Women Site - Hijaab, - The Key to Paradise

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Imagine: There is a path to Paradise and as we move along the path, with the very first step we find a huge signboard on which the following is written: "Hijaab…the key to Paradise." Naturally, in order to gain entry to Paradise, we have to know the merits and characteristics of Hijaab )Islamic covering(.
Hijaab fosters piety
Allaah The Almighty Says )what means(:}O children of Adam, We have bestowed upon you clothing to conceal your private parts and as adornment. But the clothing of righteousness - that is best. That is from the signs of Allaah that perhaps they will remember.{]Quran 7:26[
It means that Allaah The Almighty sent two types of clothing: clothing that covers your ‘Awrah )private parts( and clothing that adorns and beautifies you. The clothing of righteousness is the best. In other words, religious prudence and fearing Allaah The Almighty provide the best clothing that man can adorn himself with. That is because inner purity is better than outer beauty, and the best clothing of man is obedience to his Lord. There is no good in the one who disobeys Allaah The Almighty.
Hijaab purifies the heart
Allaah The Almighty Says )what means(:}And when you ask ]his wives[ for something, ask them from behind a partition. That is purer for your hearts and their hearts.{]Quran 33:53[ It was narrated on the authority of ‘Aa’ishah, may Allaah be pleased with her, that ‘Umar ibn Al-Khattaab, may Allaah be pleased with him, said, "O Messenger of Allaah, when righteous and dissolute men ]both[ may enter upon your wives, it would be better to order them to be veiled." On this occasion, the verse of Hijaab was revealed,}And when you ask ]his wives[ for something, ask them from behind a partition. That is purer for your hearts and their hearts.{]Quran 33:53[ This verse proves that Hijaab is a barrier between the desires of the souls and temptation of the hearts. It cuts the aspirations of those who have diseased hearts. So, Allaah The Almighty Says )what means(:}Then do not be soft in speech ]to men[, lest he in whose heart is disease should covet.{]Quran 33:32[
Hijaab generates bashfulness
It was narrated on the authority of Abu Hurayrah, may Allaah be pleased with him, that the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said:"Bashfulness is part of faith, and faith leads to Paradise."]At-Tirmithi[ ]Al-Albaani: Saheeh[ There is no doubt that Hijaab makes the woman realize her value in Islam and encourages her not to do anything against the obligations of Islamic ethics and appearance.
Therefore, Hijaab leads the woman gradually to developing bashfulness which itself requires her to wear Hijaab. In this way, every act of worship leads the Muslim to another one. Our Mother ‘Aa’ishah, may Allaah be pleased with her, said,
I used to enter the house where the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, and my father were buried putting aside my garment, saying that it is ]only[ my husband and father. When ‘Umar, may Allaah be pleased with him, was buried there, I never entered except wearing my garment out of shyness of ‘Umar, may Allaah be pleased with him. ]Ahmad[ ]Al-Haakim: Saheeh according to the conditions stipulated by Al-Bukhaari and Muslim[
Hijaab is a call to Sitr )covering and protection(
The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said:"Any woman who takes off her clothes anywhere other than her husband's house violates the Sitr )concealment and protection( bestowed on her by Allaah The Almighty."]Ahmad[ ]Al-Albaani: Saheeh[ The woman who observes her Hijaab has attained covering from Allaah The Almighty in this life and in the Hereafter and she will be among the dwellers of Paradise which is the abode of covering.
Hijaab is a Part of Fitrah
Hijaab and covering are part of the Fitrah )innate disposition( of the woman. She, by nature, does not like anyone to look at her. Sometimes a bashful Muslim woman may feel shy of her husband whom Allaah The Almighty made lawful for her. Man's innate disposition calls him to cover, whereas an animal's nature tends to nudity.
Hijaab is an act of worship
Hijaab is an act of worship offered to Allaah The Almighty since He is the One who ordered the woman to wear it. Allaah The Almighty Says )what means(:}And to wrap ]a portion of[ their head-covers over their chests.{]Quran 24:31[ The Muslim woman, who submits to the commands of Allaah The Almighty, is the one whose heart is filled with love for Allaah The Almighty. The issue of Hijaab is not irrelevant to the Sharee‘ah )Islamic legislation( of Allaah and His laws in the universe; rather, it is an issue that is firmly connected with the creed and Sharee‘ah at the same time.
Hijaab takes you to a good end
One of the righteous predecessors said, "If you want to know your position in the sight of Allaah, see where He has placed you." If Allaah has placed the Muslim woman in obedience and wearing Hijaab, this would be her ultimate status in His sight. The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said:"‘When Allaah wants to do good for one of his slaves, He utilizes him.” People asked, “How does Allaah utilize him?” He replied: “He guides him to do a righteous deed before he dies, then takes away his soul while performing it."]At-Tirmithi[ ]Al-Albaani: Saheeh[ Thus, if Allaah The Almighty guides you, O pure sister, to wear Hijaab until the last moment of your life, He would be utilizing you, and you should prostrate in gratitude to Allaah The Almighty.
Hijaab shields from sins
The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said:"There are two groups of people who will enter Hell but I have not seen them. One of them is a woman who is dressed but appears to be naked."]Muslim[ A woman who wears Hijaab keeps herself away from the punishment of Allaah The Almighty.
Hijaab is the symbol of the Muslim woman
As-Suddi, may Allaah be pleased with him, reported that dissolute men used to annoy and abuse women when they went out at night. If they found a woman wearing Hijaab, they would leave her and say that she is a free woman; if they found her without Hijaab, they would say that she is a bondmaid and would harm her. On this occasion, Allaah The Almighty Revealed )what means(:}O Prophet, tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to bring down over themselves ]part[ of their outer garments. That is more suitable that they will be known and not be abused. And ever is Allaah Forgiving and Merciful.{]Quran 33:59[
Hijaab is chastity
Allaah The Almighty addressed older women, whom men no longer desire, Saying )what means(:}And women of post-menstrual age who have no desire for marriage -- there is no blame upon them for putting aside their outer garments ]but[ not displaying adornment. But to modestly refrain ]from that[ is better for them. And Allaah is Hearing and Knowing.{]Quran 24:60[ It means that there is no blame or sin upon them to put aside some of their clothes, such as the upper garment and Jilbaab )garment worn over the clothes when going out(, and appear before men with their usual clothes that do not attract attention or arouse sexual desires. So, the condition is that"}…not displaying adornment{"for men to look at. After that Allaah The Almighty Says )what means(:}But to modestly refrain ]from that[ is better for them{"meaning that covering themselves by wearing the Jilbaab and the clothes of young women seeking comprehensive covering and chastity would be better for them, and more honorable and purer in the sight of Allaah The Almighty.
Hijaab is an address to every believing woman
Allaah The Almighty does not tell anyone to wear Hijaab except every believing woman who believes in Him and the Last Day. Allaah The Almighty Says )what means(:
}…and women of the believers{]Quran 33:59[
}And tell the believing women…{]Quran 24:31[
This shows that this address is directed to a sincere believing woman whose heart has been touched by faith and who submits to the command of Allaah The Almighty.

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Women Site - Hijaab, - Hijaab is Faith, Purity, Piety and Chastity

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Islamic legislation has taken great care of Muslim women and guarantees the maintenance of their chastity and honor. The rules that have been imposed concerning their clothing are intended for the sole purpose of preventing corruption that results from the exposure of adornment. Islam does not restrict women’s freedom; rather, it is a means of protecting them against falling into the pit of degradation and exploitation, and saves them from being a target for the stares of men.
Merits of Hijaab
Wearing Hijaab )Islamic covering( indicates obedience to Allaah The Almighty and the Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam.
Allaah The Almighty enjoined obeying Him and His Messenger, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, and therefore, He Says )what means(:}It is not for a believing man or a believing woman, when Allaah and His Messenger have decided a matter, that they should ]thereafter[ have any choice about their affair. And whoever disobeys Allaah and His Messenger has certainly strayed into clear error.{]Quran 33:36[
Also, Allaah The Almighty commands women to wear Hijaab, saying )what means(:}And tell the believing women to reduce ]some[ of their vision and guard their private parts and not expose their adornment except that which ]necessarily[ appears thereof.{]Quran 24:31[
Also, Allaah The Almighty Says )what means(:
•}And abide in your houses and do not display yourselves as ]was[ the display of the former times of ignorance.{]Quran 33:33[
•}And when you ask ]his wives[ for something, ask them from behind a partition. That is purer for your hearts and their hearts.{]Quran 33:53[
•}O Prophet, tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to bring down over themselves ]part[ of their outer garments.{]Quran 33:59[
The Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, was reported to have said:“The woman is ‘Awrah.”The word “‘Awrah” implies the parts that women must cover.
Hijaab indicates chastity:
Allaah The Almighty makes adherence to Hijaab a sign of chastity as indicated by the verse that means:}O Prophet, tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to bring down over themselves ]part[ of their outer garments. That is more suitable that they will be known )as such( and not molested.{]Quran 33:59[
As Muslim women wear Hijaab they cover themselves, and thus, will be known for maintaining their chastity and concealing themselves. Consequently, they}will not be abused{by wicked men. There is also an indication in}will not be abused{that the exposure of a woman’s adornment is a means of temptation and infliction of evil upon her and her family.
Hijaab is purity:
Allaah The Almighty Says )what means(:}And when you ask ]his wives[ for something, ask them from behind a partition. That is purer for your hearts and their hearts.{]Quran 33:53[
Hijaab is referred to as bringing purity to the hearts of both male and female believers, since the heart cannot desire what the eye cannot see. Hence, the heart is purer when it does not see what it desires, at which time, there will be no temptation because Hijaab does not give a chance for the aspirations of people who have diseased hearts. This is indicated by the verse that means:}Then do not be soft in speech ]to men[, lest he in whose heart is disease should covet.{]Quran 33:32[
Hijaab indicates Sitr )concealment and protection(:
The Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, was reported to have said:“Verily, Allaah is Bashful and the Concealer of faults; He likes modesty and concealment.”The Messenger, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, was also reported to have said:“Any woman who removes her clothes in any place other than her home, Allaah will tear His Sitr )Concealment and Protection( away from her.”This indicates that every person reaps what he or she sows.
Hijaab indicates piety:
Allaah The Almighty Says )what means(:}O children of Adam, We have bestowed upon you clothing to conceal your private parts and as adornment. But the clothing of righteousness - that is best.{]Quran 7:26[
Hijaab indicates faith:
Allaah The Almighty addresses no one but the believing women to wear Hijaab. This is indicated by what He Says:
•}And tell the believing women.{]Quran 24:31[
•}And the women of the believers.{]Quran 33:59[
When some women from Banu Tameem entered upon the Mother of the Believers, ‘Aa’ishah, may Allaah be pleased with her, wearing very light clothes, she said, “If you are believing women, then this is not the dress of believing women. )However(, if you are not believing women, then enjoy it )i.e. enjoy the clothes that you are wearing(.”
Hijaab indicates modesty:
The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, was reported to have said:
•“For every religion there is a )distinctive( moral and the )distinctive( moral of Islam is modesty.”
•“Bashfulness is a part of faith, and faith is in Paradise.”
•“Bashfulness and faith are inseparable, if one is removed, the other is also removed.”
Hijaab maintains manly zeal:
Hijaab also conforms to the zeal that normal men are endowed with and who cannot tolerate other men insolently staring at their wives and daughters. Many battles broke out before and after Islam out of zeal over women and for the sake of protecting their honor. ‘Ali bin Abi Taalib, may Allaah be pleased with him, said, “I was informed that your women crowd with non-Arab disbelieving men in markets. Are you not jealous )over your wives(? There is no good in anyone who is not zealous.”

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Dought & clear, - Guidelines on takfeer (ruling someone to be a kaafir).

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We hope that you can define the guidelines by means of which it is possible to determine whether someone is a kaafir or faasiq, so that I will not fall into the innovations into which many groups have fallen. Which books do you advise me to read? Please note that I am a beginner seeker of knowledge.
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
Determining whether someone is a kaafir or a faasiq (faasiq) is not up to us, rather it is up to Allaah, may He be exalted, and His Messenger(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). This is one of the rulings of sharee’ah that is to be referred to the Qur’aan and Sunnah, so we should be very careful and base our judgement on clear proof. No one may be judged to be a kaafir or faasiq except the one whom the Qur’aan and Sunnah indicate is a kaafir or faasiq.
The basic principle is that the one who appears outwardly to be a Muslim of good character is regarded as still being a Muslim of good character, until it is proven that this is no longer the case by means of evidence that is acceptable in sharee’ah. It is not permissible to take lightly the matter of judging someone to be a kaafir or faasiq, because that involves two very serious matters:
1 – It implies fabricating lies against Allaah with regard to this ruling, and fabricating lies against the one who is being judged.
2 – Falling into that which one accused one’s brother of, if he is free from that.
InSaheeh al-Bukhaari(6104) andSaheeh Muslim(60) it is narrated from ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “If a man declares his brother to be a kaafir, it will apply to one of them.” According to another report: “Either it is as he said, otherwise it will come back to him.”
Secondly:
Based on this, before ruling that a Muslim is a kaafir or a faasiq, two things must be examined:
1 – The evidence of the Qur’aan or Sunnah that this word or this action implies that a person is a kaafir or a faasiq.
2 – Applying this ruling to a specific person who says or does that thing, such that the conditions of judging a person to be a kaafir or faasiq will be met in his case, and there are no impediments.
Among the most important of these conditions are the following:
1 – That he should be aware of his transgression that renders him a kaafir or faasiq, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And whoever contradicts and opposes the Messenger (Muhammadصلى الله عليه وسلم( 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!”
[al-Nisa’ 4:115]
“And Allaah will never lead a people astray after He has guided them until He makes clear to them as to what they should avoid. Verily, Allaah is the All-Knower of everything”
[al-Tawbah 9:115]
Hence the scholars said that a person who denies obligatory duties should not be judged to be a kaafir if he is new in Islam, until that has been explained to him.
2 – A reason why he cannot be ruled to be a kaafir or faasiq is if he does something that incurs such a judgement involuntarily. This may take several forms such as:
For example, he may be forced to do that, so he does that because he is forced to, not because he accepts that. He is not a kaafir in that case, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Whoever disbelieved in Allaah after his belief, except him who is forced thereto and whose heart is at rest with Faith; but such as open their breasts to disbelief, on them is wrath from Allaah, and theirs will be a great torment”
[al-Nahl 16:106]
Another example is when he is not thinking straight, so he does not know what he is saying because of extreme joy or sorrow or fear and so on. The evidence for that is the report narrated inSaheeh Muslim(2744) from Anas ibn Maalik (may Allaah be pleased with him) who said: The Messenger of Allaah(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Allaah rejoices more over the repentance of His slave when he repents to Him than one of you who was on his mount in the wilderness, then he lost it, and his food and drink are on it, and he despairs of finding it. He goes to a tree and lies down in its shade, having lost hope of finding his mount, and whilst he is like that, there it is standing in front of him, so he takes hold of its reins and says, because of his intense joy, ‘O Allaah, You are my slave and I am your lord,’ making this mistake because of his intense joy.”
3 – Misinterpetation. He may have some confusion and some misinterpretation that he adheres to, thinking that it forms evidence for his beliefs, or he may not be able to understand and comprehend shar’i evidence and proof in the proper way. Therefore, judging someone to be a kaafir is not valid except in the case of one who deliberately goes against the shar’i evidence and who knows that he is wrong.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And there is no sin on you concerning that in which you made a mistake, except in regard to what your hearts deliberately intend. And Allaah is Ever Oft‑Forgiving, Most Merciful”
[al-Ahzaab 33:5]
Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said inMajmoo’ al-Fataawa(23/349):
Imam Ahmad (may Allaah be pleased with him) prayed for mercy for them (i.e., the caliphs who were influenced by the view of the Jahamis who claimed that the Qur’aan was created, and supported it) and prayed for forgiveness for them, because he knew that it was not clear to them that they were disbelieving the Messenger and denying what he had brought, rather they misinterpreted and erred, and followed those who said that to them. End quote.
And he (may Allaah have mercy on him) said inMajmoo’ al-Fataawa(12/180):
With regard to takfeer (judging someone to be a kaafir), the correct view is that a member of the ummah of Muhammad(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) who strives to reach the truth concerning a certain issue, but reaches the wrong conclusion, is not to be deemed a kaafir, rather he will be forgiven for his mistake. But the one who understands the message brought by the Messenger, but deliberately goes against the way of the Messenger(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) after true guidance has become clear to him, and follows a path other than that of the believers, is a kaafir. The one who follows his whims and desires and fails to seek the truth and speaks without knowledge is a disobedient sinner, and may be a faasiq, but he may have some good deeds that outweigh his bad deeds. End quote.
And he (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: (3/229):
However, and those who sit with me know this about me, I am always one of those who most emphatically forbid describing a specific person as a kaafir, faasiq or sinner, unless it is known that shar’i proof has been established against him, and it has been proven whether he is a kaafir, a faasiq or a sinner. I affirm that Allaah has forgiven this ummah for its mistakes, which includes mistakes in narrative and practical issues. The salaf continued to debate many of these issues but none of them testified that anyone else was a kaafir or a faasiq or a sinner.
He mentioned some examples, then he said:
I also state that what has been narrated from the salaf and the imams, stating that the one who says such and such is a kaafir, is also true, but it is essential to differentiate between general rules and specific cases.
… Takfeer is a kind of warning; even though the words may be a rejection of what the Messenger(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, the man may be new in Islam, or he may have grown up in a remote region. Such a person cannot be ruled to be a kaafir, no matter what he denies, unless proof has been established against him. The man may not have heard of those texts, or he may have heard them but they were nit proven to him , or he may have some ideas that are contrary to what he heard, that med him to misinterpret the text.
I always remember the hadeeth inal-Saheehayn, which speaks of the man who said: “ ‘When I die, burn me and crush (my bones), then scatter me in the sea, for by Allaah, if Allaah grasps hold of me He will punish me as He has not punished anyone else in the world.’ They did that, and Allaah said: ‘What made you do what you did?’ He said: ‘Fear of You.’ And He forgave him.”
This man doubted the power of Allaah and doubted that He would restore him if his remains were scattered; rather he believed that he would not be resurrected, which is kufr according to the consensus of the Muslims. But he was ignorant and did not know about that; however, he was a believer who feared that Allaah would punish him, so He forgave him because of that.
One who is qualified to engage in ijtihaad and who bases his incorrect notion on some misinterpretation of some text but is sincere in his keenness to follow the Messenger(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is even more deserving of forgiveness than such a person. End quote.
(Based onKhaatimah al-Qawaa’id al-Muthlaby Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him).)
Because the matter of takfeer is so serious, and mistakes therein are so grave, the seeker of knowledge, especially if he is a beginner, should refrain from indulging in that, and he should focus on acquiring beneficial knowledge that will set his own affairs straight in this world and the Hereafter.
Thirdly:
Before we suggest some books to you, we should advise you to seek knowledge directly from scholars of Ahl al-Sunnah, because that is the easiest and safest way; but that is subject to the condition that the one from whom you learn is trustworthy in terms of his knowledge and religious commitment and following of the Sunnah, and in avoidance of whims and desires and innovations.
Muhammad ibn Sireen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: This knowledge is the (foundation of) religion, so watch from whom you learn your religion. Narrated by Muslim in the Introduction to hisSaheeh.
If it is not possible where you are to attend lessons given by scholars, then you can make use of their tapes, as it has become easy to obtain them on CDs and websites, praise be to Allaah. You can also benefit from some seekers of knowledge who are keen to acquire shar’i knowledge and follow the Sunnah; hardly any place is without such people, in sha Allaah.
Fourthly:
Books which you should strive to acquire and study include the following:
Tafseer:Tasfeer Ibn Sa’di;Tafseer Ibn Katheer.
Hadeeth:al-Arba’een al-Nawawiyyah(al-Nawawi’s 40), with a commentary thereon;al-Ihtimaam bi Jaami’ al-‘Uloom wa’l-Hukamby Ibn Rajab;Riyaadh al-Saaliheen– you may pay special attention to this blessed book, and you can also learn from the commentary thereon by Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him).
‘Aqeedah: StudyKitaab al-Tawheedby Shaykh Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhaab, with its commentary;al-‘Aqeedah al-Waasitiyyahby Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah; some other useful essays on this topic such asTahqeeq Kalimat al-Ikhlaasby Ibn Rajab andal-Tuhfah al-‘Iraaqiyyah fi’l-A’maal al-Qalbiyyahby Ibn Taymiyah.
You can also benefit fromZaad al-Ma’aadby Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) and many of his other books such asal-Waabil al-Sayyibandal-Da’ wa’l-Dawa’.
This is a start. If you study these books, especially if there is someone who can help you to read and understand them, then you can move on to other books, in sha Allaah.
And Allaah knows best.

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Dought & clear, - Guidelines on takfeer (ruling someone to be a kaafir).

We hope that you can define the guidelines by means of which it is possible to determine whether someone is a kaafir or faasiq, so that I will not fall into the innovations into which many groups have fallen. Which books do you advise me to read? Please note that I am a beginner seeker of knowledge.
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
Determining whether someone is a kaafir or a faasiq (faasiq) is not up to us, rather it is up to Allaah, may He be exalted, and His Messenger(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). This is one of the rulings of sharee’ah that is to be referred to the Qur’aan and Sunnah, so we should be very careful and base our judgement on clear proof. No one may be judged to be a kaafir or faasiq except the one whom the Qur’aan and Sunnah indicate is a kaafir or faasiq.
The basic principle is that the one who appears outwardly to be a Muslim of good character is regarded as still being a Muslim of good character, until it is proven that this is no longer the case by means of evidence that is acceptable in sharee’ah. It is not permissible to take lightly the matter of judging someone to be a kaafir or faasiq, because that involves two very serious matters:
1 – It implies fabricating lies against Allaah with regard to this ruling, and fabricating lies against the one who is being judged.
2 – Falling into that which one accused one’s brother of, if he is free from that.
InSaheeh al-Bukhaari(6104) andSaheeh Muslim(60) it is narrated from ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “If a man declares his brother to be a kaafir, it will apply to one of them.” According to another report: “Either it is as he said, otherwise it will come back to him.”
Secondly:
Based on this, before ruling that a Muslim is a kaafir or a faasiq, two things must be examined:
1 – The evidence of the Qur’aan or Sunnah that this word or this action implies that a person is a kaafir or a faasiq.
2 – Applying this ruling to a specific person who says or does that thing, such that the conditions of judging a person to be a kaafir or faasiq will be met in his case, and there are no impediments.
Among the most important of these conditions are the following:
1 – That he should be aware of his transgression that renders him a kaafir or faasiq, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And whoever contradicts and opposes the Messenger (Muhammadصلى الله عليه وسلم( 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!”
[al-Nisa’ 4:115]
“And Allaah will never lead a people astray after He has guided them until He makes clear to them as to what they should avoid. Verily, Allaah is the All-Knower of everything”
[al-Tawbah 9:115]
Hence the scholars said that a person who denies obligatory duties should not be judged to be a kaafir if he is new in Islam, until that has been explained to him.
2 – A reason why he cannot be ruled to be a kaafir or faasiq is if he does something that incurs such a judgement involuntarily. This may take several forms such as:
For example, he may be forced to do that, so he does that because he is forced to, not because he accepts that. He is not a kaafir in that case, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Whoever disbelieved in Allaah after his belief, except him who is forced thereto and whose heart is at rest with Faith; but such as open their breasts to disbelief, on them is wrath from Allaah, and theirs will be a great torment”
[al-Nahl 16:106]
Another example is when he is not thinking straight, so he does not know what he is saying because of extreme joy or sorrow or fear and so on. The evidence for that is the report narrated inSaheeh Muslim(2744) from Anas ibn Maalik (may Allaah be pleased with him) who said: The Messenger of Allaah(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Allaah rejoices more over the repentance of His slave when he repents to Him than one of you who was on his mount in the wilderness, then he lost it, and his food and drink are on it, and he despairs of finding it. He goes to a tree and lies down in its shade, having lost hope of finding his mount, and whilst he is like that, there it is standing in front of him, so he takes hold of its reins and says, because of his intense joy, ‘O Allaah, You are my slave and I am your lord,’ making this mistake because of his intense joy.”
3 – Misinterpetation. He may have some confusion and some misinterpretation that he adheres to, thinking that it forms evidence for his beliefs, or he may not be able to understand and comprehend shar’i evidence and proof in the proper way. Therefore, judging someone to be a kaafir is not valid except in the case of one who deliberately goes against the shar’i evidence and who knows that he is wrong.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And there is no sin on you concerning that in which you made a mistake, except in regard to what your hearts deliberately intend. And Allaah is Ever Oft‑Forgiving, Most Merciful”
[al-Ahzaab 33:5]
Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said inMajmoo’ al-Fataawa(23/349):
Imam Ahmad (may Allaah be pleased with him) prayed for mercy for them (i.e., the caliphs who were influenced by the view of the Jahamis who claimed that the Qur’aan was created, and supported it) and prayed for forgiveness for them, because he knew that it was not clear to them that they were disbelieving the Messenger and denying what he had brought, rather they misinterpreted and erred, and followed those who said that to them. End quote.
And he (may Allaah have mercy on him) said inMajmoo’ al-Fataawa(12/180):
With regard to takfeer (judging someone to be a kaafir), the correct view is that a member of the ummah of Muhammad(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) who strives to reach the truth concerning a certain issue, but reaches the wrong conclusion, is not to be deemed a kaafir, rather he will be forgiven for his mistake. But the one who understands the message brought by the Messenger, but deliberately goes against the way of the Messenger(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) after true guidance has become clear to him, and follows a path other than that of the believers, is a kaafir. The one who follows his whims and desires and fails to seek the truth and speaks without knowledge is a disobedient sinner, and may be a faasiq, but he may have some good deeds that outweigh his bad deeds. End quote.
And he (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: (3/229):
However, and those who sit with me know this about me, I am always one of those who most emphatically forbid describing a specific person as a kaafir, faasiq or sinner, unless it is known that shar’i proof has been established against him, and it has been proven whether he is a kaafir, a faasiq or a sinner. I affirm that Allaah has forgiven this ummah for its mistakes, which includes mistakes in narrative and practical issues. The salaf continued to debate many of these issues but none of them testified that anyone else was a kaafir or a faasiq or a sinner.
He mentioned some examples, then he said:
I also state that what has been narrated from the salaf and the imams, stating that the one who says such and such is a kaafir, is also true, but it is essential to differentiate between general rules and specific cases.
… Takfeer is a kind of warning; even though the words may be a rejection of what the Messenger(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, the man may be new in Islam, or he may have grown up in a remote region. Such a person cannot be ruled to be a kaafir, no matter what he denies, unless proof has been established against him. The man may not have heard of those texts, or he may have heard them but they were nit proven to him , or he may have some ideas that are contrary to what he heard, that med him to misinterpret the text.
I always remember the hadeeth inal-Saheehayn, which speaks of the man who said: “ ‘When I die, burn me and crush (my bones), then scatter me in the sea, for by Allaah, if Allaah grasps hold of me He will punish me as He has not punished anyone else in the world.’ They did that, and Allaah said: ‘What made you do what you did?’ He said: ‘Fear of You.’ And He forgave him.”
This man doubted the power of Allaah and doubted that He would restore him if his remains were scattered; rather he believed that he would not be resurrected, which is kufr according to the consensus of the Muslims. But he was ignorant and did not know about that; however, he was a believer who feared that Allaah would punish him, so He forgave him because of that.
One who is qualified to engage in ijtihaad and who bases his incorrect notion on some misinterpretation of some text but is sincere in his keenness to follow the Messenger(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is even more deserving of forgiveness than such a person. End quote.
(Based onKhaatimah al-Qawaa’id al-Muthlaby Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him).)
Because the matter of takfeer is so serious, and mistakes therein are so grave, the seeker of knowledge, especially if he is a beginner, should refrain from indulging in that, and he should focus on acquiring beneficial knowledge that will set his own affairs straight in this world and the Hereafter.
Thirdly:
Before we suggest some books to you, we should advise you to seek knowledge directly from scholars of Ahl al-Sunnah, because that is the easiest and safest way; but that is subject to the condition that the one from whom you learn is trustworthy in terms of his knowledge and religious commitment and following of the Sunnah, and in avoidance of whims and desires and innovations.
Muhammad ibn Sireen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: This knowledge is the (foundation of) religion, so watch from whom you learn your religion. Narrated by Muslim in the Introduction to hisSaheeh.
If it is not possible where you are to attend lessons given by scholars, then you can make use of their tapes, as it has become easy to obtain them on CDs and websites, praise be to Allaah. You can also benefit from some seekers of knowledge who are keen to acquire shar’i knowledge and follow the Sunnah; hardly any place is without such people, in sha Allaah.
Fourthly:
Books which you should strive to acquire and study include the following:
Tafseer:Tasfeer Ibn Sa’di;Tafseer Ibn Katheer.
Hadeeth:al-Arba’een al-Nawawiyyah(al-Nawawi’s 40), with a commentary thereon;al-Ihtimaam bi Jaami’ al-‘Uloom wa’l-Hukamby Ibn Rajab;Riyaadh al-Saaliheen– you may pay special attention to this blessed book, and you can also learn from the commentary thereon by Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him).
‘Aqeedah: StudyKitaab al-Tawheedby Shaykh Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhaab, with its commentary;al-‘Aqeedah al-Waasitiyyahby Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah; some other useful essays on this topic such asTahqeeq Kalimat al-Ikhlaasby Ibn Rajab andal-Tuhfah al-‘Iraaqiyyah fi’l-A’maal al-Qalbiyyahby Ibn Taymiyah.
You can also benefit fromZaad al-Ma’aadby Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) and many of his other books such asal-Waabil al-Sayyibandal-Da’ wa’l-Dawa’.
This is a start. If you study these books, especially if there is someone who can help you to read and understand them, then you can move on to other books, in sha Allaah.
And Allaah knows best.