So the scholars (raḥimahumullāh) have mentioned in judgement upon the apostate that the Muslim apostates from his Religion due to many types of invalidators that make his blood and his wealth permissible and by that he leaves Islām

Know – O Muslim brother – that Allāh has obligated upon all of the servants to enter into Islām and to hold fast to it and to warn against whatever opposes it. So Allāh sent His Prophet Muḥammad (ṣallallāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam) to call to that, and He, the Mighty and Majestic, informed that whoever followed him was indeed guided, and whoever resisted him was indeed misguided. So He warned in many statements concerning the causes for apostasy and the types of disbelief. So the scholars (rahimahumullāh) have mentioned in judgement upon the apostate that the Muslim apostates from his Religion due to many types of invalidators that make his blood and his wealth permissible and by that he leaves Islām. The most dangerous of these emanate from ten invalidators. ²

We shall mention them for you in what follows upon a short path to warn you about them and so that you may warn others in hopes of security and well being, along with a small explanation after mentioning them.

First: From the ten invalidators is shirk (associating partners) in the worship of Allāh. Allāh the Exalted says:

From the ten invalidators is shirk (associating partners) in the worship of Allāh. Allāh the Exalted says:

“Verily Allāh does not forgive that you associate partners with Him, but He forgives whatever is below that for whoever He wishes.”
[Sūrah al-Nisā, 4:116]

Allāh the Exalted says:

“Whoever associates partners with Allāh, then Allāh, then Allāh has forbidden Paradise for him and his dwelling be in the Fire and there will be no helpers for the oppressors.”
[Sūrah al-Maʾidah 5:72]

So from that is a supplication to the dead and seeking their aid and taking oaths by them and slaughtering for their sake.

Second: Whoever places intermediaries between himself and Allāh, supplicating to them and asking them for intercession and placing his trust upon them, then he has indeed disbelieved by agreement.

Whoever places intermediaries between himself and Allāh, supplicating to them and asking them for intercession and placing his trust upon them, then he has indeed disbelieved by agreement.

Third: Whoever does not disbelieve in the idolaters, or doubts in their disbelief, or believes in the correctness of their religion, then he has disbelieved.

Whoever does not disbelieve in the idolaters, or doubts in their disbelief, or believes in the correctness of their religion, then he has disbelieved.

Fourth: Whoever believes that the guidance of other than the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam) is more complete than his Guidance, or that the judgement of other than him is better than his Judgement, such as those who give precedence to the judgement of the ṭawāghīt ³ over his Judgement, then he is a disbeliever.

Fifthly: Whoever hates something from what the Messenger (ṣallallāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam) came with, or the one who acts like that, then he has indeed disbelieved due to the statement of Allāh:

Whoever hates something from what the Messenger (ṣallallāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam) came with, or the one who acts like that, then he has indeed disbelieved due to the statement of Allāh:

“That is because they disbelieved in what Allāh revealed, so He rendered their deeds worthless.”
[Sūrah Muḥammad 47:9]

Sixth: Whoever ridicules something from the Religion of the Messenger (ṣallallāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam), or its reward, or its punishment, he has disbelieved. The proof for this is the statement of Allāh:

Whoever ridicules something from the Religion of the Messenger (ṣallallāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam), or its reward, or its punishment, he has disbelieved. The proof for this is the statement of Allāh:

“Say: Was it Allāh and His messenger and His Signs that you were mocking? Make no excuse, indeed you have disbelieved after your faith.”
[Sūrah al Tawbah, 9:65-66]

Seventh: Magic, and from it is ṣarf (detachment) ⁴ and ʿiṭf (affection) ⁵. So whoever does this, or is happy with it – he has disbelieved. The proof is the statement of Allāh:

“And they do not teach anyone until they have said: ‘We are a trial so do not disbelieve.'”
[Sūrah al-Baqarah 2:102]

Eighth: Supporting the disbelievers and cooperating with them against the Muslims. The proof for this is the statement of Allāh the Exalted:

Supporting the disbelievers and cooperating with them against the Muslims. The proof for this is the statement of Allāh the Exalted:

“So whoever forms an alliance with them, then verily he is from them. Verily Allāh does not guide an oppressive people.”⁶
[Sūrah al-Maʾidah, 5:51]

Ninth: Whoever believes that some of the people are free to leave from the Law (Sharīʿah) of Muḥammad (ṣallallāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam), then he is a disbeliever due to the statement of Allāh the Exalted:

Whoever believes that some of the people are free to leave from the Law (Sharīʿah) of Muḥammad (ṣallallāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam), then he is a disbeliever due to the statement of Allāh the Exalted:

“Whoever seeks a religion other than Islām, it will never be accepted from him, and in the Hereafter, he will be from the losers.”
[Sūrah Āli ʿImrān, 3:75]

Tenth: Turning away from the Religion of Allāh without being knowledgeable about it, nor acting upon it. The proof for this is the statement of Allāh:

Turning away from the Religion of Allāh without being knowledgeable about it, nor acting upon it. The proof for this is the statement of Allāh:

“And who is more unjust⁷ than one who is reminded⁸ of the statement of his Lord, then he turns away⁹ from them. Verily We will take retribution¹⁰ from the criminals.” [Sūrah al-Sajdah, 32:22]

So all of these invalidators do not differentiate between the scoffer or the liberal person or the fearful, except that it is deception. All of them are from the greatest danger and most numerous in occurrence. So it is befitting for the Muslim that he is aware of them and fears them for himself.

Whoever believes in the constitutions and laws that the people take as being better than the Law of Islām, or that the Laws of Islām cannot be applied in the twentieth century, or that they are a cause for division amongst the Muslims, or that it restricts a person’s devotion to his Lord without entering into the matters of the Next Life. Also entering into the fourth category is whoever thinks that the Ruling of Allāh in cutting the hand of the thief or stoning the adulterer is not valid in this age. Also entering into that is whoever believes that it is permissible to rule by other than the Law of Allāh in conduct and punishments or other than them.

We seek refuge in Allāh from that which necessitates His Anger and His Grievous Punishment. May the Prayers and Peace of Allāh be upon the best of His creation, Muḥammad and upon his family and his companions.

Endnotes:

[1] This is a slightly abridged translation of ‘al-ʿAqīdah al- Ṣaḥīḥah wa-al-Risālah al-Maʿiyyah’ (a collection of four booklets by the al-‘Allāmah Ibn Bāz) (p.37-41).
[2] The shaykh, the Imām, Muḥammad Ibn ʿAbd al Wahhāb and other than him from the people of knowledge have mentioned all of these. Translators Note: See: al-Durar al-Sunniyyah (8/89-90), and Muʾallifāt Shaykh Muḥammad Ibn ʿAbd al Wahhāb (5/212/214).
[3] Translators Note: Imām Ibn al-Qayyim gave a general definition for ṭāghūt (pl. ṭawāghīt) when he said [Fat‘h al Majīd (p. 16)]:
“A ṭāghūt is everything that a slave transgresses the limits by, such as a deity, or someone who is followed, or calls to his following. So a ṭāghūt is every people who subject judgement to other than Allāh and His Messenger, or worship from other than Allāh, or obey without Guidance from Allāh, or those who obey him in what is not known as obedience to Allāh.”
[4] Sarf: A magical action by which it is intended to distance a man from that which he wants, such as detaching a man from the love of his wife to hatred for her.
[5] ‘Itf: A magical action by which it is intended to encourage a man towards what he does not want through Satanic paths.
[6] This means, none is more oppressive than them.
[7] That is, the disbelievers.
[8] Reminder: an admonition and insight into what is obligatory upon him.
[9] Turning away: rejecting alliance.
[10] Retribution: taking back what was done before.

Translated by Maaz Qureshi¹