Murjiah & Khawarij - misunderstanding Kuffr & Takfeer!

Question: As-Salaam ‘alaykum Shaykh, May Allah grant you good and a long life. A while ago when you spoke about Takfeer, the mistakes that happens (when you apply it), and the outcome of it. And this scenario maybe happening, but because of this, a Manhaj has appeared, that which we call the Irjaa of today. They have made the religion softer than the clothes of Samir as mentioned by some of the Salaf. Can you give us more details about this or explain to us in general? Would you like to mention anything about that for us? 

Answer: Correct. When the Manhaj of Khawarij appeared, as an outcome of that, the Manhaj of Murjiah appeared, and Ahlus-Sunnah is between the Khawarij and Murjiah.

The Khawarij make Takfeer because of major sins, and Murjiah don’t make Takfeer on the Nawaqid (Nullifiers of Islam), and they restrict the Nawaqid to (a persons) Juhood (denying) and making the Halaal Haraam and similar. 

And Ahlus-Sunnah is between these. So the one who commits a deed of Kuffr and all the conditions are fulfilled, and all the barriers are removed, and this is not required for all the nullifiers, because there are some that aren’t in need of this (i.e to fulfill the conditions and remove the barriers). So the ruling on such a person is clear, he committed an act that nullifies the asl (fundamental) of Imaan.

And what is Kuffr? This is a speech, deed, belief that nullifies the asl of Imaan, and can’t exist together with Imaan. 

There has appeared as you have mentioned, groups that have approached these clear deeds like shirk with Allah, assisting the disbelievers against Muslimeen, replacing the Shari’ah, or changing the Deen, making matters which are Haraam by consensus Halaal, making mockery of the religion, shirk to Allah, making tawāf around the graves, or making du’a to the dead and similar (to that), then he approaches these clear deeds of disbelief and restrict (the application) to Juhood (denying), Istihlaal (making it Halaal) or I’tiqaad (believing). Ibn Taymiyyah called these people as mentioned in (his book) “as-Sarim al-Maslul” “al-jahmiyyah al-Inaath’”...

And they appeared as an outcome of the appearance of Khawarij, those who if they saw a big sin, they would declare him as a disbeliever and out of the fold of Islam, and they would make his blood and wealth Halaal, and they call the lands of Islam the land of war (harb) and disbelief. 

Then appeared those who call the land of disbelief, the land of Kuffr, but they call it the land of Islam; and they don’t make Takfeer upon the Kuffaar. And Ahlus-Sunnah is in the middle of these (two methodologies). 

But the brothers question was about those who hasten in Takfeer, but without a doubt this (does not cause) less harm than that and this isn’t worse than that.  A person has to look upon the madhhab of Ahlu Sunnah Wal Jama’ah and accept it clearly, because this is the religion of The Lord of the worlds. This isn’t the religion of this one or that one. 

And if this (the Understanding of Ahlus-Sunnah) isn’t delivered to the people, then the bad outcome will appear for the Muslim community. And what is this? That which he is saying, people will think it’s true, and what the others are saying isn’t true, and likewise. 

After that the truth will be lost between these two astray and deviant groups. The Khawarij went into ghulu (extremism) with regard to Takfeer, and the Murjiah went in ghulu with regard to Irjaa. Those (Khawarij) make Takfeer because of sins, and these (Murjiah) don’t make Takfeer upon Nullifies of Islam. Maybe some of them (Murjiah)are trying to find excuses for the heads of Kuffr, so the way of truth have been lost between them. 

And the fundamentals of Ahlus-Sunnah is an obligation to accept clearly, so the truth won’t mix with falsehood. 

[Answered by ash-Shaykh Sulayman al-‘Alwan (fakk Allahu asrah)]