The Muslim Ummah has never experienced a more divisive issue than that of takfir that emerged during the schism of the Ummah into groups and sects. Each group has monopolised the right to represent the true version of Islam, and all other groups are deviant. There are many reasons for such a stand most of which are political. Politics does not enter a phenomenon except spoils it. The increased politicisation of Islam in the early centuries resulted in intellectual debate with the exception of the Kharijites who advocated takfir of its opponents and spilt the blood of thousands of innocent Muslims without advancing their political agenda. Outside of the Kharijite experience, no other sect dared to take up the sword against fellow Muslims even if they label them as non-Muslims. However, the situation has differed in this era. One would assume the emergence of more civilised and intellectually mature groups compared to previous periods. On the contrary, not only do they over-reach in their accusations of takfir, they dare to spill the blood of the innocent. Extremist groups and their advocates do not understand the spirit of Islam and its purposes and have no will or ability to understand religious texts and the view of Muslim scholars. They strive to narrow the circle of Islam and easily dismiss people from the folds of Islam as it they were agents of God.
Those who have observed and contemplated extremist literature recognise it as simplistic, naïve, disjointed, and superficial. It lacks reason, understanding, and analysis, which accelerates its spread among youth and the little-minded of whom comprise the largest segment of terrorist organisations.
Most of these writings are superficial and naïve in their understanding of the approach of the Sunnis regarding the issue of takfir. They lack understanding of the purposes and spirit of the law. They do not understand the learned interpretations of Muslim scholars which contradict the very foundations of the extremist groups. Many of the pseudo-scholars and followers of extremist groups fail to distinguish between absolute and specific takfir. This is a very delicate and serious matter that justifies the failure to understand the existence of different Muslim groups and leads to accusing them of irreligious and leaving the folds of Islam.
The Ahl al-Sunnah differentiate between absolute and specific takfir. Allah’s words, “If any do fail to judge by (the light of) what Allah hath revealed, they are (no better than) Unbelievers.” [5: 44] refer to all those who do not accept Allah’s law as being disbelievers but it does not apply to specific individuals in view of the many conditions set by the Sunni scholars which they derived from the texts of the Quran and the Sunnah, which denies that Muslims leave Islam due to the sins they commit. For disbelief to truly take place, certain conditions need to be met, and contraindications need to be absent. They cannot be ignorant of the fact or coerced… in addition to other conditions discussed by Muslim scholars in a very detailed manner. This detail highlights their keenness not to remove people from the religion of God for any reason and to narrow the circle of infidelity. It reflects the keenness of Islam to increase its ranks and provides all the opportunity to repent and draw near to God.
Ibn Taymiyyah says in this regard, “The speech or deed may be disbelief, and it could be said that a person who said or did this or that has disbelieved. However, the specific person who said or did the act is not judged to be a disbeliever until compelling evidence has been presented proving his disbelief. This is consistent with the provisions of the Ahl al-Sunnah. No specific person from those who pray in the direction of the qiblah can be labelled as being among the people of Hell due to the possibility that he/she is not”. In another place, he said, “This is indicated by the fact that Imam Ahmad and the general imams who have provided such details did not label the majority of people as disbelievers. Imam al-Tahawi explained this point saying: a person could have erred in his ijtihad for which he is forgiven, and could be ignorant of Islamic texts, or could have great faith and good deeds that merit the mercy of God).
The provisions of the shariah concerning kufr may not apply to an individual due to possible exclusions such as the concerning person is unaware of the text, or doubts its authority, or did not understand them correctly, or could have performed ijtihad and erred. All these are valid excuses removing such a person from the implications of the text. It applies only to those who are aware of the text, understand its ruling, recognise its authority, and despite all that, contradicts the ruling in ridicule of Allah’s law. Based on this approach, the Companions of the Messenger of Allah, the righteous followers and scholars of Islam did not label others as disbelievers including the Kharijites who advocated the takfir of Muslims. Ali ibn Abi Talib (RA) replied when asked, “Are they disbelievers?” answered, “they have escaped disbelief”. He did not fight them due to their view, but because of the corruption, they were perpetuating in practice. Such is also the position of Abu Hanifah, al-Shafi’i and the majority of Muslim jurists. It was adopted by modern scholars of Islam including the senior scholars in Saudi Arabia and Al-Azhar who agreed that Daesh had not left Islam despite their shedding of Muslim blood, in addition to issuing a fatwa that it is necessary to combat them and protect Muslims from their corruption.
The opinion of the Sunnis concerning takfir is the same opinion held regarding the punishment of those who have committed grave sins. The general rule is that the resulting punishment is not associated with specific individuals but generally applies to all those who commit such sins. These concern the verse, “Those who unjustly eat up the property of orphans, eat up a Fire into their own bodies: They will soon be enduring a Blazing Fire!” [4: 10] and the hadith “The Messenger of Allah [SAW] cursed the one who consumes Riba, the one who pays it, the one who witnesses it and the one who writes it down”. Such provisions apply to the category of people who committed such sins and individuals cannot be charged as meriting such a punishment due to the possibility of exclusion from such people. There is the possibility or repentance, or having done many good deeds that expiate their sins. The keenness of Sunni scholars not to rush to establish the punishment of the disobedient is exemplified in Ibn Taymiyyah’s stand whereby he considers those who are quick to establish the punishment of individuals who committed grave sins to be worse than the Kharijites who accuse Muslims of disbelief due to sinning.
It is evident from this summary of the general guidelines of takfir among the Sunnis, that the extremists of ignorant of the fact, or chose to ignore it so as to fuel their psychological distortions.
*Dr.Tarik Ladjal is Professor of History at Effat University in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
