapacity), Ikrah (compulsion) or fear of destruction, and refraining from action Zahir with absence of Mani’ (preventing thing) is a proof of Fasad of Batin and its emptiness (Khulu) from Iman”

He also said in “Al-Fawaid” : “And all Batin reality with which his author does not stand with Sharai’ of Islam Zahirah (apparent laws of Islam), then it does not benefit him whatever they are, and his heart is deprived from love and fear, and he does not worship with order and Zahir Shar’ (apparent law), then this will not save him from fire, as if he stands with Zahir laws of Islam and there is not in Batin reality of Iman, this will not save him from fire”

Ibn Taymiyah said explaining difference between Murjiyah and Ahlus Sunnah said 7/50 : “For the Murjiyah, there is no dispute that Iman that is in the heart calls to action of obedience and leads to that, and obedience is from its fruits and consequences, but the dispute is whether it necessitates (Yastalzimu) obedience”

And Ibn Taymiyah said describing the heresy of Murjiyah “And if we suppose some people would come to the Prophet (saw) and say : we believe in what you came with in our hearts without any doubt, and we say with our tongues the two Shahadah, but we will not follow you in any of matters you order or forbade, we will not pray nor do Syam nor Hajj, we will not believe in Hadith, nor give Amanah, nor fulfill pact, nor respect kinship relations, and we will not do any action of good you ordered and we will drink wine and do Nikah with forbidden women with clear Zina, and we will kill all of your companions we do find and people of your community, and we will take their properties, or we will kill you and fight you with your enemies, does any person of intelligence think that the Prophet (saw) will say to them your are believer with full Iman and you are people of Shafa’ah on judgment day”

Al-Ajuri said in his book “Al-Arabiin Hadithan” : “ ‘Amal ul Jawarih (actions of the limbs) are Tasdiq (confirmation, attestation of truth) of Iman in heart and tongue, and one who does not do Tasdiq of his Iman with action of the limbs like Taharah, Salah, Zakah, Syam, Hajj, Jihad, and other similar things, and is satisfied for himself with Ma’rifah (knowledge) and saying without action, then he is not believer, and his Ma’rifah (knowledge) and saying will not benefit him, and his leaving actions is Takzib (denial) from him of Iman, and action on what we have mentioned is Tasdiq of his Iman, and know that it is the Madhab of scholars ancient and recent.”

Abu ‘Ubayd Qassim ibn Sallam said in his book of Iman : “Allah did not make for Iman a reality without actions on these conditions, and the one who believes that Allah with his saying only will make him a true believer, even if there is no action here, then he is opposing the Book of Allah…do you not see that Allah has tested them with Tasdiq of the saying with action, and He is not satisfied of saying without action, until he made one from the other, so which thing is followed after the Book of Allah, the Sunnah of Prophet (saw) and the Minhaj of Salaf after him that are in position of models and Imam, and the matter that is on the Sunnah, on what our scholars have stated is what we say in this book : Iman is intention, speech and action together (Jami’an)”

Al-Qayrawani said in his “Risalah” : “Chapter on which the community had Ijma from matters of creed and Sunnah, whose opposition is innovation and misguidance : …and Iman is speech of tongue, sincerity of the heart, and actions of linbs…and there is no saying without action…”

End of quotes from “Aqwal Zawil ‘Irfan”

Taken and adapted from words of Shaykh Salim Ad-Dawsari, approved by Shaykh Al-Fawzan and others.

Ali Hassan Al-Halabi said in “Sayhatu Nazir” p 27 quoted Ibn Taymiyah’s words: “And the Tahqiq is that Iman of heart Taam necessitate action Zahir according to it and it is impossible to be else. And it is impossible that there is in the heart Iman Taam without actions among action Zahir”

And Al-Halabi had put notes after words of ibn Taymiyah “Iman Taam”: “One who reflects over this condition (Qayd), a lot of difficulties will be removed for him”. So he understood from word Taam, that Ibn Taymiyah said Iman complete necessitates actions of limbs, and there cannot be any Iman of heart complete without actions, yet there can be weak Iman. While here Iman Taam means Iman correct, as explained in many other texts of ibn Taymiyah about Iman of heart.

For instance, ibn Taymiyah said in “Majmu Fatawa” v 7 p 553 :

“From this, it is known that the one who has Iman in his heart with a Jazim (established) Iman, it is impossible he does not speak the two Shahadah with Qudrah (capacity) of it, so his lack of Shahadah with Qudrah of it necessitate intifa (disappearance, removal) of Iman of heart Taam.

And from this is the mistake of Jahm and those who followed him in their claim that Iman pure without Zahir Iman will be beneficial for him in hereafter, and this is impossible because Iman Taam in heart cannot be realized except with realization in Zahir of what necessitate that according to his Qudrah, and it is impossible that someone loves someone with established love, and he has Qudrah to reach him and there is not realization of a movement towards him”

So here Ibn Taymiyah said the one who does not speak Shahadah with Qudrah on it, then it is impossible he has Iman Taam in his heart. And Iman Taam means here Iman correct and not complete, the meaning is not that Iman without speaking Shahadah is deficient, yet it exists.

So one has to gather all sayings of Ibn Taymiyah and not take one saying, and leave all his clear sayings quoted above, and all the major scholars like Shaykh Al-Fawzan, Al-Ghudayan and others.

May Allah send Salah and Salam on the Prophet (saw), his household, his companions, and those who follow them.

Complied by Ali Hassan Khan