Tag: Q n A

Praise be to Allah.Evidence for the validity of Islam
The evidence for the validity of Islam and the truthfulness of the Prophethood of the Prophet Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) is abundant and can hardly be enumerated. This evidence is sufficient to convince any wise and fair-minded person who is impartially and sincerely seeking the truth. We can sum up some of this proof as follows. 
The evidence of sound human nature
The call of Islam is in accordance with sound human nature, as is indicated by the words of Allah, may He be glorified and exalted (interpretation of the meaning):
“So set you (O Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)) turn your face towards the religion of pure Islamic Monotheism Hanifa (worship none but Allah Alone) Allah’s Fitrah (i.e. Allah’s Islamic Monotheism), with which He has created mankind. No change let there be in Khalqillah (i.e. the Religion of Allah Islamic Monotheism), that is the straight religion, but most of men know not” [ar-Rum 30:30]. 
And the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “There is no child who is not born in a state of fitrah, then his parents make him a Jew or a Christian or a Magian, just as animals bring forth animals with their limbs intact, do you see any deformed one among them?” Narrated by al-Bukhari (1358) and Muslim (2658). 
The words “animals bring forth animals with their limbs intact” mean: just as an animal is born with its limbs intact and free of defects; anything that happens to it of cuts to its ears and so on happens after it is born. 
Similarly, every human is born with an inherent inclination towards Islam, and any deviation from Islam is undoubtedly a departure from sound human nature. Therefore, we never find anything in the teachings of Islam that is contrary to sound human nature. Rather all of its teachings on beliefs and practical matters are in accordance with sound human nature. As for religions and ideologies other than Islam, they include things that are contrary to sound human nature. This is something that is quite clear and apparent to anyone who reflects and ponders. 
Rational evidence
There are many Islamic texts that address reason and direct people to examine the rational proof and evidence, and call upon people of sound reasoning and mature thinking to examine the definitive evidence for the soundness of Islam. 
Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
“(This is) a Book (the Quran) which We have sent down to you, full of blessings that they may ponder over its Verses, and that men of understanding may remember” [Saad 38:29]. 
Al-Qadi ‘Iyad said concerning the miraculous aspects of the Quran:
“In it you will see that there is an explanation of a set of divine laws; it mentions the way of proof based on reason, presents arguments against the misguided followers of different religions and sects, and argues against them on the basis of strong and clear proof, using very easy and concise language. Those who pretend to be clever tried to come up with proof and evidence like that, but they were not able to do so.” (Ash-Shifa (1/390) 
The texts of the revelation do not contain anything that is impossible according to rational thinking or that would be rejected by reason, and the texts never presented an argument that contradicts reason or contradicts any analogy based on rational thinking. Rather the proponents of falsehood never presented any analogy to support their falsehood but the Quran refuted it on the basis of truth and an argument that is based on clear reason. 
Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And no example or similitude do they bring (to oppose or to find fault in you or in this Quran), but We reveal to you the truth (against that similitude or example), and the better explanation thereof” [al-Furqan 25:33].                            
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
“Here Allah, may He be glorified, tells us that the disbelievers do not produce any rational argument to support their falsehood but He refutes it on the basis of truth, and presents arguments and evidence and examples that offer a better explanation thereof, are more convincing and give a clearer explanation of the truth than their argument and analogy.” (Majmoo‘ al-Fataawa (4/106) 
One of the examples of rational evidence in the Quran is the verse in which Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Do they not then consider the Quran carefully? Had it been from other than Allah, they would surely have found therein much contradiction” [an-Nisa 4:82]. 
In Tafsir al-Qurtubi it says:
“There is no one who speaks a great deal but you will find a lot of contradictions in his words, either in the presentation and wording, or in the meaning, or you will find discrepancies, or there will be untruths. Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, sent down the Quran and instructed them to reflect on it, because they will not find in it any discrepancies in the presentation of ideas, or any flaws in what it promotes, or any contradiction, or any lies in what they are told of matters of the unseen and what they conceal.” (Al-Jami‘ li Ahkam al-Quran (5/290) 
Ibn Kathir said:
“That is, if it were fabricated and made up, as the ignorant polytheists and hypocrites said to themselves, “they would surely have found therein much contradiction” that is, many flaws and discrepancies. In other words, this Book is free of discrepancies and contradictions, therefore it is from Allah.” (Tafsir al-Quran al-‘Azim (1/802) 
Miracles and signs of Prophethood
Allah, may He be exalted, supported His noble Prophet Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) with numerous miracles and tangible signs that pointed to the truthfulness of his Prophethood and the soundness of his message, such as the splitting of the moon for him, the glorification of Allah by food and pebbles in front of him, the springing forth of water from between his fingers, the increasing of food, and other miracles and signs that were seen and witnessed by huge numbers of people, and have been transmitted to us via sahih isnads (sound chains of narration) that reach the level of tawatur. This gives rise to certainty. 
An example of that is that which is narrated in a sahih report from ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud, that he said: We were with the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) on a journey and our supply of water ran low. He said: “Bring me a little leftover water.” So they brought a vessel in which there was a little water. He put his hand in the vessel, then said: “Come to a blessed, purifying water; and the blessing is from Allah.” And I saw the water springing from between the fingers of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). And we used to hear the food glorifying Allah as it was being eaten. (Narrated by al-Bukhari (3579) 
Prophecies
What is meant by prophecies here is what the revelation foretold of matters and events that would happen in the future, whether that was during the lifetime of the Prophet Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) or after his death. 
The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) never foretold anything that would happen in the future, but it would happen exactly as he foretold. This indicates that Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, had revealed and disclosed to him some matters of unseen knowledge that could not be attained except by means of revelation. 
One example of that is the report narrated by Abu Hurayrah, that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “The Hour will not begin until a fire emerges in the land of the Hijaz which will illuminate the necks of the camels in Busra.” (Narrated by al-Bukhari (7118) and Muslim (2902)
And it happened exactly as the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) had foretold, in 654 AH – approximately 644 years after his death. This was mentioned by historians, including al-‘Allamah Abu Shamah al-Maqdisi, in his book Dhayl ar-Rawdatayn. He was one of the scholars who lived at the time of this historical incident. 
It was also mentioned by al-Hafiz Ibn Kathir in al-Bidayah wa’an-Nihayah (13/219), where he said: Then the year 654 AH began, in which there appeared fire in the land of the Hijaz by which the necks of the camels in Busra were illuminated, as it says in the agreed-upon hadith. Shaykh al-‘Allamah al-Hafiz Shihab ad-Din Abu Shamah al-Maqdisi spoke at length about that in his adh-Dhayl wa Sharhuhu, based on many letters that came to Damascus from the Hijaz, describing that fire that had been witnessed and seen, and how it emerged, and the story thereof. 
To sum up what Abu Shamah said:
Letters came to Damascus from the Prophet’s City – may the best of blessings and peace be upon its inhabitant – speaking of the emergence of a fire in their land on 5
th Jumada al-Akhirah this year. The letters were written on 5th Rajab, when the fire was still burning, and they reached us on 10th Sha‘ban. Then he said: In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. At the beginning of Sha‘ban 654 AH, letters came to the city of Damascus from the city of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) describing a significant event that occurred there, in which there was confirmation of the hadith of Abu Hurayrah in as-Sahihayn, who said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “The Hour will not begin until a fire emerges in the land of the Hijaz which will illuminate the necks of the camels in Busra.” Someone whom I trust from among those who saw it told me that he heard that in Tayma letters had been written by its light. 
He said: We were in our houses during those nights, and in the house of each one of us it was as if there was a lamp, but it had no heat and did not burn, despite its greatness; rather it was one of the signs of Allah, may He be glorified and exalted.”
Qualities and attributes of Prophet Muhammad
One of the greatest proofs of the truthfulness of the Prophethood of the Messenger Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) is his own character and the noble attributes and great manners with which he was blessed, for the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) reached a level of human perfection in terms of good characteristics and attitudes that could only be attained by a Prophet who was sent from Allah. 
There is no praiseworthy characteristic but he promoted it, enjoined it, encouraged it and acted in accordance with it; and there is no blameworthy characteristic but he forbade it, warned against it and was the furthest removed of all people from it. 
His concern for good manners and attitudes reached such an extent that he gave as the reason for his mission the promotion of good attitudes and manners and striving against bad manners and attitudes. In the hadith from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), it tells us that he said: “I have only been sent to perfect good manners and attitudes.”  (Narrated by Ahmad (8739). Al-Haythami said in al-Majma‘: It was narrated by Ahmad and its men are the men of as-Sahih. 
Al-‘Ajlouni classed its isnad as sahih in Kashf al-Khafa. It was also classed as sahih by al-Albani in Sahih al-Jami‘ (2349) 
Miracles are indicative of the truthfulness of the Messenger. He told the people that he had been sent by Allah, may He be exalted, and some of them challenged him to prove that. So Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, supported him with miracles, which are extraordinary events. And he was also granted miracles without anybody challenging him or claiming that he was lying, which served to increase his followers in steadfastness. 
The essence of the call of Prophet Muhammad
The basis of the call of the noble Prophet Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) may be summed up as the aim to build sound beliefs on a sound textual and rational foundation. It is a call to believe in Allah and affirm His oneness in terms of His divinity and lordship. None is deserving of worship except one God, namely Allah, may He be glorified, for He is the Lord, Creator and Sovereign of this universe, Who controls it and disposes of its affairs; He governs it by His command, and is the One Who possesses the power to cause harm or bring benefit, and Who controls the provision of all creatures – and no one has any share of that with Him. Nothing is equal or like unto Him, so He, may He be glorified, is far above having any partners, rivals, peers or equals. 
Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Say (O Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)): ‘He is Allah, (the) One. ‘Allah-us-Samad (The Self-Sufficient Master, Whom all creatures need, He neither eats nor drinks). ‘He begets not, nor was He begotten; ‘And there is none co-equal or comparable unto Him’” [al-Ikhlas 112:1-4]
“Say (O Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)): ‘I am only a man like you. It has been inspired to me that your Ilah (God) is One Ilah (God i.e. Allah). So whoever hopes for the Meeting with his Lord, let him work righteousness and associate none as a partner in the worship of his Lord ” [al-Kahf 18:110]. 
The call of the noble Prophet Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was a call to destroy shirk of all kinds and to rid the two races (of mankind and the jinn) of everything that was worshipped on a basis of falsehood. So there is to be no worship of rocks, stars and graves, or of wealth, whims and desires, or the tyrannical rulers of the earth. 
Rather it is a call that came to liberate humanity from the worship of other people and to bring them forth from the humiliation of idolatry and the oppression of tyrants, and to free them from the captivity of whims and desires. 
This blessed call is regarded as a continuation and affirmation of the previous divinely revealed messages that called to belief in the oneness of Allah. Therefore Islam called people to believe in all the messengers and prophets, and to respect them and venerate them, and to believe in the Books that were revealed to them. A call such as this is undoubtedly true. 
Foretelling of Islam
The Books of the prophets foretold the coming of Islam and the Prophet Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). The Noble Quran tells us of the clear foretelling of the Prophet Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) in the Torah and Gospel, including cases where his name and description are clearly mentioned.
Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Those who follow the Messenger, the Prophet who can neither read nor write (i.e. Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)) whom they find written with them in the Taurat (Torah) (Deut, xviii, 15) and the Injeel (Gospel) (John xiv, 16), – he commands them for Al-Ma’ruf (i.e. Islamic Monotheism and all that Islam has ordained); and forbids them from Al-Munkar (i.e. disbelief, polytheism of all kinds, and all that Islam has forbidden); he allows them as lawful At-Tayyibat ((i.e. all good and lawful) as regards things, deeds, beliefs, persons, foods, etc.), and prohibits them as unlawful Al-Khabaith (i.e. all evil and unlawful as regards things, deeds, beliefs, persons, foods, etc.), he releases them from their heavy burdens (of Allah’s Covenant), and from the fetters (bindings) that were upon them” [al-A‘raf 7:157]
“And (remember) when ‘Isa (Jesus), son of Maryam (Mary), said: O Children of Israel! I am the Messenger of Allah unto you confirming the Taurat ((Torah) which came) before me, and giving glad tidings of a Messenger to come after me, whose name shall be Ahmad” [as-Saff 61:6]. 
In the books of the Jews and the Christians – the Torah and the Gospel – there are still glad tidings that foretell his coming and his message, and describe some of his characteristics, despite the continual attempts to erase and distort these glad tidings. An example of that is what is mentioned in the Book of Deuteronomy, 33:2:
“The Lord came from Sinai and dawned over them from Seir; he shone forth from Mount Paran… ” [New International Version] 
It says in Mu‘jam al-Buldan (3/301):
“Paran is a Hebrew word that is Arabized as Faran. It is one of the names of Makkah that is mentioned in the Torah, and it was said that it is a name for the mountains of Makkah. 
Ibn Makula Abu Bakr Nasr ibn al-Qasim ibn Quda‘ah al-Quda‘i al-Farani al-Iskandarani said: I heard that this refers to the mountains of Paran, which are the mountains of the Hijaz. 
And in the Torah it says: Allah came from Sinai and dawned from Seir and shone forth from Paran. 
His coming from Sinai refers to His speaking to Musa (peace be upon him). His dawning from Seir – which refers to the mountains of Palestine – refers to His sending down the Gospel to ‘Isa (peace be upon him). And His shining forth from the mountains of Paran refers to His sending down the Quran to Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).”
The Noble Quran as a proof of the validity of Islam
This is the greatest of miracles and signs, and the clearest of proof. It is the ultimate proof of Allah against His creation on the Day of Resurrection. It is miraculous from several angles, such as rhetorical, scientific, and legislative, and in the way in which it spoke of future events and unseen matters. 
Commentary on at-Tur 52:34
 With regard to what is meant by the verse (interpretation of the meaning), “Let them then produce a recital like unto it (the Quran) if they are truthful” [at-Tur 52:34], it is a response to those who claimed that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was making up the Quran by himself. 
Therefore the Quran challenged them to produce something like it, if they were telling the truth in their claim, because the implication of these claims was that this was something within the capability of human beings. If that was true, then what was preventing them from producing something like it, when they were masters of eloquence and rhetoric? 
Allah challenged the disbelievers to produce something like it, but they were unable to do that, as the Quran tells us (interpretation of the meaning):
“Say: ‘If mankind and the jinns were together to produce the like of this Quran, they could not produce the like thereof, even if they helped one another’” [al-Isra 17:88]. 
And He challenged them to produce ten surahs like it, but they were unable to do that:
“Or, they say, ‘He has forged it.’ Say, ‘Then bring ten chapters similarly forged and call for aid from whom you can besides Allah, if what you say is the truth’” [Hud 11:13]. 
And He challenged them to produce a single surah like it, but they were unable to do that:
“And if you (Arab pagans, Jews, and Christians) are in doubt concerning that which We have sent down (i.e. the Quran) to Our slave (Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)), then produce a Surah (chapter) of the like thereof and call your witnesses (supporters and helpers) besides Allah, if you are truthful” [al-Baqarah 2:23]. 
With regard to the nature of the miracle with which the Quran challenged them , the scholars differed concerning that. There are several views, the most likely of which to be correct is what al-Alusi said: 
“The Quran as a whole, and parts of it, even the shortest surah of it, is a miracle in terms of its composition and eloquence, and its speaking of the unseen, and its harmony with reason and its precise meanings. All these aspects may appear in one verse, or some of them may not be present, such as telling of the unseen. There is no harm in that and no flaw, because what is there is sufficient.” (Ruh al-Ma‘ani (1/29) 
All the proofs mentioned above in general terms may be discussed in much more detail, but we do not have room to do so here. It is more appropriate to read about that in specialised books. Every Muslim is advised to seek knowledge of the Quran and Sunnah, and to study the books of correct ‘aqidah, and to learn about his religion so that he can be a good Muslim and worship his Lord with understanding.
And Allah knows best.

Praise be to Allah.
Firstly: 

Ibn Rushd is a name that was shared between Ibn Rushd the
grandson (known to the West as Averroes) and Ibn Rushd the grandfather. Both
of them had the kunyah Abu’l-Waleed, and both of them had the name Muhammad
ibn Ahmad. Both were appointed as qaadi (judge) of Cordoba. 

The one referred to in the question is Ibn Rushd the grandson
(Averroes), who died in 595 AH. He is famous for his focus on philosophy and
writing books in that field. As for Ibn Rushd the grandfather, he did not
get involved in philosophy; he died in 520 AH.

Al-Abbaar said: 

He attained a level of perfection, knowledge and virtue that
was unsurpassed in Andalusia. He was a modest and humble man, of whom it was
said that he was never distracted from researching and studying academic
issues since he reached the age of discernment, except on two nights: the
night his father died and his wedding night. In terms of books and other
writings he filled almost ten thousand pages. He had a strong inclination
towards philosophy, and became a leading figure in that field. People would
turn to him to ask him his verdict on medical issues as much as they would
ask him about matters of fiqh. He also had a deep knowledge of the Arabic
language, and it was said that he had memorised the diwaans (collected
poems) of Abu Tammaam and al-Mutanabbi. 

Among the most famous of his works were the following:
Bidaayat al-Mujtahid, on fiqh; al-Kulliyaat (Generalities) on
medicine; Mukhtasar al-Mustasfa on usool; and many other works on
philosophy, in which he summarised the thoughts of the Greek philosophers.
So he wrote Jawaami‘ Kutub Aristotalis;  a summary of al-Ilaahiyyaat
by Nicolaus of Damascus, a Greek philosopher; and a summary of Aristotle’s
Metaphysics) b Aristotle. He also summarised many other books, of
which there are too many to list here, to the point that he was known as the
one who propagated and carried the banner of Aristotelian thought. That
ultimately led to him becoming isolated, and he was shunned by the people of
his era because of the strange views that he expressed and the weird, alien
knowledge that he propagated. 

Shaykh ash-Shuyookh Ibn Hamawiyyah said: 

When I entered the city, I asked about Ibn Rushd and I was
told that he was under house arrest on the orders of the caliph Ya‘qoob, and
no one was allowed to visit him, because of the many strange views that were
narrated from him, and the many shunned branches of knowledge that were
attributed to him. He died under house arrest in Marrakesh. 

You can see his biography in Siyar A‘laam an-Nubala’
(21/307-310) 

Secondly: 

There has been a lengthy debate on the real nature of the
beliefs of Ibn Rushd, and many books have been written both supporting him
and opposing him. There has been a great deal of confusion as to his real
beliefs and views. 

Because here we do not have the time or space for a detailed
discussion of the beliefs of Ibn Rushd, it will suffice to point out some of
the flawed ideas in his books that are subject to controversy. 

1.
Interpretation of Islamic teachings so as to be in
harmony with Aristotelian philosophy

Perhaps looking at the brief biography of Ibn Rushd referred
to above will be sufficient to highlight this inclination in the thought of
Ibn Rushd. He was infatuated with the thought of Aristotle to the extent
that Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said of him:
He is one of the most adherent of people to the views of Aristotle. End
quote from Bayaan Talbees al-Jahamiyyah (1/120). Ibn Rushd tried hard
to explain Aristotelian thought and present it to the people in a new Arabic
style. Whilst doing that, when he saw a contradiction between Aristotelian
thought and the fundamentals of Islam, he would try to find a far-fetched
interpretation that could lead to undermining and destroying Islam. It was
as if Aristotelian philosophy was the counterpart of the teachings of Islam
which came from the Lord of the Worlds and are embodied in the texts of the
Qur’an and Sunnah. It was on this basis that he wrote his famous book
Fasl al-Maqaal fi Taqreer ma bayna ash-Sharee‘ah wa’l-Hikmah min al-Ittisaal
(The Decisive Treatise, Determining the Nature of the Connection between
Religion and Philosophy). 

2.
His belief that Islamic teachings have both exoteric
(apparent) and esoteric (hidden) meanings

Ibn Rushd said: 

Islamic teachings are of two categories: exoteric (apparent)
and esoteric (hidden). The exoteric or apparent meanings are for the masses
to adhere to and follow, and the esoteric or hidden meanings are for the
scholars. As for the masses, what they must do is understand Islamic
teachings according to the apparent meaning, and refrain from interpreting
them in any manner other than the apparent meaning. It is not permissible
for the scholars to explain them to the masses in any way other than in
accordance with the apparent meaning. As ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with
him) said: Tell the people what they can understand; do you want the words
of Allah and His Messenger to be rejected? End quote. 

Al-Kashf ‘an Manaahij al-Adillah
(p. 99); published by Markaz Diraasaat al-Wahdah al-‘Arabiyyah 

Ibn Rushd discussed this esoteric idea at length in his
books, to the extent that he regarded it as one of the main characteristics
of the saved group of the ummah of Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be
upon him) who adhere to the exoteric aspects of the teachings of Islam, and
they do not disclose their esoteric meanings to the people. End quote. 

Al-Kashf ‘an Manaahij al-Adillah
(p. 150) 

Hence Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on
him) wrote at length refuting the views of Ibn Rushd in this book and
explaining that esoteric interpretation of Islamic texts is flawed. These
discussions appear in his two significant books, Bayaan Talbees al-Jahamiyyah
and Dar’u Ta‘aarud al-‘Aql wa’n-Naql.

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him)
said:

When Ibn Sina (Avicenna) and his ilk realised that the words
of the Messenger cannot be interpreted in this philosophical manner – rather
they became certain that the meaning that he intended was what the people
understood – they tried to explain that by saying: He was addressing the
masses in a manner that they could understand, even though he knew that the
truth with regard to that particular issue was not as the people understood
it. Hence what these people were effectively saying was that the Messengers
lied in order to serve a purpose. This is the way of Ibn Rushd (Averroes)
and others who follow esoteric interpretations (baatiniyyah). End quote. 

Majmoo‘ al-Fataawa
(19/157) 

3.
Favouring philosophical views regarding the resurrection
and requital

With regard to the issue of resurrection and requital, he
favoured the view of the philosophers that the resurrection would be of
souls only. In fact in this regard he fell into misguidance that was more
grievous than simply believing in the philosophical view that the
resurrection would be of souls only, as he regarded this issue as being one
that is subject to ijtihaad, and said that what is required of anyone who
examines the matter is to believe in the conclusion that he reaches. He
said: 

The truth concerning this issue is that what every individual
must do is believe the conclusion to which his research leads him. End
quote. 

Al-Kashf ‘an Manaahij al-Adillah
(p. 204) 

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him)
said:

The followers of philosophy are further removed from the path
of Islam than ahl al-kalaam: 

Among them are some who think that this is part of the
religion of Islam. 

And among them are some who have more knowledge of religious
texts than others, so they started to reject the views of ahl al-kalaam
unless they are supported by a text. Whenever there was a text to support
their views, they would deal with that text in one of two ways: either they
would accept it completely, if it was in accordance with their understanding
and thoughts, or they would deal with it like all other similar cases, and
say that the Messengers spoke of that by way of comparison in order to help
the people understand (and it is not to be taken literally), because there
was no other way to explain it and therefore they needed to put it in these
words. Ibn Rushd and others like him followed this method, therefore they
are closer to Islamic teachings than Ibn Sina and his ilk. In terms of
practical issues, they were closer to the limits of Islam than those who
neglected Islamic duties and regarded as permissible that which Islam
forbids. However both groups are somewhat deviant, commensurate with the
extent to which they went against the Qur’an and Sunnah, and they are
correct and sound in as much as they are in harmony with them. 

Hence with regard to the issue of the universe being created
(and not having existed from eternity) and the resurrection of bodies, Ibn
Rushd took a neutral stance and stated that both views were valid, although
he was more inclined in his heart to his predecessor (Aristotle). He
responded to the comments of al-Ghazaali in Tahaafut at-Tahaafut, but
many of his arguments are incorrect and al-Ghazaali was in the right. He
attributed some of his arguments to Ibn Sina and not to his predecessor
(Aristotle), and he attributed any mistakes to Ibn Sina. In some of his
arguments he spoke ill of al-Ghazaali and accused him of being unfair,
because he based his views on flawed kalaami arguments, such as the idea
that God does not have to have a reason or wisdom behind what He does, and
that the One Who is all powerful and able to choose may decide to choose one
thing over another for no reason. And some of his arguments were very
confused and unclear. End quote. 

Minhaaj as-Sunnah
(1/255) 

4.
Failure to pay attention to the Sunnah as a source of
legislation

One of the main characteristics of the methodology of Ibn
Rushd in his books, which at the same time was one of the main reasons for
his errors, was his failure to pay attention to the Prophetic Sunnah as a
source of legislation. 

Dr Khaalid Kabeer ‘Allaal (may Allah preserve him) said: 

Ibn Rushd did not pay due attention to the Prophetic Sunnah
and its status as a main source of Islamic legislation after the Holy
Qur’an, and he did not quote it widely in his books of kalaam and
philosophy. Therefore he missed out on many hadiths that are directly
connected to many of the academic topics that he discussed. Moreover, in
many cases he did not correctly understand many of the hadiths that he did
quote in his books, and he subjected them to misinterpretation in order to
support his views and his Aristotelian ideas. End quote. 

Naqd Fikr al-Faylasoof Ibn Rushd
(p. 97) 

This is a brief overview that highlights some of the
scholarly criticism of the beliefs of Ibn Rushd (Averroes). This criticism
may be summed up by noting that he overlooked many of the Islamic guidelines
that were clearly laid out by the Lawgiver, and he promoted the method of
interpreting the texts in a manner other than their apparent meaning and
subjecting some clear texts to ijtihaad, on the basis of some weird, alien
ideas that had come from ancient civilisations that have perished.

Because of that, he is celebrated by many of those who are
part of the liberal secular trends today, to the point that they think of
the philosopher Ibn Rushd as a pioneer of enlightenment, even though they
know that much of the knowledge in his books is regarded as extinct and
wrong by modern standards of knowledge. But their aim is to glorify all
liberal thoughts and ideas that are not in harmony with the fundamentals of
Islam and are contrary to the facts mentioned in Islamic texts, and they
resort to interpreting these texts in a very weird manner, whilst at the
same time presenting themselves as people of religious commitment and
Islamic knowledge and understanding. In Ibn Rushd they see what they are
looking for, and they regard his books as pioneering works. We think that in
his books you will find promotion of adherence to Islam and referring to it,
which we do not find in the books of these modern thinkers. He adhered to
the practical side of Islamic teachings and venerated those teachings in the
fields of fiqh, judicial rulings and issuing fatwas, that would not be
pleasing to these modern thinkers, and they would not even match up to one
tenth of his level of knowledge. “May
Allah destroy them, how they are deluded away from the truth!”[at-Tawbah
9:30]. 

And Allah knows best.

Praise be to Allah.The most that can be said about telomeres, if it is true and proven scientifically, is that they work to renew nerve cells and prevent the cells aging; they reduce the speed of telomere loss, and thus increase the rate of cell renewal even in old age.
Even if this is proven scientifically, it means that youthfulness is preserved and aging is avoided.
But that has nothing to do with preventing death, because death happens to young and old, strong and weak; it is something that Allah has decreed for all humans and jinn.
Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And We did not grant to any man before you eternity [on earth]; so if you die – would they be eternal?
Every soul will taste death. And We test you with evil and with good as trial; and to Us you will be returned”
[al-Anbiyaa’ 21:34-35]
“Indeed, you are to die, and indeed, they are to die”
[az-Zumar 39:30].
Al-Bukhaari (7383) and Muslim (2717) narrated from Ibn ‘Abbaas that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to say: “…I seek refuge in Your glory – there is no god but You Who will never die, but jinn and men die.”
No matter what strength, youthfulness or good health a person attains, he has an appointed time that Allah, may He be exalted, has decreed for him, and he will inevitably taste death, then he will be resurrected for the reckoning and requital.
Among the polytheists there are those who deny the resurrection and the requital, but there is no one who denies death, for it is the reality that is seen by all, and no one can ward it off.
Renewing cells, or preventing them from advancing in age, will be of no avail to the human being when the time of his death comes. You see the sturdiest of people, the best in health, the most youthful of them, dying when Allah wills it, and no one can ward off death from him.
“Then why, when the soul at death reaches the throat,
And you are at that time looking on –
And Our angels are nearer to him than you, but you do not see –
Then why do you not, if you are not to be recompensed,
Bring it back, if you should be truthful?”
[al-Waaqi‘ah 56:83-87].
Glory be to the One Who subjects His slaves to death, whilst He alone remains for eternity.
“And He is the subjugator over His servants, and He sends over you guardian-angels until, when death comes to one of you, Our messengers take him, and they do not fail [in their duties].
Then they His servants are returned to Allah, their true Lord. Unquestionably, His is the judgement, and He is the swiftest in calling to account”
[al-An‘aam 6:61-62].
We do not know of anyone who has claimed to discover a medicine or a means of preventing death. No one will ever be able to do that, even if he seeks the help of all the people on earth, for the One Who created man created death, and has decreed people’s lifespans, and He ordained that in a Book with Him fifty thousand years before He created the heavens and the earth. None can put back His decree or overturn His decision.
So forget about dubious matters; focus on yourself and prepare to meet Allah, may He be exalted, for the appointed time decreed by Allah is surely coming.
And Allah knows best.

Praise be to Allah.With regard to the ignorant person who does acts of kufr or shirk, one of the following two scenarios must apply: 
-1-
The first scenario is: he is not Muslim, whether he follows another religion or does not have a religion. 
If that is the case, then such a person is a disbeliever, whether he knows what he is doing or is ignorant, or he is basing his disbelief on some misinterpretation. He is not subject to the same rulings as a Muslim in this world, and he is subject to the rulings on disbelievers, because he has not entered Islam in the first place, so how can we deem him to be Muslim when he has never claimed to be Muslim? 
With regard to the hereafter, if he was truly ignorant, and the call of Islam never reached him at all, or it reached him in a distorted manner in such a way that proof is not established against one like him, then with regard to his fate on the Day of Resurrection, there was a lengthy debate among the scholars. 
The most correct scholarly view concerning him is that he will be tested on the Day of Resurrection. Then whoever obeys Allah will enter Paradise, and whoever disobeys Him will enter Hell. 
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
There are numerous reports which state that in the case of a person whom with the message did not reach in this world, a messenger will be sent to him on the Day of Resurrection.
End quote from Majmoo‘ al-Fataawa (17/308) 
This has been discussed previously in the answers to questions no. 1244 and 215066 
-2-
The second scenario is: he claims to be a Muslim and fulfils the conditions of being described as such, and he openly declares his complete belief in Islam and his belief in the Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). 
In the case of such a person, if he does a deed that makes him a disbeliever out of ignorance, he is not to be deemed a disbeliever because of that, and the description of being Muslim is not to be taken away from him, unless proof that he is wrong is established and is explained to him. 
Shaykh ‘Abd ar-Rahmaan as-Sa‘di said:
With regard to anyone who believes in Allah and His Messenger and remains steadfast in obeying them, but denies some of that which the Messenger brought, out of ignorance or lack of knowledge that the Messenger brought it – even though that constitutes disbelief and the one who does it is a disbeliever – the fact that he was ignorant of what the Messenger brought makes it disallowed to deem that particular person a disbeliever, regardless of whether the matter has to do with a fundamental or minor issue, because disbelief means rejecting what the Messenger brought, or rejecting some of it, knowingly. 
Thus you may know the difference between the disbeliever who disbelieves in the Messenger and the believer who rejects some of what he brought out of ignorance and misguidance, not knowingly and out of stubbornness.
End quote from al-Fataawa as-Sa‘diyyah (p. 443-447) 
The excuse of ignorance is something that is valid and established with regard to all issues of religion, whether they are issues of belief, tawheed and shirk, or issues of fiqhi rulings. 
The fact that a Muslim may be excused for ignorance with regard to matters of belief is indicated by several points of shar‘i evidence, as follows: 
1.
The shar‘i texts which indicate that the one who makes mistakes is excused, such as the verse in which Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning): “Our Lord! Punish us not if we forget or fall into error” [al-Baqarah 2:286]. And Allah, may He be exalted, said [in a hadith qudsi]: “I have granted that”, as is narrated in Saheeh Muslim (126). 
And Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning): “And there is no sin on you if you make a mistake therein, except in regard to what your hearts deliberately intend. And Allah is Ever Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful” [al-Ahzaab 33:5]. 
And the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Allah has forgiven my ummah their mistakes and forgetfulness, and what they are forced to do.” Classed as hasan by al-Albaani. 
These texts indicate that whoever does something that is contrary to what he is obliged to do, because he forgot or out of ignorance, is to be pardoned. The one who is mistaken also includes the one who is ignorant, because the one who is mistaken is anyone who does something contrary to the truth without intending to. 
Shaykh ‘Abd ar-Rahmaan as-Sa‘di said: This is general in meaning and applies to every case in which the believers make mistakes, whether it has to do with deeds or beliefs.
End quote from al-Irshaad ila Ma‘rifat al-Ahkaam (p. 208) 
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said: Ignorance is undoubtedly a mistake. Based on that, if a person does something that constitutes disbelief, in word or deed, not knowing that it constitutes disbelief – i.e., he is ignorant of the shar‘i evidence – then he is not to be deemed a disbeliever.
End quote from ash-Sharh al-Mumti‘ (14/449). 
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said: Allah, may He be exalted, said in the Qur’an (interpretation of the meaning): “Our Lord! Punish us not if we forget or fall into error” [al-Baqarah 2:286]. And Allah, may He be exalted, said [in a hadith qudsi]: “I have granted that”, And He did not differentiate between mistakes with regard to definitive issues or issues based on probability… So whoever says that the one who is mistaken with regard to definitive issues or issues based on probability is sinning has gone against the Qur’an, the Sunnah and the consensus of the early generations.
End quote from Majmoo‘ al-Fataawa (19/210). 
And he said: Moreover, my attitude – and those who have spent time with me know that about me – is that I am the one who most emphatically forbids deeming a specific person to be a disbeliever, evildoer or sinner, unless it is known that definitive proof has been established against him, of the kind of proof that anyone who goes against it or rejects it becomes a disbeliever, evildoer or sinner. I affirm here that Allah has forgiven this ummah for their mistakes, which includes mistakes in issues of beliefs, words and practical actions. 
End quote from Majmoo‘ al-Fataawa (3/229) 
Ibn al-‘Arabi said: With regard to the ignorant and those who make mistakes among this ummah, even if they do acts that constitute disbelief and shirk, the kind of deeds that result in the doer being deemed a mushrik or a disbeliever, they are to be excused for their ignorance and mistakes until proof is established against them, of the type of proof that whoever rejects it becomes a disbeliever and it is clearly explained to the degree that a man of his calibre would not be confused after such an explanation. End quote. This was narrated from him by al-Qaasimi in Mahaasin at-Ta’weel (3/161). 
Shaykh ‘Abd ar-Rahmaan al-Mu‘allimi said: Even if we sometimes say that this is calling upon someone other than Allah, may He be exalted, and it is an act of worship and shirk, we do not mean that everyone who does that is a mushrik. Rather the mushrik is the one who does that with no excuse. As for the one who does that with an excuse, then perhaps he is one of the best slaves of Allah, may He be exalted and one of the most virtuous and pious.
End quote from Athaar ash-Shaykh ‘Abd ar-Rahmaan al-Mu‘allimi (3/826) 
2.
The texts indicate that Allah’s proofs against people cannot be established except after they have knowledge of the proof, such as the verses in which Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And We never punish unless We have sent a Messenger”
[al-Isra’ 17:15]
“Messengers as bearers of good news as well as of warning in order that mankind should have no plea against Allah after the Messengers. And Allah is Ever All-Powerful, All-Wise”
[an-Nisa’ 4:165]
“And Allah will never lead a people astray after He has guided them until He makes clear to them as to what they should avoid”
[at-Tawbah 9:115]
and there are other verses which indicate that proof cannot be established except after knowledge and clear explanation. 
These verses indicate that the accountable person is not required to carry out Islamic duties except having acquired knowledge concerning them. If he does not know of them, then he is excused. 
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen said, explaining what we learn from this verse, “Messengers as bearers of good news as well as of warning…” [an-Nisa’ 4:165]: 
The most important thing we learn is that the excuse of ignorance is a valid excuse, even with regard to the fundamentals of religion, because the Messengers brought both fundamental and minor issues, so if a person is ignorant and no messenger came to him, then he has an excuse before Allah.
End quote from Tafseer Soorat an-Nisa’ (2/485). 
Ibn al-Qayyim said: 
The shar‘i rulings only become binding upon a person when he reaches puberty and when the rulings reach him. Just as the rulings are not binding upon him before he reaches puberty, by the same token they are not binding upon him before they reach him. 
End quote from Badaa’i‘ al-Fawaa’id (4/168). 
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said in ar-Radd ‘ala al-Ikhnaa’i, annoted by al-‘Anzi (p. 206): 
Similarly, if a person calls upon someone other than Allah and performs the Hajj rituals for someone other than Allah, he is also a mushrik, and his actions constitute disbelief, but he may not be aware that this is shirk which is forbidden. 
When many of the Tatars and others entered Islam, they had small idols made of felt and other things, which they sought to draw close to and venerated. They did not know that this was prohibited in the religion of Islam. They would also seek to draw close to (and worship) fire, not knowing that doing so is prohibited. There are many kinds of shirk which some of those who enter Islam may be unaware of and not realise that it is shirk. Such a person is misguided and the deed in which he associates others with Allah is invalid, but he does not deserve to be punished unless proof is established against him. Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning): “Then do not set up rivals unto Allah (in worship) while you know (that He Alone has the right to be worshipped)” [al-Baqarah 2:22]. End quote. 
3.
The texts which tell the stories of some who fell into shirk or disbelief but were excused. They include the following: 
(i) The story of the man who issued instructions that his body was to be burned and who denied the power of Allah over him
It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “There was a man who transgressed against his soul (by committing a great deal of sin). When he was dying he said to his sons: ‘When I die, burn me, then grind my bones, then scatter me in the wind, for by Allah, if my Lord grasps hold of me, He will punish me as He has never punished anyone else.’ When he died, that was done to him, but Allah commanded the earth: ‘Gather together whatever of him there is in you.’ So it did that, then the man was standing there. Allah said: ‘What made you do what you did?’ He said: ‘O Lord, I feared You.’ So He forgave him.”
Agreed upon. 
What this man said constituted major disbelief that puts one beyond the pale of faith, because it was an implicit denial of the power of Allah to gather his scattered dust after he died. Moreover the divine attribute of power is one of the most obvious and clear of divine attributes, which is obviously connected to the Lordship and divinity of Allah. In fact it is one of the most significant attributes of the Lord. But this man was not deemed a disbeliever, because he was excused for his ignorance. 
Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr said: The scholars differed concerning the meaning of this hadith. Some of them said: This was a man who was ignorant of one of the attributes of Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, namely His power. So he did not know that Allah has power to do whatever He wills. They said: If a person is ignorant of one of the attributes of Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, but he believes in and knows all the other divine attributes, his ignorance of some of the attributes of Allah does not mean that he is to be deemed a disbeliever. And they said: rather the disbeliever is the one who stubbornly rejects the truth, not one who is ignorant of it. 
This is the view of the earlier scholars and of later scholars who followed in their footsteps.
End quote from at-Tamheed lima fi’l-Muwatta’ min al-Ma‘aani wa’l-Asaaneed (18/42). 
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said:
This was a man who had some doubts about the power of Allah and His ability to bring him back to life if his dust was scattered. Rather he believed that Allah would not be able to resurrect him, which constitutes disbelief according to Muslim consensus. But he was ignorant and did not know that, although he was a believer who feared that Allah would punish him. Therefore Allah forgave him for that.
End quote from Majmoo‘ al-Fataawa (3/23 1). 
He also said:
This man believed that Allah would not be able to gather his dust if he did that, or he doubted that Allah could do that, and believed that He would not resurrect him. In both cases, such beliefs constitute disbelief, and the one for whom such proof has been established is to be deemed a disbeliever. But this man was ignorant of that and no knowledge had reached him to dispel his ignorance, yet he had faith in Allah and believed in His commands and prohibitions, His promises and warnings, and therefore he feared His punishment. So Allah forgave him because of his fear of Him. 
If one of those who believe in Allah and His Messenger and the Last Day, and do righteous deeds, make some mistakes in their understanding of some issues of belief, they will not be worse off than this man. Allah may forgive their errors or He may punish them, if they fell short and do not make sufficient efforts to find out about the truth and follow it. 
As for deeming a person who is known to have faith to be a disbeliever for simply making mistakes with regard to some issues of belief, that is a serious matter indeed. 
End quote from al-Istiqaamah (1/164) 
Imam ash-Shaafa‘i said: 
Allah has names and attributes that are mentioned in His Book, and of which His Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) has told his ummah. No one to whom proof has been presented clearly can reject that, because they are mentioned in the Qur’an and are mentioned in saheeh reports from the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). 
Therefore if a person goes against that after clear proof has been presented to him, then he is a disbeliever. However, before clear proof has been presented to him, he may be excused for his ignorance, because knowledge of such matters cannot be figured out on the basis of reasoning or on the basis of reflecting and thinking. We do not deem anyone to be a disbeliever for not knowing it, except after knowledge thereof reaches him.
End quote from Siyar A‘laam an-Nubala’ (10/79) 
(ii) The story of the Children of Israel with Moosa
Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And We brought the Children of Israel (with safety) across the sea, and they came upon a people devoted to some of their idols (in worship). They said: ‘O Moosa (Moses)! Make for us an ilahan (a god) as they have aliha (gods).’ He said: ‘Verily, you are a people who know not (the Majesty and Greatness of Allah and what is obligatory upon you, i.e., to worship none but Allah Alone, the One and the Only God of all that exists).’
(Moosa (Moses) added:) ‘Verily, these people will be destroyed for that which they are engaged in (idols-worship). And all that they are doing is in vain.’
He said: ‘Shall I seek for you an Ilahan (a God) other than Allah, while He has given you superiority over the Alameen (mankind and jinns of your time)?’”
[al-A‘raaf 7:138-140]. 
They demanded that Moosa (peace be upon him) should make them an idol so that they could seek to draw close to Allah by worshipping it, as those mushrikeen had taken an idol for worship. 
Ibn al-Jawzi said: 
This shows how great their ignorance was, as they thought that it was permissible to worship something other than Allah, after they had seen the signs.
End quote from Zaad al-Maseer (2/150) 
Shaykh ‘Abd ar-Rahmaan al-Mu‘allimi said:
It seems from the response of Moosa (peace be upon him) that even though he denounced them for their ignorance, he did not regard their demand as apostasy from faith. This is supported by the fact that they were not taken to task at this point as they were taken to task when they took the calf for worship. It is as if in this instance – and Allah knows best – they were excused because they were new in their faith.
End quote from Majmoo‘ Rasaa’il al-Mu‘allimi (1/142) 
(iii) The story of Dhaat Anwaat
It was narrated that Abu Waaqid al-Laythi said: We set out with the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) towards Hunayn, and we passed by a lote-tree. We said: O Prophet of Allah, make this into a dhaat anwaat for us as the disbelievers have a dhaat anwaat. The disbelievers used to hang (yanootoona) their weapons on a lote-tree and stay around it, showing devotion to it. 
The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Allahu akbar! This is what the Children of Israel said to Moosa, ‘Make for us a god as they have gods’! You will certainly follow in the footsteps of those who came before you.”
Narrated and classed as saheeh by at-Tirmidhi (2180). It was also narrated by Imam Ahmad (21900) and classed as saheeh by Shaykh al-Albaani. 
They asked the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) to do something that constituted shirk akbar (major shirk); they wanted him to prescribe for them to hang their weapons on trees, as the mushrikeen did. Hence the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) regarded their words as being akin to the words of the Children of Israel to Moosa. 
Muhammad Rasheed Rida said: Those who said that to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) were new Muslims who had recently given up shirk, so they thought that if the Prophet allocated something like that for that purpose, it would be acceptable and would not be contrary to Islam. 
End quote from his comment on Majmoo‘ ar-Rasaa’il wa’l-Masaa’il an-Najdiyyah (4/39) 
Shaykh ‘Abd ar-Razzaaq ‘Afeefi was asked about the grave-worshippers who believe in the dead and ask of them. The shaykh (may Allah have mercy on him) said: They are apostates from Islam, if proof is established against them. Otherwise they are excused for their ignorance, like those who asked for a dhaat anwaat.
End quote from Fataawa ash-Shaykh ‘Abd ar-Razzaaq ‘Afeefi (p. 371) 
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said:
After learning what the Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) brought, we inevitably learn that he did not prescribe for his ummah to call upon any of the dead, whether they were Prophets, righteous people or anyone else, whether in the sense of seeking help or otherwise, whether by way of seeking refuge or in any other way. 
Similarly, he did not prescribe for his ummah to prostrate to anyone, dead or otherwise, and the like. Rather we know that he prohibited all such things, and that these things come under the heading of shirk which Allah and His Messenger forbade. 
But because of the prevalence of ignorance and lack of knowledge of Islamic teachings among many of the later generations, it is not possible to deem them disbelievers because of that, until they learn and find out what the Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) brought, and what contradicts it. 
End quote from ar-Radd ‘ala al-Kubra (2/731) 
Shaykh ‘Abd al-Muhsin al-‘Abbaad said:
As for calling upon the occupants of the graves and seeking their help, and asking them to meet one’s needs and relieve distress, this is major shirk that puts one beyond the pale of Islam. 
Such actions should be described as shirk and disbelief, but it should not be said that the one who does that is a mushrik and a disbeliever, because whoever does that and is ignorant is excused because of his ignorance, unless proof is presented to him and he understands it, then he persists in that. In that case he may be deemed to be a disbeliever and an apostate. 
Confusion concerning graves is something that many people have fallen into, who were raised in an environment where venerating graves and calling upon their occupants was regarded as a sign of loving the righteous, especially if there was among them one of the pseudo-scholars who are leading the people in venerating graves and seeking the help of their occupants, claiming that they are mediators who will bring people closer to Allah. 
End quote from Kutub wa Rasaa’il al-‘Allaamah al-‘Abbaad (4/372) 
(iv) The hadith of Hudhayfah ibn al-Yamaan (may Allah be pleased with him)
It was narrated that Hudhayfah ibn al-Yamaan (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Islam will wear out as colour on a garment wears out, until no one will know what fasting, prayer, Hajj and charity (zakaah) are. The Book of Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, will be taken away at night, and not one verse of it will be left on earth. And there will be some people left, old men and old women, who will say: We saw our fathers saying these words, Laa ilaaha ill-Allah, so we say them too.”
Silah said to him: What good will (saying) Laa ilaaha ill-Allah do them, when they do not know what fasting, prayer, Hajj and charity are? 
Hudhayfah turned away from him. He repeated his question three times, and Hudhayfah turned away from him each time.
Then he turned to him on the third time and said: O Silah, it will save them from Hell, three times.
Narrated by Ibn Maajah (4049), classed as saheeh by al-Buwaysiri in Misbaah az-Zujaajah (2/291); classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Silsilat al-Ahaadeeth as-Saheehah (1/171). 
This hadith indicates that those people will have nothing but faith in the general sense of affirming Tawheed; they will know nothing of Islam except simply affirming what they found their fathers saying. 
Ibn Taymiyah said:
Many people may grow up in places and times where a lot of the teachings of Islam are worn out, so that there is no one left to convey that with which Allah sent His Messenger of the Book and wisdom, so they do not know much of that with which Allah sent His Messenger, and there will be no one to convey to them. Such a person cannot be deemed a disbeliever, therefore the leading scholars are unanimously agreed that whoever is brought up in the wilderness, far away from people of knowledge and faith, and is new in Islam, and denies something of these obvious rulings that were established through mutawaatir texts, is not to be deemed a disbeliever until he learns what the Messenger brought. 
End quote from Majmoo‘ al-Fataawa (11/407) 
Conclusion: 
The type of ignorance for which a person is excused is that whereby he does not know about the truth and no one mentions the truth to him. This may be a reason why he cannot be labelled a sinner and he cannot be labelled as his deed would dictate. Then if he claims to be a Muslim and testifies that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, then he is to be regarded as one of them. If he does not claim to be a Muslim, then in this world he is to be deemed a member of the religion to which he belongs. 
As for the hereafter, his case is like that of people who lived in the period between Prophets, and he will be judged by Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, on the Day of Resurrection. The soundest scholarly opinion concerning them is that they will be tested in whatever way Allah wills; whoever among them obeys will enter Paradise, and whoever among them disobeys will enter Hell.
End quote from Majmoo‘ Fataawa wa Rasaa’il ash-Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (2/128) 
See also the answers to questions no. 215338 and 111362 
For more information, please see Ishkaaliyyah al-I‘dhaar bi’l-Jahl fi’l-Bahth al-‘Uqadi by Dr Sultaan al-‘Umayri. 
And Allah knows best.

Praise be to Allah.Firstly:
We would like to draw the questioner’s attention to the importance of choosing the right words, for words are the vessels of meaning.
It would have been more appropriate for the questioner to say trust or reliance (tawakkul), submission or thinking positively of Allah, or other such Islamic phrases which reflect sound meanings, instead of using phrases such as “blind trust”, which carries a shade of meaning that is not appropriate when speaking of submitting to Allah, believing in Him and putting one’s trust in Him (tawakkul).
Yes it is trust, but it is not blind; rather it stems from deeply-rooted certainty that all good is in His hands, and that nothing bad comes from Him, may He be glorified and praised, and that adhering to His laws, obeying His commands, and avoiding what He prohibits is the key to all goodness.
Secondly:
Imam at-Tahhaawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: One’s commitment to Islam cannot be steadfast unless it is based on submission and surrender.
End quote from Sharh at-Tahhaawiyyah (1/231).
Shaykh al-Barraak said in his commentary on at-Tahhaawiyyah (128): A person’s commitment to Islam cannot be established and he cannot develop reassurance and peace of mind unless it is built on the foundation of submission.
The ideas of surrender and submission are close in meaning. Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And whoever submits his face to Allah while he is a doer of good…”
[Luqmaan 31:22].
Islam means surrender and submission, which implies not disputing, because the one who disputes has not submitted.
Submission is an important principle and is to be based on belief in Allah, His Messenger and His Book.
Belief in Allah means believing that He, may He be exalted, is the true God and no other is deserving of worship except Him; that He, may He be exalted, is the Lord and Sovereign of all things; that He, may He be glorified and exalted, possesses all the attributes of perfection and is far above any shortcomings, so there is no injustice or folly in His creation, laws and decree, rather He, may He be exalted, is wise in all that He creates, prescribes and decrees.
Once you understand this properly, then whatever you learn about what Allah, may He be exalted, and His Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said and prescribed, you must submit, because objections and disputes only stem from weakness of faith in divine justice, and from weakness of faith in divine wisdom.
Everything that is contrary to truth is false, but sometimes the opposition may be blunt and clear, as in the case of the disbelievers and those whose faith is shaky or has almost vanished altogether. Such people speak of objections to the laws and will of Allah, and sometimes they do not speak of them but they are in their hearts.
The Muslim must ward off all objections that cross his mind, or that he hears on the lips of the devils or of ignorant people. He can ward that off by believing that Allah, may He be exalted, is Most Just, Most Wise and All-Knowing.
This does not mean that Islamic teachings are contrary to reason; rather sound reasoning is never contrary to the soundly-narrated texts. But reason has certain limits when it comes to understanding the religious texts. It is not possible for human reason to encompass everything; rather human reason has its limits beyond which it cannot go, because man is imperfect. Not every question can be answered; rather you should say: Allah knows best, and Allah is Most Wise and All-Knowing.
When a person submits, he will find comfort and will be able to give reassurance to people around him.
With regard to the objections that came to your mind:
either you can ward them off with evidence and proof that will dispel these doubts,
or if you are not able to do that because of lack of knowledge, then you may ward them off with this principle [submission] and say: I believe in Allah and His Messenger, for the Shaytaan casts waswaas [whispers; intrusive thoughts] into people’s hearts.
Thirdly:
With regard to the meaning that you understood for this verse, it is correct and was stated by a number of commentators, namely that Moosa (peace be upon him) thought that Allah was commanding him to reject his staff. It was narrated from Wahb: The Lord said to him: “Throw it down, O Moses”, and Moosa thought that He was telling him to reject it, so he threw it down by way of rejecting it.
End quote from at-Tafseer al-Baseet (14/382); Tafseer al-Baghawi (5/269).
And whoever gives up something for the sake of Allah, will not feel its loss.
End quote from Tafseer al-Qurtubi (18/26).
Shaykh as-Sa‘di (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
Ash-Shaakir and ash-Shakoor (the Appreciative) are among the names of Allah, may He be exalted, Who accepts a small deed from His slave and grants him an immense reward for it. If His slave adheres to His commands and obeys Him, He helps him to do that and praises him for it, and rewards him with light, faith and comfort in his heart, and with physical strength and energy, and grants him increased blessing and growth in all his affairs, and increased success in his deeds.
Then after that, He will grant him reward in full with his Lord in the hereafter, and nothing will be detracted from that.
Part of Allah’s appreciation of His slave is that if he gives up something for the sake of Allah, Allah will compensate him with something better than it; whoever draws near to Him a handspan, Allah will draw near to him an arm’s length; whoever draws near to Him an arm’s length, He will draw near to him a fathom’s length; whoever comes to Him walking, He will come to him at speed; whoever enters into a deal with Him, He will grant him abundant profit. Although He is Appreciative, He knows best who is deserving of reward in full, commensurate with his intention, faith and piety, and who is not like that. He knows best about the deeds of His slaves, so He will not cause them to be lost; rather they will find them complete and abundant, according to their intentions, of which the All-Knowing, the Most Wise is well aware.
End quote from Tafseer as-Sa‘di (76).
Fourthly:
This verse contains an important, practical meaning, which is very helpful to the Muslim in the way he responds to the commands of the Lord of the Worlds and of His noble Messenger that are addressed to him. That is: to quickly respond to them, and not be lazy or slow or hesitant, or procrastinate.
Where we see that in the verse is when Allah, may He be exalted, says, “So he threw it down”. The particle fa (translated here as “so”) indicates that this happened straightaway. In other words, Moosa (peace be upon him) hastened to comply with the command of his Lord and to obey Him. So he threw down his staff that was so useful and necessary to him, as soon as he heard the words of the Lord of the Worlds.
This is how the Muslim should be with his Lord. Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
“It is not for a believing man or a believing woman, when Allah and His Messenger have decided a matter, that they should [thereafter] have any choice about their affair. And whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger has certainly strayed into clear error”
[al-Ahzaab 33:36].
We also advise you to measure the ideas that come to your mind concerning the meaning against what the scholars say about the interpretation of this verse, and to frequently consult readily available tafseers such as Mukhtasar at-Tafseer (Markaz Tafseer edition) or at-Tafseer al-Muyassar (Ministry of Awqaaf edition). After that, one of the most important tafseers is that of Shaykh as-Sa‘di (may Allah have mercy on him) [available in English under the title Tafseer as-Sa‘di, published in ten volumes by International Islamic Publishing House (IIPH), Riyadh]. That will be a great help to you in reflecting upon the meanings of the verses and understanding the subtle concepts derived from them.
And Allah knows best.

Praise be to Allah.We could not find the words of Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) to which the questioner referred as being in Fataawa Noor ‘ala ad-Darb, but we found his words in most of his printed books and audio fatwas, and we did not find any contradiction in his words, or any retraction of anything he said.
We may sum up what the Shaykh said about the “excuse of ignorance” in the following points:
1.
The basic principle according to the Shaykh (may Allah have mercy on him) is that ignorance is an excuse. In fact he thinks that no one can produce evidence to prove that the one who is ignorant is not excused, and he thinks that were it not for the excuse of ignorance, there would be no need to send the Messengers; people would be accountable on the basis of what is instilled in their innate nature, and there would be no need to send the Messengers!
2.
There is no differentiation, with regard to the excuse of ignorance, between issues of belief and practical issues.
3.
There is no differentiation, with regard to the excuse of ignorance, between issues that are clear and issues that are subtle and ambiguous, because clarity and ambiguity are something relative that may vary from one environment to another and from one person to another.
4.
Disbelief that puts a person beyond the pale of Islam may be connected to beliefs, words uttered, actions done, or something that one fails to do. The Shaykh does not differ concerning the fact that these things could put a person beyond the pale of Islam, but the point of the discussion here is how to apply the description of disbelief to a particular person, because he may be excused, in which case he is not to be regarded as a disbeliever.
5.
A person who does an act of disbelief is not a disbeliever if he is ignorant and unaware of the shar‘i ruling concerning his action, or if he asked a scholar who gave him a fatwa saying that his action was permissible.
However he does become a disbeliever if proof is established and presented to him, and any confusion or misunderstanding on his part was dealt with.
6.
The excuse of ignorance cannot be accepted from everyone who claims to be ignorant, because he may have been negligent about learning or careless about asking and finding out, or he may be stubborn and not accept the truth or try to seek it. In all these cases, the individual is not excused according to the Shaykh (may Allah have mercy on him). An exception is made, with regard to having fallen short, if it did not occur to a person that this action could be haraam, and he had no scholar to advise him. In this case he is excused.
7.
The ignorant person among those who are originally disbelievers is to be dealt with as a disbeliever according to shar‘i rulings in this world, and in the hereafter his fate will be decided by Allah. The correct view is that he will be tested (in the hereafter).
The ignorant person among those who claim to be Muslim but who fell into disbelief that puts one beyond the pale of Islam is to be treated outwardly as if he is a Muslim, according to shar‘i rulings, and his fate will be decided by Allah in the hereafter.
8.
The Shaykh (may Allah have mercy on him) quoted texts from the Qur’an and Sunnah, and the views of scholars, to support this view concerning this issue, and explained that this is the view of Shaykh Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhaab (may Allah have mercy on him) – contrary to those who misunderstood his views. Here we will discuss in some detail what we have summed up of the words of the Shaykh (may Allah have mercy on him), and we may quote in brief some of what he said. Whoever would like to know more may consult the references we will mention below.
I.
Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked about the excuse of ignorance with regard to matters of belief.
He replied:
Having different views concerning the excuse of ignorance is like any other fiqhi issue that is subject to different views. The difference may be in wording sometimes, by way of applying the ruling to a particular person. In other words, all are agreed that a certain statement (made by the person in question) constitutes disbelief, or a certain action constitutes disbelief, or a failure to do something constitutes disbelief, but is the ruling applicable to this particular person, because the reason to apply the ruling to him is valid and there is no impediment, or is it not applicable because there are some reasons to indicate that the conditions of applying it are not met in his case, or that there is some impediment to doing so?
Ignorance of that which makes one a disbeliever is of two types:
The first type is when the individual does not believe in Islam, or does not believe in anything, and it has never crossed his mind that there is a (true) religion other than that which he is following. In shar‘i terms he is to be treated as he appears to be in this world; as for the hereafter, his fate will be decided by Allah, may He be exalted. The most correct view is that he will be tested in the hereafter in whatever way Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, wills, and Allah knows best what they will do, but we know that he will not enter the Fire except for a sin that he commits, because Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning): “and your Lord treats no one with injustice” [al-Kahf 18:49].
Rather we said that he is to be treated as he appears to be in this world – which means that he is to be treated as a disbeliever according to shar‘i rulings – because he is not a Muslim, so he cannot be treated as a Muslim. The reason why we said that the most correct view is that he will be tested in the hereafter is that there are many reports to that effect, which were quoted by Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) in his book Tareeq al-Hijratayn, when he discussed the eighth view concerning the children of the mushrikeen [and their fate in the hereafter].
The second type is when there is ignorance on the part of an individual who is a Muslim, but he grew up believing in (or practising) that thing that makes one a disbeliever, and it never crossed his mind that it is contrary to Islam, and no one advised him of that. Such a person is to be treated as a Muslim, and in the hereafter his fate will be decided by Allah, may He be glorified and exalted. That is indicated by the Qur’an, the Sunnah and the words of the scholars.
The evidence from the Qur’an includes the following:
“And We never punish until We have sent a Messenger (to give warning)”
[al-Isra’ 17:15]
“And never will your Lord destroy the towns (populations) until He sends to their mother town a Messenger reciting to them Our Verses. And never would We destroy the towns unless the people thereof are Zalimoon (polytheists, wrong-doers, disbelievers in the Oneness of Allah, oppressors and tyrants)”
[al-Qasas 28:59]
“Messengers as bearers of good news as well as of warning in order that mankind should have no plea against Allah after the Messengers”
[an-Nisa’ 4:165]
“And We sent not a Messenger except with the language of his people, in order that he might make (the Message) clear for them. Then Allah misleads whom He wills and guides whom He wills”
[Ibraaheem 14:4]
“And Allah will never lead a people astray after He has guided them until He makes clear to them as to what they should avoid”
[at-Tawbah 9:115]
“And this is a blessed Book (the Quran) which We have sent down, so follow it and fear Allah (i.e. do not disobey His Orders), that you may receive mercy (i.e. saved from the torment of Hell).
Lest you (pagan Arabs) should say: ‘The Book was only sent down to two sects before us (the Jews and the Christians), and for our part, we were in fact unaware of what they studied.’
Or lest you (pagan Arabs) should say: ‘If only the Book had been sent down to us, we would surely have been better guided than they (Jews and Christians).’ So now has come unto you a clear proof (the Quran) from your Lord, and a guidance and a mercy”
[al-An‘aam 6:155-157].
And there are many similar verses which indicate that proof cannot be established except after knowledge has been conveyed and explained.
With regard to the Sunnah, in Saheeh Muslim (1/134) it is narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “By the One in Whose hand is the soul of Muhammad, no one among this nation, Jew or Christian, hears of me then dies not believing in that with which I was sent, but he will be one of the people of the Fire.” 
With regard to the words of the scholars, it says in al-Mughni (8/131):
If he is one of those who are not aware that (a certain ruling) is obligatory, such as one who is new in Islam, or one who grew up in a non-Islamic country, or in the wilderness far away from cities and scholars, then he is not to be deemed a disbeliever. Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said in al-Fataawa (3/229, Majmoo‘ Ibn Qaasim): 
I am always – and those who spent time with me know it – one of those who most emphatically forbid accusing a specific individual of being a disbeliever, or of being an evildoer or of being a sinner, unless it is known that proof based on the texts of the Qur’an and Sunnah has been established against him, concerning matters which, if anyone goes against that proof, he is either a disbeliever, evildoer or sinner. I affirm that Allah, may He be exalted, has forgiven this ummah for its mistakes, which includes mistakes that have to do with beliefs or words uttered, or that have to do with actions and practices. The early generations kept disputing concerning many issues, but none of them accused another of being a disbeliever, evildoer or sinner. 
… I used to explain that what has been transmitted from the scholars and imams of the early generations, of stating in general terms that whoever says such and such becomes a disbeliever, is true and correct, but we must differentiate between general statements and a statement about a specific individual. 
… Regarding someone as a disbeliever is like a threat of punishment, because a person may even say something that implies rejection of what the Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said, but the person who says it may be new in Islam, or he may have grown up in the remote wilderness. Such a person cannot be accused of being a disbeliever for rejecting what he rejected, until proof is established against him. He may not have heard those texts, or he may have heard them but they were not proven to him to be sound, or the text may contradict something that is well-established in his mind, which dictated that he should interpret the text in a manner other than its apparent meaning, even though he may be mistaken. 
Shaykh al-Islam Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhaab said in ad-Durr as-Saniyyah (1/56):
With regard to deeming a person to be a disbeliever, I regard as a disbeliever anyone who learns about the religion brought by the Messenger, then after learning it he reviles it and tells people not to follow it, and he opposes those who do follow it. This is the person whom I regard as a disbeliever. 
On p. 66 he said: As for what they say of lies and fabrications about us, when they say that we label people as disbelievers in general terms, and we say that it is obligatory for anyone who is able to migrate to join us to do so, all of that is lies and fabrications by means of which they turn people away from the religion of Allah and His Messenger. As we do not regard as disbelievers those who worship the idol [i.e., the built-up tomb] on the grave of ‘Abd al-Qaadir, or the idol on the grave of Ahmad al-Badawi and the like, because of their ignorance and because there is no one to advise them, then how can we regard as a disbeliever the one who does not associate anything with Allah, just because he does not migrate to join us and does not regard others as disbelievers and fight them?! 
If (the view mentioned above, which is not to regard anyone as a disbeliever until proof is established against him) is based on the texts of the Qur’an and Sunnah and the words of the scholars, then it is also in accordance with the wisdom, kindness and mercy of Allah, may He be exalted. For He will never punish anyone until He has established proof that leaves them with no excuse. Reason could not, on its own, attain knowledge of the duties that one has towards Allah, may He be exalted. If that were possible, then proof would not depend on the sending of Messengers. 
Therefore the basic principle concerning the one who claims to be a Muslim is that he is to be regarded as a Muslim unless that description becomes no longer applicable on the basis of shar‘i evidence. 
… 
So before deeming somebody to have become a disbeliever, two things must be examined. 
The first is that there should be clear evidence from the Qur’an and Sunnah that the matter in question makes a person a disbeliever, so as not to fabricate lies about Allah. 
The second is that the ruling should be applicable to this specific individual, so that the conditions of deeming somebody to have become a disbeliever are met in his case, and it is established that there are no impediments to doing so. 
One of the most important conditions is that he should be aware of his mistake that led to him being regarded as a disbeliever, because Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And whoever contradicts and opposes the Messenger (Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)) after the right path has been shown clearly to him, and follows other than the believers’ way. We shall keep him in the path he has chosen, and burn him in Hell – what an evil destination”
[an-Nisa’ 4:115]. 
This verse stipulates the condition that the punishment of Hell becomes due if a person opposes the Messenger after guidance has become clear to him. But is it stipulated that he should be aware of the consequences of his infraction and that it leads to him becoming a disbeliever and so on, or is it sufficient for him to know that it is an infraction, even if he is unaware of the implications of his error?
What appears to be the case is the latter, i.e., the mere fact of his being aware that it is an infraction is sufficient for the application of the ruling connected to this infraction, because the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) made it obligatory for the one who had intercourse during the day in Ramadan to offer expiation because he was aware that it was an infraction, even though he was not aware of the requirement of expiation. Moreover the previously-married zaani who is aware of the prohibition on zina is to be stoned, even if he was ignorant of the consequences of his zina, and perhaps if he had been aware of the consequences he would not have committed zina. …
To sum up, the one who is ignorant may be excused for what he says or does of that which may constitute disbelief, just as he may be excused for that which he says or does that may be regarded as evildoing. That is based on evidence from the Qur’an and Sunnah, rational thinking, and the words of the scholars. 
Majmoo‘ Fataawa ash-Shaykh al-‘Uthaymeen (2/answer to question 224). 
II.
The Shaykh (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked: 
We have read an answer you gave about the excuse of ignorance with regard to acts that lead to a person being deemed a disbeliever, but in the book Kashf ash-Shubuhaat by Shaykh Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhaab, he said there is no excuse for ignorance, and he said something similar in his book at-Tawheed. Even though in your answer you quoted the views of Shaykh Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhaab, and those of Ibn Taymiyah in al-Fataawa and of Ibn Qudaamah in al-Mughni. We hope that you can explain. 
He replied: 
Shaykh al-Islam Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhaab (may Allah have mercy on him) stated in his essays that no one is to be deemed a disbeliever if he is ignorant. If he is stated in Kashf ash-Shubuhaat that there is no excuse for ignorance, it is to be understood that what he was referring to was the kind of ignorance that results from a person being negligent in not making any effort to learn, such as if he knows that there is a view different to what he is following, but he is negligent and too careless to find out and learn. In that case, ignorance is not an excuse. 
Duroos wa Fataawa al-Haram al-Makki (1411 AH, tape 9, side A)
III. 
The Shaykh (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked: Can a person be excused for ignorance regard to Tawheed? 
He replied: 
The excuse of ignorance is proven with regard to all issues of religion, because Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Verily, We have inspired you (O Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)) as We inspired Nooh (Noah) and the Prophets after him…
Messengers as bearers of good news as well as of warning in order that mankind should have no plea against Allah after the Messengers””
[an-Nisa’ 163-165]
“And We never punish until We have sent a Messenger (to give warning)”
[al-Isra’ 17:15]
“And Allah will never lead a people astray after He has guided them until He makes clear to them as to what they should avoid”
[at-Tawbah 9:115]. 
and because the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “By the One in Whose hand is the soul of Muhammad, no one among this nation, Jew or Christian, hears of me then dies not believing in that with which I was sent, but he will be one of the people of the Fire.”
And there are many texts to that effect. 
Therefore the one who is ignorant will not be brought to account, because of his ignorance, with regard to any issue of religion. But we should note here that some of the ignorant are somewhat stubborn – i.e., when they are told about what is right and correct, they do not go and research the matter or follow it; rather they carry on following what their shaykhs and those whom they venerate teach them, and they follow them. In fact such an individual is not excused, because proof has reached him which at the very least should have created some doubt that would prompt him to go and search for the truth. This person who venerates whomever he venerates of his leaders is like those of whom Allah tells us that they said (interpretation of the meaning): “ ‘We found our fathers following a certain way and religion, and we will indeed follow their footsteps’”[az-Zukhruf 43:22], and in the following verse, He tells us that they said: “ ‘We found our fathers following a certain way and religion, and we will indeed follow their footsteps’” [az-Zukhruf 43:23].
Conclusion: 
The ignorance for which a person may be excused is when he does not know the correct view and he has not been told about it. This is what excuses him for sin. The ruling on how this person is to be dealt with depends on his deeds. Moreover, if he claims to be a Muslim and he testifies that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, he is to be regarded as a Muslim. If he does not claim to be a Muslim, then in this world he is to be treated like the people of the religion that he claims to follow. As for the hereafter, then he comes under the same heading as the people of the period between Prophets, and his fate will be decided by Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, on the Day of Resurrection. The most correct view concerning them is that they will be tested however Allah wills; whoever among them obeys will enter Paradise, and whoever disobeys will enter Hell. But it should be noted that we are living at a time where there is hardly any place on earth that the call of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) has not reached through various media, and through people mixing with one another, and disbelief usually stems from stubbornness. 
Majmoo‘ Fataawa ash-Shaykh al-‘Uthaymeen (2/answer to question no. 222) 
IV. 
The Shaykh (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked: 
What is the ruling on describing those who are excused for ignorance as holding the views of the Murji’ah? 
He replied: 
As for the excuse of ignorance, this is based on the general meanings of the texts, and no one can produce evidence to prove that the one who is ignorant is not to be excused. Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And We never punish until We have sent a Messenger (to give warning)”
[al-Isra’ 17:15]
 “Messengers as bearers of good news as well as of warning in order that mankind should have no plea against Allah after the Messengers”
[an-Nisa’ 4:165]. 
Were it not for the excuse of ignorance, there would be no need to send the Messengers; people would be accountable on the basis of what is instilled in their innate nature, and there would be no need to send the Messengers. The excuse of ignorance is what is indicated by the Qur’an and Sunnah, as was stated by the leading scholars such as Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him), and Shaykh al-Islam Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhaab (may Allah have mercy on him). But a person may be negligent in seeking knowledge, so he is sinning in that respect. In other words, it may be possible for him to learn, but he does not care to do so; or he may be told that something is haraam, but he does not care. In this case he is falling short in this regard and he is sinning thereby. As for a man who lives among people who commit a sin and think that it is permissible, then we say that he is accountable for his sin, when the message did not reach him, this is far-fetched. In fact we cannot issue rulings on the basis of our emotions; rather we issue rulings on the basis of what is indicated by sharee‘ah. The Lord, may He be glorified and exalted, says: “My mercy prevails over My wrath.” So how can we take a person to task for his ignorance when it has never crossed his mind that this is haraam? In fact Shaykh al-Islam Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhaab (may Allah have mercy on him) said: We do not regard as kaafirs those who placed an idol [i.e., a built-up tomb] on the grave of ‘Abd al-Qaadir al-Jilani or on the grave of al-Badawi, because of their ignorance and the lack of anyone to advise them. 
Liqaa’aat al-Baab al-Maftooh (33/question no. 12). 
V. 
The Shaykh (may Allah have mercy on him) said: 
But there remains the issue of a man who was negligent and put no effort into seeking the truth, because he was heedless and he saw what people were doing and did likewise, without researching the matter. Such a person may be sinning; in fact he may be falling short in seeking the truth, and he may not be excused in this case. Or he may be excused if it never occurred to him that this action was an infraction but he had no scholar to advise him. In this case he may be excused. Hence the most correct view is that if someone lives in the wilderness, far away from the cities, and he did not fast Ramadan because he thought that it was not obligatory, or he used to have intercourse with his wife during the day in Ramadan, thinking that doing so was permissible, then he does not have to make up the fast, because he was ignorant, and one of the conditions of being accountable for adhering to sharee‘ah is that the accountable person should have heard of the ruling and learned of it. 
To sum up: a person may be excused for ignorance, but he will not be excused for falling short in seeking knowledge of the truth. 
Liqaa’aat al-Baab al-Maftooh (39/question no. 3) 
VI. 
The Shaykh (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked: 
What is your view on one who says Laa ilaaha ill-Allah Muhammad Rasoolullah, then he slaughters a sacrifice for something other than Allah? Is he a Muslim? Please note that he grew up in a Muslim country. 
The Shaykh said: 
The one who seeks to draw close to something other than Allah by means of offering a sacrifice to it is a mushrik in the sense of major shirk, and he will not benefit from saying Laa ilaaha ill-Allah, or from praying or any other deed, unless he grew up in a remote land, where the people did not know of this ruling. In that case he is excused for his ignorance, but he should be taught, like one who lives in a remote land where they offer sacrifices to something other than Allah, such as offering sacrifices to graves or to the awliya’ (“saints”), and they do not see anything wrong with that, and they do not know that this is shirk or that it is haraam. Such a person may be excused for his ignorance. But as for a person who is told that this constitutes disbelief, but he says: No, I will not stop offering sacrifices to the “saint”, in this case proof has been established against him, so he is to be deemed a disbeliever. 
Questioner: 
If he is given advice and told that this is shirk (but he persists in it), can I describe him as a mushrik or kaafir? 
Shaykh: 
Yes, he is a mushrik, kaafir and apostate. He should be asked to repent, and if he repents, all well and good; otherwise he is to be executed. 
Questioner: 
Is there a difference between issues that are very clear and issues that are subtle and ambiguous? 
Shaykh: 
That which is ambiguous needs to be discussed, such as this issue. If we assume that he says: “I live among people who slaughter sacrifices to the saints (awliya’), and I do not know that this is haraam,” then this matter is ambiguous for him, because what is ambiguous or clear is something relative. That which is clear to me may be ambiguous to you, and that which is clear to you may be ambiguous to me. 
Questioner: 
How can I establish proof against him? What is the proof that I should present to him? 
Shaykh: 
The proof against him is what it says in the verses (interpretation of the meaning):
“Say (O Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)): ‘Verily, my Salat (prayer), my sacrifice, my living, and my dying are for Allah, the Lord of the Alameen (mankind, jinns and all that exists).
‘He has no partner. And of this I have been commanded…’”
Al-An‘aam 6:162, 163]
“Verily, We have granted you (O Muhammad (Peace be upon him)) Al-Kauthar (a river in Paradise),
Therefore turn in prayer to your Lord and sacrifice (to Him only)”
[al-Kawthar 108:1, 2]. 
This indicates that offering sacrifices as a means of drawing close and veneration is an act of worship, and whoever directs worship to anything or anyone other than Allah is a mushrik. 
If proof is conveyed and he is told that this act of his constitutes shirk (but he persists in it), then he no longer has any excuse for doing it. 
Questioner: 
Should he be told then? 
Shaykh: 
He has to be told. 
Questioner:
There is a specious argument which says that his action is shirk but he is not a mushrik. How should we respond?
Shaykh:
This is correct. He is not a mushrik if no proof has been established against him. Didn’t the one who said “O Allah, You are my slave and I am your Lord” speak words of disbelief? Yet he did not become a disbeliever thereby, because he made that mistake out of extreme joy (at finding his lostcamel in the wilderness, as mentioned in a lengthy hadith). Is it not the case that the one who is forced to disbelieve may disbelieve outwardly but he does not do so in his heart, for his heart is at ease with faith? With regard to the scholars who say that a word of disbelief is distinct from the one who utters it, this applies if no proof has been established and we do not know his situation. But if we do know his situation, then what do we do now? Do we say that he cannot be deemed a disbeliever? Does it mean that no one can be deemed a disbeliever, or that no one can become a disbeliever, and even the one who does not pray cannot be described as a disbeliever? Even Ibn Taymiyah said that if proof reached him, then proof has been established against him (and he is left with no excuse). … It is not enough for proof to reach him, unless he also understands it, because if we assume that someone is a non-Arab and we recite the Qur’an to him morning and evening, , but he does not know what it means, can we say that proof has been established against him? Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And We sent not a Messenger except with the language of his people, in order that he might make (the Message) clear for them”
[Ibraaheem 14:4].
Liqaa’aat al-Baab al-Maftooh (48/question no. 15)
We hope that the matter has become clear, and that you understand the meaning of what Shaykh ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said, and that his view is that ignorance is an excuse. This is applicable in the case of one who is new in Islam, or one who lives far away from places of knowledge, or who lives among people to whom it has never occurred that they are going against Islamic teachings, even though in fact their actions are causing them to fall into major shirk.
And Allah knows best.

Praise be to Allah.Firstly:
The Muslim should strive to preserve his belief and his faith, and focus on maintaining his sound fitrah and thinking; he should flee for the sake of his religious commitment and spiritual well-being from doubts and confusion, for hearts are weak and specious arguments may be attractive, because of the way they are presented as something beautiful by proponents of innovation and misguidance, when in fact they are based on flimsy and weak foundations.
Reading books that promote innovation and misguidance, or books that promote shirk and myths, or the books of other religions that have been distorted, or the books written by atheists and hypocrites, or looking at websites that promote these deviant ideas and propagate specious arguments, is not permissible except for one who is well-versed in Islamic knowledge, whose aim in reading such material is to refute it and highlight its corrupt nature, and has the ability to do that or is qualified to take on this task.
As for one who does not have Islamic knowledge looking at or reading such material, doing so is more likely to lead to some sort of confusion, undermining the belief in his heart and shaking his faith, because of the specious arguments that he reads.
This has happened to many ordinary Muslims, and even to some seekers of knowledge who are not qualified to deal with such material, to the extent that in some cases they have ended up misguided and astray – we seek refuge with Allah.
Very often, the one who looks at these books may be deceived by his thinking that his faith is stronger than all the specious arguments presented, but then suddenly he finds – if he reads a great deal – that the specious arguments have begun to take root in his mind in a manner that never occurred to him.
Hence the advice of the scholars of the righteous early generations was to forbid looking at or reading such books.
We have quoted the words of the scholars in the answer to question no. 92781.
Secondly:
It is essential to learn Islam from its sources, the greatest of which, and the foundation thereof, are the Qur’an and Sunnah.
Islam has emphasized the importance of reason and thinking, which is reflected in many verses. There are phrases that are repeated dozens of times in the Qur’an, such as “Thus does Allah make clear to you His verses that you might use reason” [al-Baqarah 2:242], “for a people who give thought” [Yoonus 10:24] and “for a people who understand” [al-An‘aam 6:98].
Allah calls upon us to think in the Qur’an, as He, may He be glorified, says (interpretation of the meaning):
“[This is] a blessed Book which We have revealed to you, [O Muhammad], that they might reflect upon its verses and that those of understanding would be reminded”
[Saad 38:29].
Allah, may He be glorified, says, calling us to reflect upon His creation (interpretation of the meaning):
“Do they not contemplate within themselves? Allah has not created the heavens and the earth and what is between them except in truth and for a specified term. And indeed, many of the people, in [the matter of] the meeting with their Lord, are disbelievers”
[ar-Room 30:8].
Indeed, Allah, may He be exalted, has criticized the people of Hell by stating that they did not benefit from their reason, and He tells us (interpretation of the meaning):
“And they will say, ‘If only we had been listening or reasoning, we would not be among the companions of the Blaze’”
[al-Mulk 67:10]
“So have they not traveled through the earth and have hearts by which to reason and ears by which to hear? For indeed, it is not eyes that are blinded, but blinded are the hearts which are within the breasts”
[al-Hajj 22:46].
Thinking is an act of worship, which Allah points out in the verses (interpretation of the meaning):
“Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of the night and the day are signs for those of understanding
Who remember Allah while standing or sitting or [lying] on their sides and give thought to the creation of the heavens and the earth, [saying], “Our Lord, You did not create this aimlessly; exalted are You [above such a thing]; then protect us from the punishment of the Fire”
[Aal ‘Imraan 3:190-191].
Shaykh as-Sa‘di said:
Here Allah tells us that “Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of the night and the day are signs for those of understanding”. This encourages people to think deeply, examine these signs and contemplate the creation. He left the word “signs” ambiguous, and did not state explicitly what it points to, as an indication of the great number and ubiquitous nature of those signs. That is because in creation there are amazing signs that dazzle those who look upon them, convince those who ponder them, attract the hearts of those who are sincere and strengthen the faith of those of understanding. But the details of what these signs contain are impossible for any person to list or even comprehend some of them.
In conclusion, what we see in them of greatness, the vastness and order in the movement of heavenly bodies, point to the greatness of their Creator and His power, which encompasses all things.
Their perfection, precision and beauty point to the wisdom of Allah, His control over all things and the vastness of His knowledge.
The benefits they bring to people are indicative of the vastness of Allah’s mercy, the all-encompassing nature of His grace and kindness, and the necessity of being grateful to Him. All of that indicates that the heart should only be attached to its Creator and originator, and should do its utmost to seek His pleasure, and not associate with Him any of those who have not even an atom’s weight of power over themselves or others on earth or in heaven.
Allah has intended these signs only for those of understanding, namely people of reason, because they are the ones who benefit from that and who contemplate the signs with reason, and do not merely look at them with their eyes.
Then Allah describes those of understanding as being those “who remember Allah” in all circumstances, “standing or sitting or [lying] on their sides”. This includes all types of remembrance of Allah, both verbal and in the heart. That includes praying standing; if that is not possible, then sitting; and if that is not possible then lying on one’s side. “and give thought to the creation of the heavens and the earth” that is, so that they may reach the conclusion intended (that there is a great Creator).
This indicates that thinking is an act of worship, and is one of the characteristics of the close friends of Allah. When they think and reflect upon these things, they realise that Allah did not create them in vain, and they say: “Our Lord, You did not create this aimlessly; exalted are You [above such a thing]” and exalted are You above all that is not befitting to Your Majesty; rather You created it in truth, for truth, and including truth.
“then protect us from the punishment of the Fire” by protecting us from doing bad deeds, and helping us to do righteous deeds, so that we might attain thereby salvation from the fire. End quote.
In the hadith narrated from ‘Ata’, he said: ‘Ubayd ibn ‘Umayr and I went to visit ‘Aa’ishah. She said to ‘Ubayd ibn ‘Umayr: It is about time you visited us. He said: O my mother, I say as the first one said: Make your visits at long intervals, and people will love you more. She said: Spare us from this gibberish of yours! Ibn ‘Umayr said: Tell us of the most amazing thing you saw from the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). She remained silent for a while, then she said: One night he said: “O ‘Aa’ishah, let me focus on worshipping my Lord this night.” I said: By Allah, I love to be near you, and I love what makes you happy. He got up and did wudoo’, then he began to pray. She said: And he kept weeping until his lap became wet. Then he wept and kept weeping until his beard became wet. Then he wept and kept weeping until the ground became wet. Then Bilaal came to call him for prayer, and when he saw him weeping, he said: O Messenger of Allah, why are you weeping when Allah has forgiven you your past and future sins? He said: “Should I not be a thankful slave? Last night a verse was revealed to me; woe to the one who recites it and does not reflect:
‘Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of the night and the day are signs for those of understanding
Who remember Allah while standing or sitting or [lying] on their sides and give thought to the creation of the heavens and the earth, [saying], “Our Lord, You did not create this aimlessly; exalted are You [above such a thing]; then protect us from the punishment of the Fire’
[Aal ‘Imraan 3:190].”
Narrated by Ibn Hibbaan in his Saheeh (2/286). See also as-Silsilah as-Saheehah (1/147).
The man of literature and great thinker, Ustadh ‘Abbaas Mahmoud al-‘Aqqaad, wrote a book on this issue, entitled at-Tafkeer Fareedah Islamiyyah (Thinking is an Islamic Duty).

Praise be to Allah.The things that nullify Islam are ten; they were mentioned by Imam Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhaab, and there is scholarly consensus on all of them except one, namely sihr (magic, witchcraft), which is subject to further discussion, but with regard to some forms of it, the scholars are unanimously agreed that it nullifies Islam, as we shall see below. 
We may sum up these things that nullify Islam as follows: 
1. Shirk or associating others in worship with Allah, may He be exalted
Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Verily, Allah forgives not that partners should be set up with him in worship, but He forgives except that (anything else) to whom He pleases”
[an-Nisa’ 4:48]
“Verily, whosoever sets up partners in worship with Allah, then Allah has forbidden Paradise for him, and the Fire will be his abode. And for the Zalimoon (polytheists and wrongdoers) there are no helpers”
[al-Maa’idah 5:72]. 
That includes: calling upon the dead, seeking their help, and making vows and offering sacrifices to them. 
The evidence for this in the Qur’an and Sunnah is more than can be listed, and the scholarly consensus on this point is well established. 
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
The basis of shirk (ascription of partners to Allah) is when you equate Allah, may He be exalted, with His creation in terms of some of that which He alone deserves to have ascribed to Him, because no one ever equated anything to Allah in all respects. So whoever worships anything other than Him, or puts his trust in that thing is a mushrik who has associated something else with Him.
End quote from al-Istiqaamah (1/344) 
Ibn ‘Abd al-Haadi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
If a person comes to the bier of a dead person, calling upon him instead of Allah and seeking his help, this is shirk and is haraam according to Muslim consensus.
End quote from as-Saarim al-Munki (p. 436) 
2. Ascribing intermediaries to Allah
Whoever makes intermediaries between him and Allah, calls upon them, asks them to intercede for him and puts his trust in them, is a disbeliever according to scholarly consensus. 
The evidence for that is the verse in which Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And they worship besides Allah things that hurt them not, nor profit them, and they say: ‘These are our intercessors with Allah.’ Say: ‘Do you inform Allah of that which He knows not in the heavens and on the earth?’ Glorified and Exalted be He above all that which they associate as partners with Him!”
[Yoonus 10:18].
 Whoever does that is akin to those who worship idols. 
Hence Ibn Muflih (may Allah have mercy on him) said in al-Furoo‘ (3/553):
Because that is like the deeds of idol worshippers who say: We only worship them so that they may bring us closer to Allah. End quote. 
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
Whoever makes the angels and Prophets intermediaries, calling upon them, putting his trust in them, asking them to bring benefits and ward off harm – such as asking them for forgiveness of sins, guidance, relief of distress and meeting of needs – is a disbeliever according to Muslim consensus.
End quote from Majmoo‘ al-Fataawa (1/124) 
The scholars learned about this consensus from Shaykh al-Islam, and confirmed it in their books, in the chapters on the rulings on apostates, as was quoted by al-Mirdaawi in al-Insaaf (10/327), where he says:
The same ruling applies if he makes intermediaries between himself and Allah, putting his trust in them, calling upon them and asking of them. That is according to scholarly consensus. End quote. 
See: Kashshaaf al-Qinaa‘ by al-Bahooti (6/168); al-Furoo‘ by Ibn Muflih (3/553) 
3. Not regarding the mushrikeen as kuffaar (disbelievers)
Whoever does not regard the mushrikeen as kuffaar (disbelievers) and doubts whether they are disbelievers, or regards their beliefs are sound, is himself a disbeliever. 
With regard to this nullifier of Islam, there is scholarly consensus that the one who does this is a disbeliever. What is meant by the “mushrikeen” here is one who was originally a disbeliever. Connected to them are those who commit an act of apostasy on which the scholars are unanimously agreed that it is definitely apostasy, with regard to an issue that is well-known to be a fundamental part of the religion, such as one who denies the resurrection, or who rejects a verse of the Book of Allah, and other clear causes of apostasy concerning which there is no ambiguity.
Al-Qaadi ‘Iyaad (may Allah have mercy on him) narrated that there was scholarly consensus on this matter, and he said:
There is consensus that one who does not regard any of the Jews and Christians as disbelievers, or does not regard anyone who leaves the religion of the Muslims as a disbeliever, or does not take a stand with regard to this issue, or is unsure about it, is himself a disbeliever. 
End quote from ash-Shifa’ (2/281) 
See also the answer to question no. 210595 
4. Believing that the guidance of someone other than the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) is more perfect than his guidance, etc
Whoever believes that the guidance of someone other than the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) is more perfect than his guidance, or that the rule of someone other than him is better than his rule, such as those who prefer the rule of man-made laws over the Prophet’s rulings, is a kaafir (disbeliever). 
Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
This category includes those who believe that the systems and laws invented by people are superior to the sharee‘ah of Islam, or that they are equal to it, or that it is permissible to refer to them for judgement, even if they believe that judging according to sharee‘ah is preferable; and those who believe that the Islamic system is not fit to be applied in the twentieth century, or that it was a cause of the Muslims’ decline, or that it should be limited to a person’s relationship with his Lord, and should have nothing to do with other matters of life. 
That also includes those who think that implementing the rulings of Allah with regard to cutting off the hand of the thief or stoning the previously-married adulterer is not appropriate in the present age. And it also includes everyone who believes that it is permissible to rule by something other than the laws of Allah in the case of transactions, hudood punishments, and other matters, even if they do not believe that that is preferable to the ruling of sharee‘ah, because by doing that they are regarding as permissible that which Allah has prohibited, according to scholarly consensus, and whoever regards as permissible that which Allah has prohibited, and that is one of the well-known fundamental teachings of the religion – such as zina, alcohol, riba, and ruling by something other than the laws of Allah – is a disbeliever according to Muslim consensus. 
End quote from Majmoo‘ Fatawa ash-Shaykh Ibn Baz (1/132) 
In fatwa no. 111923 we stated that there is scholarly consensus regarding this nullifier of Islam. 
5. Hating something that was brought by the Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)
Whoever hates something that was brought by the Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), even if he complies with it, is a disbeliever, because Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
“That is because they hate that which Allah has sent down (this Quran and Islamic laws, etc.), so He has made their deeds fruitless”
[Muhammad 47:9]. 
There is scholarly consensus that the one who hates that which was brought by the Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) is a disbeliever, as was stated by al-Bahooti in Kashshaaf al-Qinaa‘ (6/168). 
6. Ridiculing any aspect of the religion of the Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)
Whoever ridicules any part of the religion of the Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), or its promises of reward or warnings of punishment, is a disbeliever. The evidence for that is the verse in which Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
“…Say: ‘Was it at Allah and His Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) and His Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) that you were mocking?’
Make no excuse; you have disbelieved after you had believed”
[at-Tawbah 9:65-66]. 
Shaykh ‘Abd ar-Rahmaan as-Sa‘di (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
The foundation of Islam is built on veneration of Allah and respect for His religion and His Messengers, and any mockery thereof is contrary to this principle and is in sharp contrast to it.
End quote from Tayseer al-Kareem ar-Rahmaan (p. 342) 
Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
All the scholars are unanimously agreed that if the Muslim reviles or criticises the religion, or reviles or criticises the Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), or ridicules him, then he is an apostate and a disbeliever, who may be executed and his wealth seized.
End quote from Fataawa Noor ‘ala ad-Darb (1/139) 
For more information, please see the answer to question no. 163627 
7. Sihr (magic or witchcraft)
Whoever does that or approves of it is a disbeliever. The evidence for that is the verse in which Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
“neither of these two (angels) taught anyone (such things) till they had said, ‘We are only for trial, so disbelieve not (by learning this magic from us)’”
[al-Baqarah 2:102]. 
With regard to this nullifier of Islam, there is no scholarly consensus on all forms of it. 
So if the practitioner of witchcraft does something that constitutes kufr (disbelief), such as disrespectfully handling a copy of the Qur’an, or prostrating to the devils, and the like, then he is a disbeliever according to scholarly consensus. 
But if he does not do any such things, then most of the scholars are of the view that he is also a disbeliever just because of his practising magic or witchcraft. This has been discussed previously in fatwa no. 69914 
We also referred to the difference of scholarly opinion concerning this matter in fatwa no. 13914 
For more information, please see fatwa no. 148099 
8. Supporting the mushrikeen and helping them against the Muslims.
The evidence for that is the verse in which Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And if any amongst you takes them as Auliya (friends, protectors, helpers, etc.), then surely he is one of them. Verily, Allah guides not those people who are the Zalimoon (polytheists and wrongdoers and unjust).”
[al-Maa’idah 5:51]. 
What is meant by that is if a Muslim helps, supports and aids the disbelievers against the Muslims, and he forms an alliance with their party, instead of the party of the believers. 
In his commentary on the verse in which Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning), “Let not the believers take the disbelievers as Auliya (supporters, helpers, etc.) instead of the believers, and whoever does that will never be helped by Allah in any way” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:28], At-Tabari (may Allah have mercy on him) said: 
Do not, O believers, take the disbelievers as a source of help and support or ally yourself with them in support of their religion, supporting them against the Muslims instead of the believers, and telling them about the Muslims’ weak points, for whoever does that “will never be helped by Allah in any way”. What is meant is that he has disavowed Allah and Allah has disavowed him because of his apostasy from His religion and his becoming a disbeliever. “except if you indeed fear a danger from them” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:28], that is, unless you are under their rule and you fear that they may kill you, so you pay lip service to giving them support, whilst concealing enmity towards them in your hearts, and you do not support them in what they are following of disbelief or help them against any Muslim in any way.
End quote from Tafseer at-Tabari (3/140) 
The scholars of Morocco issued a fatwa stating that Muhammad ibn ‘Abdullah as-Sa‘di, one of the kings of Marrakesh, became a disbeliever when he sought the help of the King of Portugal against his paternal uncle. 
See: al-Istiqsaa’ li Akhbaar Duwal al-Maghrib al-Aqsa (2/70) 
In al-Qada’ min Nawaazil al-Imam al-Burzuli (may Allah have mercy on him) it says that the ruler of the Muslims, Yoosuf ibn Taashfeen al-Lamtooni (may Allah have mercy on him) asked the scholars of his time (may Allah be pleased with them) about Ibn ‘Abbaad al-Andalusi writing to the Franks (i.e., Christians) asking for help against the Muslims. Most of them (may Allah be pleased with them) replied that he was an apostate and a disbeliever.
See: al-Istiqsaa li Akhbaar Duwal al-Maghrib al-Aqsa (5/75) 
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on) issued a fatwa concerning those who joined the Tatars and fought the Muslims, stating that such a person was an apostate, and he said: 
If the Sahaabah called those who withheld zakaah apostates – even though they fasted and prayed, and did not fight the main body of the Muslims – then how about those who have joined the enemies of Allah and His Messenger to fight the Muslims? 
End quote from Majmoo‘ Fataawa Shaykh al-Islam (28/530-531) 
9. Believing that it is permissible for some people to go beyond the bounds of sharee‘ah (and follow a religion other than Islam)
Whoever believes that it is permissible for some people to go beyond the bounds of the sharee‘ah of Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) (and follow a religion other than Islam) is a disbeliever, because Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it will never be accepted of him, and in the Hereafter he will be one of the losers”
[Aal ‘Imraan 3:85]. 
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
It is well known in Islam, and all the Muslims are unanimously agreed, that whoever thinks that any religion other than Islam is valid, or that following a set of laws other than the laws of Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) is acceptable, is a disbeliever. This is like the disbelief of one who believes in part of the Qur’an and disbelieves in part of the Qur’an. 
End quote from al-Fataawa al-Kubra (3/543) 
10.  Turning away from the religion of Allah, and not learning it or acting in accordance with it
The evidence for that is the verse in which Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And who does more wrong than he who is reminded of the Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) of his Lord, then he turns aside therefrom? Verily, We shall exact retribution from the Mujrimoon (criminals, disbelievers, polytheists, sinners, etc.)”
[as-Sajdah 32:22].
What is meant by the “disbelief of turning away” is turning away from that which the Messenger brought, not paying any attention to it, not learning it from him, and not paying it any heed.
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
With regard to the “disbelief of turning away”, it means turning away from the Messenger and ignoring him, neither believing him nor disbelieving him, neither taking him as an ally nor taking him as an enemy, and not paying any attention to what he brought at all.
End quote from Madaarij as-Saalikeen (1/347)
Shaykh ‘Abd al-Lateef ibn ‘Abd ar-Rahmaan ibn Hasan Aal ash-Shaykh (may Allah have mercy on him) said, in a detailed response concerning that:
People’s conditions vary greatly, and they vary according to their level of faith. This applies if faith is present in the first place, but negligence has to do with things that are less important than faith, such as some deeds that are obligatory or mustahabb.
But if there is no faith at all – meaning a kind of faith by which a person is  regarded as a Muslim – and he turns away from it altogether, then this is the “disbelief of turning away”, concerning which Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And surely, We have created many of the jinns and mankind for Hell. They have hearts wherewith they understand not, they have eyes wherewith they see not, and they have ears wherewith they hear not (the truth). They are like cattle, nay even more astray; those! They are the heedless ones”
[al-A‘raaf 9:179]
“But whosoever turns away from My Reminder (i.e. neither believes in this Quran nor acts on its orders, etc.) verily, for him is a life of hardship, and We shall raise him up blind on the Day of Resurrection”
[Taa-Haa 20:124].
But you should understand that what matters is knowing the reality of faith, even if the expressions and wording vary.
End quote.
See: Nawaaqid al-Eemaan al-I‘tiqaadiyyah by Dr Muhammad ‘Abd al-Wahhaab al-Wuhaybi (128-129).
We have not come across anyone who said that there was scholarly consensus concerning this type of disbelief.
For more information, please see the answer to question no. 142392
And Allah knows best.

Praise be to Allah.Shaykh Muhammad ibn ’Uthaymin (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
“The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) explained the wisdom behind tawaf when he said: “Circumambulation of the Ka`bah (tawaf), going between as-Safa and al-Marwah (sa‘i), and stoning the Jamarat have only been ordained to establish the remembrance of Allah.” 
The one who circumambulates the House of Allah, may He be exalted, does that while feeling awe of Allah in his heart, may He be exalted. Thus he is in a state of remembrance of Allah, may He be exalted, and all his movements – walking, kissing or touching the Black Stone and the Yemeni Corner, or pointing to the Black Stone – all come under the heading of remembering Allah, may He be exalted, because they are all acts of worship, and all acts of worship are remembrance of Allah, may He be exalted, in general terms. 
As for the words that he utters of takbهr, dhikr and du`a, they obviously come under the heading of remembering Allah, may He be exalted. 
As for kissing the Black Stone , it is an act of worship in which a person kisses a stone to which he has no connection except worshipping Allah, may He be exalted, by venerating it and following the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) by doing that, as it is proven that the Amهr al-Mumineهn ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) said, when he kissed the Black Stone : I know that you are a stone and have no power to harm or benefit; were it not that I saw the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) kissing you, I would not have kissed you.
With regard to what some ignorant people think, that the purpose behind that is to seek blessing (barakah) from it, there is no basis for that, so it is invalid.
With regard to what some heretics have said, that circumambulating the Ka`bah is like circumambulating the graves of their saints, and that it is tantamount to idolatry, this is part of their heresy. 
The believers only circumambulate the Ka`bah in compliance with the command of Allah, and whatever is done in compliance with the command of Allah, doing it is an act of worship of Allah, may He be exalted.
Do you not see that prostrating to anything other than Allah is major shirk (shirk akbar), but when Allah commanded the angels to prostrate to Adam, prostration to Adam was an act of worship to Allah, may He be exalted, and refusing to prostrate to him was an act of disbelief?
Hence circumambulation of the Kabah is one of the greatest acts of worship; it is the foundation of the Hajj, and Hajj is one of the pillars of Islam. Hence when the mataf (place of tawaf) is calm, the one who does tawaf experiences the joy of tawaf and feels in his heart that he is close to his Lord, which confirms the virtue and high status of the House of Allah. And it is Allah Whose help we seek.” (Fatawa al-‘Aqهdah, pp. 28-29)
And Allah knows best.

Praise be to Allah.If you hear or see such stories, reports and cases, then remember two important things, that should be constantly borne in mind:
1.
Remember the Dajjaal, who is mentioned in mutawaatir hadiths which tell us that he will emerge at the end of time; the books of Saheeh and Sunans are filled with such reports, in which it is proven that Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, will cause a number of apparently extraordinary feats to occur at his hands, as a test to people, to see whether they will follow him or reject him, because fitnah and trials cannot occur except through such great extraordinary feats, to the extent of raising the dead, causing crops to grow, bringing down rain, talking to animals, and so on. After that, will you believe any proponent of falsehood who claims to confirm his falsehood with some extraordinary feats?
Can anyone other than the Dajjaal – among these practitioners of magic, charlatans, priests, monks, Buddhists, Sikhs, Hindus and atheists, and others who we see today performing extraordinary feats – can all of these people be stronger in influence and do greater extraordinary feats and performances, than the Dajjaal, such that we would believe in their religions and reject the Dajjaal?
Imam ash-Shaatibi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
Not every extraordinary feat that occurs at the hands of the human being is a karaamah (miracle). Rather some of them may be karaamaat, whilst others are not.
To explain with examples: those who try to control things by concentrating their thoughts, and those who deal with astrology, may perform extraordinary feats, but it is all darkness upon darkness, and there is no way it could be sound or valid
If it involves focusing one’s thoughts on a thing until those thoughts have an impact on it, that is not proven by any religious text, and there is no basis for it at all. Rather the basis for that is philosophical and it has no basis in religious teaching. Even if this extraordinary feat, having an impact on the object, happens, that does not prove that it is sound or valid. It may even have a visible impact in the form of killing or wounding, and that impact may be reached by means of magic or the evil eye, and the like, but that does not prove that it is sound or valid. Rather it is completely invalid and is pure transgression. The common folk are usually deceived by that, as are many of the elite.
End quote from al-Muwaafaqaat (2/444-446)
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said: 
You will find that in many such cases, their evidence to support their belief that someone is a wali or close friend of Allah is that he foretold some future events, or performed some extraordinary feats, such as pointing to a person and he died, or flying through the air to Makkah or elsewhere, or walking on water, or filling a vessel out of thin air, or spending some time in the unseen, or sometimes disappearing from people’s view, or people sought his help when he was absent or dead, then they saw him come and meet their needs, or telling people what has been stolen from them, or telling them how an absent loved one is doing, or healing a sick person, and so on.
There is nothing in any of these cases to indicate that the one who does them is a wali or close friend of Allah. Rather the close friends of Allah are unanimously agreed that if a man flies through the air or walks on water, no one should be deceived by him until he examines how closely he follows the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and the extent to which he complies with his commands and prohibitions.
The karaamaat (miracles) of the awliya’ (close friends of Allah) are greater than these things. Even though the one who does these extraordinary feats may be a wali or close friend of Allah, he may also be an enemy of Allah, because these extraordinary feats may be done by many of the disbelievers, polytheists, people of the Book and hypocrites, or they may be done by followers of innovation and may even be done by the devils.
So it is not permissible to think that everyone who performs some of these feats is a close friend of Allah. Rather the close friends of Allah are to be recognised by their attributes, deeds and character as indicated by the Qur’an and Sunnah, and they are to be recognised by the light of faith and the Qur’an, and the level of faith they have in their hearts, and how they comply with the outward teachings of Islam.
End quote from Majmoo‘ al-Fataawa (11/213)
He (may Allah have mercy on him) also said:
Among the various types of polytheists – such as the polytheists of the Arabs, and the polytheists of the Indians, Turks, Greeks and others – there are those who strive to seek knowledge, practice asceticism and engage in worship, but they are not following the Messengers, and they do not believe in the message they brought or accept what they told people, and they do not obey their commands. Such people are not believers and are not close friends of Allah; rather the devils become their close companions, and they descend upon them. So (these charlatans) may disclose some matters of the unseen to people, and they have extraordinary feats that are akin to magic. They are of the same ilk as the soothsayers and magicians upon whom the devils descend. Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Shall I inform you (O people!) upon whom the Shayaateen (devils) descend?”
[ash-Shu‘ara’ 26:221].
All of those who claim to be able to predict the future and perform extraordinary feats, if they are not following the Messengers, are inevitably lying, the devils are inevitably lying to them, and among their deeds there are inevitably actions that constitute sin and immorality, such as some type of shirk, wrongdoing, shameful deeds, exaggeration or innovation in worship. Therefore the devils descend upon them and become their close companions, and they become close friends of the Shaytaan, not close friends of the Most Gracious. Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And whosoever turns away (blinds himself) from the remembrance of the Most Beneficent (Allah) (i.e. this Quran and worship of Allah), We appoint for him Shaitan (Satan devil) to be a Qareen (an intimate companion) to him”
[az-Zukhruf 43:36].
End quote from Majmoo‘ al-Fataawa (11/172)
Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
Extraordinary feats may be granted to a heretic by way of letting him get carried away and become misguided, just as they may be granted to one who is strong and true in faith by way of honour and blessing. The only way to know the difference between them is by seeing which of them is following the Qur’an and Sunnah.
End quote from Fath al-Baari (12/385)
Secondly:
With regard to this issue, most – if not all – of what is circulated in the media today and what people see with their own eyes, that they think of as extraordinary feats, is nothing but tricks, deceit and optical illusions, or acting, no more and no less, to the point that believing that such things are extraordinary feats is very naive and foolish. There are dozens of research-based documentaries that explain these tricks and tell it as it is, explaining the methods of acting used by those who are involved in these so-called feats. The most recent example is what happened to one of the most famous magicians, who flew through the air before an audience, but soon the media showed what really happened, which was that he was suspended by very fine yet very strong threads that were barely visible to the eye.
For more information, please see: Talbees Iblees by Ibn al-Jawzi (p. 340-342)
We have also previously explained on our website that it is haraam to seek ruqyah from non-Muslims, especially priests and monks. Please see the following questions: 180492  and 147094
Conclusion:
Most of what appears of extraordinary feats performed by people other than the righteous slaves of Allah is only tricks, deceit and acting. If any such thing happens for real, then it is more akin to the actions of magicians and soothsayers, or happens with the help of the jinn and the Shaytaan. The most that can be said of any of them is that he is like the Dajjal – then what?!
And Allah knows best.