The Nullifiers of Islam

There are some dangerous beliefs, sayings and actions that take one out of the fold of Islam. However, these are not the only things which render a person a disbeliever, but rather the main facets from which others mainly branch from.[1] The nullifiers are ten:

1.       Shirk (Associating partners with Allah, polytheism, idolatry).

 

Shirk (polytheism) is defined as holding false gods as equals with Allah (glorious and exalted is He) in His Attributes (Characteristics), and/or devoting or awarding any act of worship to others than Allah (glorious and exalted is He).

 

Falling into shirk (polytheism) can be practiced in many ways. Abdullah Bin Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated, the Messenger of Allah (peace & blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

“Shirk (polytheism) is of seventy-some types”[2]

 

This hadith means that falling into shirk (polytheism) could happen in many ways and not only by practicing one violation of Tawheed (monotheism), as many people mistakenly believe. Shirk could be practiced by associating others with Allah (Glorious & Exalted is He) in His Ulooheeyah (the duties of the creation to the Creator), Ruboobeeyah (the duties of the Creator to the creation) or in His Names and Attributes.

 

Associating others with Allah (glorious and exalted is He) in His Ulooheeyah is by praying to others, supplicating to them, prostrating before them, slaughtering in their name, seeking their help in things which only Allah (glorious and exalted is He) can do, calling on them in their absence or devoting any type of worship to others than Allah (glorious and exalted is He).

 

Associating others with Allah (glorious and exalted is He) in His Ruboobeeyah is by ascribing to any of the creation management or control of the universe to others. For example: believing that someone or something can create or resurrect as only can Allah (glorious and exalted is He), or believing that someone or something can bring down the rain.

 

Associating others with Allah (glorious and exalted is He) in His Names is by calling someone by any of the Names of Allah (glorious and exalted is He), such as naming someone Allah, Ar-Rahman or Al-Khaliq (The Creator).

 

Associating others with Allah (glorious and exalted is He) in His Attributes is to equate the creation with The Creator in His Attributes, such as believing that a certain person knows the future.

 

If a person meets his Lord whilst possessing these forms of Shirk (Associating partners with Allah, polytheism, idolatry), he has committed the gravest sin. Therefore, Allah will not forgive him and will admit him into Hell-Fire.

 

Allah, the Most High says:

“Verily, Allah does not forgive that partners be associated with Him in worship (i.e. Shirk), but He forgives what is less than that to whom He wills.” [3]

 

And He (the glorious and exalted) says:
“Verily, the one who mixes partners in worship with Allah (Shirk), then Paradise has been made forbidden for him and his final abode will be the Hellfire. And the wrongdoers will not have any helpers (in Hell).” [4]

 

 2.       Whoever sets up intermediaries (al -Wasaa’it) between oneself and Allah (glorious and exalted is He), making supplication (ad-Du’aa) to them, asking them for Intercession (Shafaa’ah), and Relying upon them (Tawakkul) – In that case he/she has committed disbelief according to the Consensus (Ijmaa’) of the Muslim communities past and present.

 

There are many verses in the Qur’aan proving that one must direct his request to Allah (glorious and exalted is He) and worship Him sincerely without associating any partners with Him.

 

Allah, the Most High says:

“Surely the religion (worship and obedience) is for Allah (Alone). And those who take Auliyaa’ (protectors, helpers, lords, gods) besides Him (say): ‘We only worship them that they may bring us nearer to Allah.’ Indeed, Allah will judge between them concerning that wherein they differ. Verily, Allah does not guide one who is a Kaadhib (liar) Kaffaar (disbeliever).”[5]

 

And He (the Most Glorious and Exalted) says:

“And invoke not besides Allah any such that will neither profit you nor hurt you, but if [in case] you did so, you shall certainly be one of the Thalimeen [polytheists and wrong-doers]. And if Allah touches you with hurt, there is none whom can remove it but He, and if He intends any good for you, there is none who can repel His Favor which He causes it to reach whomsoever of His slaves He wills. And He is the Oft-Forgiving, the Most Merciful”.[6]

 

It is an obligation to seek help from Allah alone (glorious and exalted is He) at times of hardship (as well as ease) and to put complete trust in Him (the Most Glorious and Exalted) alone, for all aspects of life.

 

Narrated Abdullah Bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him):

“One day I was riding behind the Prophet (peace & blessings of Allah be upon him) when he said: ‘Lad, be mindful of Allah and He will protect you. Be mindful of Allah and you will find Him before you. When you ask [for anything], ask it from Allah, and if you seek help, seek help from Allah’.”[7]

 

Narrated Umar Bin Al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him):

“I heard Allah’s Messenger (peace & blessings of Allah be upon him) say: ‘If you all relied on Allah with due reliance, He would certainly give you provision as He gives it to birds who issue forth hungry in the morning and return with full belly at dusk’.”[8]

3.       Anyone who does not consider those who commit Shirk to be disbelievers, or who has doubts concerning their disbelief, or considers their way and doctrines to be correct, has himself fallen into disbelief by consensus.

This is because Allah, the Majestic and Most High, has declared them to be (kuffaar: disbelievers) in so many verses of His Book:

“Verily, those who disbelieve [in the religion of Islam, the Qur’aan and Prophet Muhammad (peace & blessings of Allah be upon him)] from among the people of the Scripture [Jews and Christians] and Al-Mushrikeen, will abide in the Fire of Hell”.[9]

 

Allah, the Most High, says:
“Surely, they have disbelieved who say: ‘Allah is the Messiah, son of Maryam…”[10]

And He, the Most High, also says:
“Surely, they have disbelieved who say: ‘Allah is the third of the three (i.e. trinity)…”[11]

 

When we say the kuffar (infidels, disbelievers) here, we mean those for whom there is no doubt they are disbelievers (i.e. Jews, Christians, Hindus, etc.) and those who claim to be Muslims, but who are proven by the majority of the Muslim scholars to be disbelievers (i.e. Qadianies, An-Nusayriah, Al-Baha’aih, Ad-Drowze, Al Batiniah, etc.)

 

 4.       Whoever believes that some guidance other than that of the Prophet’s (sallAllaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) is more complete than his guidance and that someone else’s judgement is better than his judgement, such as the one who prefers the judgement of the Tawaagheet (pl. of Taaghoot; false deities/religions) over his judgement, then he is a disbeliever.

 

There is no doubt that the guidance of Prophet Muhammad (peace & blessings of Allah be upon him) is more perfect than any other since it is a revelation.

 

Allah (Glorious and Exalted is He) says in the Qur’aan:

“Nor does he speak of (his own) desire. It is only a revelation revealed”.[13]

 

Allah, the Most High, also says:

“But no, by your Lord! They can have no Faith until they make you [O Muhammad (peace & blessings of Allah be upon him)] the judge in all disputes between them, and find in themselves no resistance against your decisions, and accept (them) with full submission”. [14]

 

The Prophet Muhammad (peace & blessings of Allah be upon him) used to say on his Friday Sermons:

“The best of speech is embodied in the Book of Allah (Glorious & Exalted is He), and the best of guidance is the guidance given by Muhammad (peace & blessings of Allah be upon him). And the most evil affairs are their innovations; and every innovation is error”.[15]

 

In the Qur’aan, Allah (Glorious and Exalted is He) describes those judging by laws other than His as disbelievers. He calls them “Al-Kaafiroon”, “Al-Fasiqeen” and “Al-Thalimeen”.

 

He, The Most High says:

“And whosoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed, such are the kaafiroon (disbelievers)”[16]

 

5.       Anyone who hates and detests anything of what the Messenger of Allah (peace & blessings of Allah be upon him) has brought has left the fold of Islam, even if he practices it.

 

Allah (Glorious and Exalted is He) says:

“But those who disbelieve (in the Oneness of Allah – Islamic Monotheism), for them is destruction, and (Allah) will make their deeds in vain. That is because they hate that which Allah has sent down (this Qur’aan, Islamic laws, etc.), so He has made their deeds fruitless”.[17]

 

There are two conditions of this nullifier:

• The person must know that the action they reject or dislike is an affirmed Islamic rule in the Qur’aan and Sunnah (i.e. As-Salaat).
• There must be ijma’ (consensus of the Muslim scholars) on this ruling. If one dislikes a ruling that has Ikhtilaaf (disputation) among the scholars, then this is not kufr (infidelity).

 

6.       Anyone who ridicules or mocks any aspect of the religion brought by the Messenger of Allah (salAllahu alayhi wa sallam) or of any of its rewards or punishments becomes a disbeliever.

 

Allah, the Most High, says:

“…Say: Was it Allah, and His Ayaat (proofs, signs, and revelations) and His Messenger (peace & blessings of Allah be upon him) that you were mocking? Make no excuse; you have disbelieved after you had believed…”[18]

 

This ayah (verse) was revealed with regard to a group of people that had mocked and ridiculed the Prophet Muhammad (peace & blessings of Allah be upon him) during the battle expedition of Tabuk. They said: “We have not seen anyone more eager to fill their stomachs nor more lying with their tongues nor more cowardly in the battlefield than the likes of these companions of ours.”[19] They meant by this the Messenger (peace & blessings of Allah be upon him) and his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them). So Allah (Glorious & Exalted is He) announced those hypocrites as kuffar (infidels) for mocking the Messenger (peace & blessings of Allah be upon him) and his companions (may Allah be pleased with them) after being believers. Therefore, mocking Allah (Glorious & Exalted is He), His Messenger (peace & blessings of Allah be upon him) or the religion of Islam is considered kufr (infidelity) and hypocrisy.

 

7.       Sorcery or Magic, which includes as-Sarf (causing alienation) and al-‘Ataf (causing affection or attachment). He who practices it or is pleased with it is a disbeliever.

 

The evidence of this is the in the Qur’aan when Allah, the Most High says:

“…but neither of these two (angels Haaroot and Maaroot) taught anyone (such things) till they had said, ‘we are only a fitnah (trial, test) so do not disbelieve (by learning this magic from us)’…”[20]

 

Also, asking a magician and believing him is kufr (infidelity). Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger (peace & blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

“Whoever goes to fortuneteller or a soothsayer and believes in his words has disbelieved in what was revealed to Muhammad (peace & blessings of Allah be upon him)’.”[21]

 

8.       Backing or supporting the polytheists and aiding them against the Muslims.

 

The meaning of helping the kuffar (infidels) against the Muslims is to be their aid against the Muslim by joining them and defending them by every mean (words, writing articles, physical protection, etc). Helping the kuffar (infidels) against the Muslims can be done by protecting them, defending them, loving their ‘Aqeedah (false faith), imitating them (in their religion, customs, etc.). Also helping them against the Muslims even though the person dislikes their faith is considered as kufr (infidelity). The outcome of helping the kuffar (infidels) against the Muslims is, weakening the Religion of Islam, the rising of the kufr (infidelity) and leading the false faith of the kuffar (infidels) to overpower the Islamic ‘Aqeedah (creed).[22]

 

And the evidence of this is the Saying of Allah, the Most High:

“O you who believe! Take not the Jews and the Christians as Auliyaa’ (friends, protectors, helpers, etc.), they are but Auliyaa’ to one another. And if any amongst you takes them as Auliyaa’, then surely he is one of them. Verily, Allah guides not those people who are the Zaalimoon (polytheists and wrong-doers and unjust)”.[23]

 

9.       Whoever believes that it is permitted for some people to be free of (implementing) the Shari’ah (revealed laws) of Muhammad (peace & blessings of Allah be upon him) – i.e. Islaam, just as it was permitted for Al-Khidr to be free from the Shari’ah of Musaa, then he is a disbeliever.

 

The belief that it is permissible for one to be free from practicing the Shari’ah of Muhammad and that he can worship Allah with something other than the Shari’ah that the Messenger came with. And he believes that he will reach Allaah and be from the inhabitants of Paradise even if he doesn’t abide by the Shari’ah of Muhammad, as some of the philosophers have stated. So he worships Allah through the path of philosophy or the path of Sabianism or the path of Sufism, thinking that he can reach Allah through the path of Muhammad or through some other path, and he says: “They are all the same.” This person is a disbeliever because there is no path by which one can proceed towards Allah except through the path of the Messenger (peace & blessings of Allah be upon him).

 

The evidence for this is when Allah, the Most High says:

“And whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it will not be accepted from him and in the hereafter he will be from among the losers.” [24]

 

Therefore, it is not permissible for anyone to be free of implementing the Prophet Muhammad’s (peace & blessings of Allah be upon him) Shari’ah (law system – i.e. Islaam) because it is all encompassing for both the Jinn and mankind, and it is the last of all Sharaa’i (pl. of Shari’ah; laws).

 

As for Al-Khidr being free from the Shari’ah of Musaa, then there is no proof in this because the Shari’ah of Musaa was not all encompassing like that of Muhammad’s (peace & blessings of Allah be upon him) – i.e it was only sent for the Tribe of Israel. Al-Khidr was also a prophet himself whom revelation was sent to.

 

Allah, the Most High tells us:

“Then they found one of Our slaves, on whom We had bestowed mercy from Us, and whom We had taught knowledge from Us. Moses said to him (Al-Khidhr): May I follow you so that you teach me something of that knowledge (guidance and true path) which you have been taught (by Allah)?”.[25]

 

10.   Avoiding and turning completely away from the religion of Allah by abstaining from learning its precepts or not acting upon it.

 

Allah (glorious & exalted is He) says:

“And who does more wrong than he who is reminded of the Ayaat (proofs, evidences, verses, signs, revelations, etc.) of his Lord, then he turns away there from? Verily, We shall extract retribution from the Mujrimoon (disbelievers, polytheists, sinners, etc).”[26]

 

Every Muslim must study his/her Religion in order to worship Allah (glorious & exalted is He) the correct way and practice what has been ordained on them from Allah (glorious & exalted is He). So, avoiding learning the major actions of Islam such as At-Tawheed, As-Salat (daily five prayers), Az-Zakat (annual charity), etc. is Kufr (infidelity). But avoiding learning only the minor actions of Islam, this is not included in this nullifier because abandoning those actions is not considered Kufr (infidelity).

 

In conclusion, there is no difference, with regard to committing any of these nullifiers, between the one who jokes, the one who is serious or the one who does so out of fear. However, the one who commits them due to being coerced is excused.

 

Allah, the Most High states:

“Whoever disbelieved in Allah after having believed, except he who is forced thereto and whose heart is at rest with Faith, but as for those who open their breasts to disbelief, upon them is the Wrath of Allah and theirs will be a grave torment.”[27]

 

All of these (ten) matters are from the gravest in danger and from those that most often occur. So the Muslim must beware of them and fear from these acts befalling him. We seek refuge in Allah from those things that bring about His Anger and painful Punishment. May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon the best of His creatures, Muhammad, his Family and his Companions

“Who Will Save You from Me Now?”

There was a small community in an isolated area.  Weak and defenseless, the people of this community lived in fear and anxiety, because they were being relentlessly attacked by a gang of bandits.

We can scarcely imagine their fear.  It is the fear of a helpless person in the face of a strong and merciless abuser.  These bandits knew only the law of the jungle.  Like lions, they recognized no code of ethics besides their own hunger and lust.  Anyone they could subdue was fair game.

Though the community lived in the desert, before the arrival of the gang, they enjoyed peace and security and managed to prosper.  Now they were being stripped of their lives, their liberty, and their honor.  In desperation, they appealed to the authorities to come save them.

The head of state decided to take it upon himself to lead his forces into the area and punish the ones who were spreading terror and violating the lives and security of his people.  News of this mobilization spread quickly and soon the bandits knew that the authorities were coming after them in force.  They were compelled to flee the area and seek refuge in the surrounding mountains.  They hid among the highest peaks they could find, hoping to save themselves.  They knew that they could very well meet their fate in the very place they were fleeing to, but they hoped to at least be able to scope out the forces that were being sent against them.

The forces arrived under the command of the head of state to find that the bandits had abandoned the area and taken up positions on a nearby mountain to survey the situation from a safe vantage point.

As soon as the forces arrived, a thunderstorm struck, flooding the valleys near the mountain.  The head of state was soaked through.  After the storm passed, he went off to find a place to remove his clothes and allow them to air out.  He found a tree, took off his outer garments, and hung them on a branch to dry.  He sat beneath the tree to rest from the tiring journey.  Fatigue defeated him and he soon drifted off to sleep.

One of the bandits was watching this with interest, and said to himself: “This is an excellent opportunity to subdue the leader while he is sleeping.  Then no one will stand in our way.”

Exercising the utmost stealth, he climbed down from the mountain and snuck across to where the leader was sleeping.

As he approached the tree, he noticed the leader’s sword beside him.  He looked left and right to make sure that no one else was around.  Then, with his skill as a thief, he quickly snatched up the sword and then pointed it in the leaders face.

The bandit sneered and exclaimed: “Who will save you from me now?”

The leader woke up at these words to see the bandit standing, threateningly above his head, sword in hand.  He realized immediately that the glowering bandit had disarmed him and was threatening to kill him.  Imagine what you would do in such a situation.

The leader kept his composure, straightened himself up where he was sitting, and regarded his assailant calmly.  After listening patiently to the bandit’s threats, he answered his assailant’s question, and said: “God will save me.”

The bandit felt a shudder go through his body and down his arm.  He dropped the sword.  As swiftly as it fell, the leader snatched it up and came upon the bandit with it, repeating the same question that the bandit had asked him moments before: “Who will save you from me now?”

Imagine that you found yourself in this leader’s position.  What would you do with the bandit? Would your state of mind give you any chance to think before acting? Would anyone blame you if you struck the thief down in self defense?

However, this leader had a strong, magnanimous heart, a heart that knew neither rancor nor vengefulness.  He regarded vindictiveness to be a sign of weakness.  Imagine that the leader not only pardoned the bandit, but offered him the opportunity to join with his forces in their campaign.  Moreover, he promised him that if he took the offer, he would receive all of the entitlements and rewards that the other soldiers would get.

We would suspect the bandit to eagerly take up this offer, at least as an act of deception.  However, the bandit did the unthinkable.  He refused, and the ruffian did so with all the coarseness and impertinence that he could muster.

The leader said to him: “Then go.  You know the way.”

The bandit began to hasten away, but then stopped and said: “I will not fight against you, nor will I ever join with any group who fights you.”  This, in and of itself, was an acceptable enough outcome.

When the bandit returned to the rest of his gang, they could see that he was elated to have survived the encounter.  He said to them: “I have come to you from a leader like no other.”  He then related to them everything that had happened and how fortunate he was to still be alive.”

It remains for us to reveal the identity of this leader.  He was the same person who is often maligned and depicted in a most ignoble light.

Yes, he was none other than Muhammad, the Prophet of God.

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A very popular question among atheists is, ‘Granted that the existence of temporal things necessitates the existence of an eternal cause, why should that cause be the God of religion? Why can’t matter be eternal and be therefore in no need of an eternal creator?’ I shall argue, on an Islamic basis but at the same time also on a rational basis, that the attribute of eternity entails other attributes, which matter does not and cannot have, and cannot, in view of this, play the role of the original and ultimate cause of temporal things. Muslim theologians say that eternity of existence logically implies everlastingness.

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The newspapers these days are echoing with these regret-filled words by Antony Flew, in his time a well-known atheist philosopher.  The 81-year-old British professor of philosophy Flew chose to become an atheist at the age of 15, and first made a name for himself in the academic field with a paper published in 1950.  In the 54 years that followed, he defended atheism as a teacher at the universities of Oxford, Aberdeen, Keele and Reading, at many American and Canadian universities he visited, in debates, books, lecture halls and articles.  In recent days, however, Flew has
announced that he has abandoned this error and accepts that the universe was created.

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The Sunnah, according to the scholars is everything that has been related from the Messenger, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, of his statements, actions, tacit approvals, personality, physical description, or biography. It does not matter whether the information being related refers to something before the beginning of his prophetic mission, or after it.

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