Bab Tahreem Takfeer al-Muslim
Calling a Muslim a Kafir, Cursing or Insulting Him is Haram
O people! What is apparent from these Ahadith? Turning away from one's Deen is such a great crime that its punishment is death. What is the meaning of turning away from Deen? Denial of enforced laws, rebellion and open enmity against the ruler, a declaration of war. What is happening in the world today? Major powers are subsuming minor powers into themselves. That is, they are enforcing their laws and making them subjects and slaves. Previously, this power was concentrated in one person, and now it is apparently divided among a few individuals of a group, but in reality, none of them is an individual; they assert the dominance of their dictatorship and barbarism, and other personalities merge with them. Meaning the wine is old, only the goblet is new and according to today's fashion style, standard.
Chapter: Calling a Muslim a Kafir, cursing them and insulting them (abusing or calling names) is Haram
وَقَالَ اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰی: وَاِنْ طَائِفَتَانِ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِیْنَ اقْتَتَلُوْا (آیت ٩۔ الحجرات) *Translation:- If two groups of Muslims fight among themselves, then make peace between them.*
وَقَالَ اللّٰهُ: وَلَا تَقُوْلُوْا لِمَنْ اَلْقٰی اِلَیْکُمُ السَّلٰمَ لَسْتَ مُؤْمِنًا (آیت ٩٤۔ نساء) *Translation:- And Allah Ta'ala also says thus: "The person who makes Islam apparent to you. Follows the Islamic way, do not say to him 'You are not a Muslim'."*
O people! Regarding sin, Shirk, and Kufr, the people of knowledge hold a few different views. (1) One is that whoever commits a sin is a Kafir. These ignorant people do not differentiate between rebellion and crime. Shirk and Kufr are rebellion. Other sins are crimes. The ruling for both cannot be one. (2) Some other people think that no "Muslim" will ever go to Hell. These people are called Murji'ah. (3) The Madhhab of the Mu'tazilah is that a sinner is neither a Muslim nor a Kafir but a Fasiq. Neither here nor there in limbo. (4) The Madhhab of the Ahl-e-Sunnah wal Jama'ah is one of moderation, which is, as we have just explained, Shirk and Kufr are unpardonable, they are rebellion. The punishment for the rest of the remaining sins! Murder and other types of sins to forgive is in the Hand of God. Whether He puts them in Hell to cleanse and purify them and then calls them to His court, whether He forgives on the intercession of some pious elder. Whether He bestows by His own Grace, whether He transforms sins into good deeds. His Mercy is very vast. God's Mercy is ahead of God's wrath. سَبَقَتْ رَحْمَتِيْ عَلٰی غَضَبِیْ. Now what remains is calling others a Kafir or an apostate or faithless is a matter of great responsibility. It is mentioned in the Hadith Sharif. If any Muslim calls another Muslim a Kafir and he is not deserving of it, then that saying will return upon him. Meaning the one who calls a Muslim a Kafir becomes a Kafir himself.
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Remember this! Those people about whom Allah Ta'ala has expressed His pleasure (i.e., Sahaba), if one calls them a Kafir or a Mal'un (accursed), then in that case the one deserving of this word will certainly be the one who said it. The regret is that Muslims are not afraid of calling a Muslim a Mushrik over every small matter. Saying such a harsh word to someone makes one deserving of the response. If one does not call a Kafir a Kafir from morning till evening, then no responsibility will be upon him. There are millions of men in the world. To what extent La'nat (cursing)? To what extent Takfeer? In place of cursing Shaytan, if we recite Kalima Sharif or Durood Sharif or Istighfar, then it is a means of reward. To consider truth as truth, and falsehood as falsehood is undoubtedly necessary, but leaving all work and directing attention to good work, what is achieved by cursing Shaytan? لَا حَوْلَ وَلَا قُوَّةَ إِلَّا بِاللّٰهِ.
وَقَالَ اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰی: وَالَّذِیْنَ یُؤْذُوْنَ الْمُؤْمِنِیْنَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتِ بِغَیْرِ مَا اکْتَسَبُوْا فَقَدِ احْتَمَلُوْا بُهْتَانًا وَاِثْمًا مُّبِیْنًا۔ (آیت ٥٨۔ احزاب) *Translation:- And Allah Ta'ala says: "The person who torments Muslim men and women without cause. Without any fault or error harms them, then he ties a calumny upon them and commits open sin."*
عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ رَضِیَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُمَا قَالَ قَالَ رَسُوْلُ اللّٰهِ صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَیْهِ وَسَلَّمَ "إِذَا قَالَ الرَّجُلُ لِأَخِیْهِ" یَا كَافِرُ "فَقَدْ بَاءَ بِهَا أَحَدُهُمَا۔ فَإِنْ كَانَ كَمَا قَالَ وَإِلَّا رَجَعَتْ عَلَیْهِ"۔ (متفق علیہ) *Words:- لِأَخِیْهِ: For his brother. بَاءَ بِهَا: Returned towards it, reverted. أَحَدُهُمَا: One of those two.* *Translation:- Hazrat Abdullah bin Umar, may Allah be pleased with both of them, says. The Noble Prophet ﷺ said that when any person says to his brother "O Kafir", then one of those two has definitely become deserving of it. If he is exactly as it was said about him, then for him. Otherwise, his saying will revert (return) upon the (sayer).* (This Hadith is agreed upon by Bukhari and Muslim)
عَنْ أَبِيْ ذَرٍّ رَضِیَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ رَسُوْلَ اللّٰهِ صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَیْهِ وَسَلَّمَ یَقُوْلُ "مَنْ دَعَا رَجُلًا بِالْكُفْرِ أَوْ قَالَ عَدُوُّ اللّٰهِ وَلَیْسَ كَذٰلِكَ إِلَّا حَارَ عَلَیْهِ۔ (متفق علیہ۔ ریاض الصالحین) *Words:- دَعَا: Called, summoned. عَدُوُّ اللّٰهِ: Enemy of Allah.* *Translation:- It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Dharr (RA) that he heard the Noble Prophet ﷺ saying thus that "The person who calls someone with the word Kafir or says enemy of God and whereas he is not such, then his statement will return upon him."* (This Hadith is also agreed upon by Bukhari and Muslim and is in Riyad us-Saliheen)
لَا تُكَفِّرُوْا أَهْلَ الْقِبْلَةِ بِذَنْبٍ وَّإِنْ عَمِلُوا الْكَبَائِرَ وَصَلُّوْا مَعَ كُلِّ إِمَامٍ وَّجَاهِدُوْا مَعَ كُلِّ أَمِیْرٍ۔ (طس۔ عن عائشہ۔ کنز ج١)
*Translation:- "Do not declare the Ahl-e-Qibla (the people who face the Qibla) as Kafir because of a sin, even if they have committed major sins. Perform Salah behind every Imam, and perform Jihad alongside every ameer."* (Tibrani — from Ayesha — Kanz vol. 1)
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*Words:- لَا تُكَفِّرُوْا: Do not call Kafir. اَلْكَبَائِرُ: Plural of Kabirah. Major sins. Murder, adultery, etc. are major sins. جَاهِدُوْا: Perform Jihad.* *(طس: Tibrani's book Al-Awsat).* *Translation:- Do not declare the Ahl-e-Qibla Kafir because of a sin, even if he commits a major sin. And perform Salah behind every Imam and perform Jihad alongside the ameer.* (This Hadith is in Tibrani's Kitab al-Awsat and in the first volume of Kanz al-'Ummal).
عَنْ أَبِيْ ذَرٍّ رَضِیَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ رَسُوْلَ اللّٰهِ صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَیْهِ وَسَلَّمَ یَقُوْلُ لَا یَرْمِیْ رَجُلٌ رَّجُلًا بِالْفِسْقِ أَوِ الْكُفْرِ إِلَّا ارْتَدَّتْ عَلَیْهِ إِنْ لَّمْ یَكُنْ صَاحِبُهُ كَذٰلِكَ۔ (رواہ البخاری - ریاض الصالحین) *Words:- لَا یَرْمِیْ رَجُلٌ رَّجُلًا: Any person does not falsely accuse another man. ارْتَدَّتْ: Returned, reverted.* *Translation:- It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Dharr (RA) that he heard the Messenger of God ﷺ saying thus that if a person calls another a Fasiq or a Kafir, then his statement reverts to himself if that person is not deserving of it.* (This Hadith is in Bukhari and also in Riyad us-Saliheen)
عَنْ عَائِشَةَ رَضِیَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهَا قَالَتْ قَالَ رَسُوْلُ اللّٰهِ صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَیْهِ وَسَلَّمَ "لَا تَسُبُّوا الْأَمْوَاتَ فَإِنَّهُمْ أَفْضَوْا إِلَى مَا قَدَّمُوْا۔ (رواہ البخاری - ریاض الصالحین) *Words:- لَا تَسُبُّوا: Do not abuse, do not speak ill, do not backbite. أَفْضَوْا: They have reached. مَا قَدَّمُوْا: That which they sent ahead, meaning actions etc. they did before dying.* *Translation:- It is narrated from Umm al-Mu'mineen Sayyidah Ayesha that the Messenger of God ﷺ said: Do not speak ill about the people who have died. Indeed whatever actions they had sent ahead, they have reached it and found what they did.* خار پیراہن مشو آسودگان خاک را *(Meaning do not become a thorn in the clothes for those resting in the dust)* (Bukhari has also narrated this Hadith and it is also in Riyad us-Saliheen)
O people! Abusing passed away people and insulting them causes pain to their living relatives. Speaking ill of others is a sin, and causing pain to present people with abuse (insults) is a double sin. He who values his time does not pay attention to useless talk. An ill person feels bad about everything (i.e. gets annoyed). He who feels bad about others, his heart is ill. His tongue is a reflection of this. You say "Allah" and remain engaged in your worldly works leaving insults and curses. قُلِ اللّٰهُ ثُمَّ ذَرْهُمْ فِیْ خَوْضِهِمْ یَلْعَبُوْنَ۔
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عَنْ أَبِي الدَّرْدَاءِ رَضِیَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُوْلُ اللّٰهِ صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَیْهِ وَسَلَّمَ لَا یَکُوْنُ اللَّعَّانُوْنَ شُفَعَاءَ وَلَا شُهَدَاءَ یَوْمَ الْقِیَامَةِ۔ (رواہ مسلم - ریاض الصالحین) *Words:- لَا یَکُوْنُوْنَ: They will not be, they will not be made. اَللَّعَّانُوْنَ: The ones who curse. شُفَعَاءَ: Intercession, those who intercede. شَفِیْع. شُهَدَاءَ: Plural of Shaheed. Witness. In Shari'ah, a witness must be a trustworthy person. The testimony of an open Fasiq and Fajir is not acceptable. Therefore, the ruler has the authority that whose testimony is suspicious and who is not eligible for testimony, to reject his testimony.* *Translation:- Hazrat Uwaymir bin Amir Ansari Khazraji, who is commonly famous by his Kunyat from his daughter Darda as "Abu Darda", narrates. The Acceptable Messenger ﷺ said that those who curse, on the Day of Resurrection, their intercession and testimony will not be accepted.* (This Hadith is in Muslim and also in Riyad us-Saliheen)
عَنْ أَبِيْ زَیْدٍ ثَابِتِ بْنِ ضَحَّاكِ الْأَنْصَارِیِّ رَضِیَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُوْلُ اللّٰهِ صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَیْهِ وَسَلَّمَ "لَعْنُ الْمُؤْمِنِ كَقَتْلِهِ"۔ (متفق علیہ - ریاض الصالحین) *Words:- لَعْنُ: To curse. كَقَتْلِهِ: Like killing him.* *Translation:- Hazrat Abu Zaid Thabit bin Dahhak Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Noble Prophet ﷺ said, "Cursing a Muslim is equal to killing him."*
عَنِ ابْنِ مَسْعُوْدٍ رَضِیَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُوْلُ اللّٰهِ صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَیْهِ وَسَلَّمَ لَیْسَ الْمُؤْمِنُ بِالطَّعَّانِ وَلَا اللَّعَّانِ وَلَا الْفَاحِشِ وَلَا الْبَذِيِّ۔ (رواہ الترمذی و قال حدیث حسن - ریاض الصالحین) *Words:- لَیْسَ: Is not. Remember that with لَیْسَ comes its connection "بِ". طَعَّانِ: Taunter. Its singular is طَاعِن. لِعَانِ: Sending curses upon one another. لَعَّان: The one who curses heavily. فَاحِش: The one who talks obscenely. اَلْبَذِيِّ: The one who talks shamelessly. بَذِّ: Mocker.* *Translation:- It is narrated from Hazrat Abdullah bin Mas'ud (RA). He says that the Noble Prophet ﷺ said that "A Muslim is not a taunter, a curser, an obscene talker, or a shameless talker."*
O people! From these Quranic verses and Ahadith it is clearly evident that a Mu'min neither backbites anyone nor rains arrows of curses upon others. Rather, his conversation and manner of living emanates peace, tranquility, reconciliation and safety. But regrettably, today Muslims are highly ruthless in tossing mud at one another; rather, that gathering is not a gathering in which there is no taunting of those present and backbiting of the absent.
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