The Nullifiers of Islam
Know, O Muslim brother, that
Allah, exalted be He, has enjoined upon all His servants the necessity of
entering into Islam, adhering firmly to it, and exercising vigilance against
all that contradicts it. He sent forth His Prophet, Muhammad (peace and blessings
be upon him), to summon mankind to this path, and He, the Most High, declared
that whosoever follows him shall be rightly guided, whereas whosoever turns
away shall be led astray. In numerous Qur'anic verses, Allah warns against the
causes of apostasy and all forms of polytheism and disbelief.
The scholars—may Allah have
mercy upon them—have expounded upon the ruling concerning the apostate,
elucidating that a Muslim may renounce his religion through various nullifiers
that render his life and wealth forfeit, thereby expelling him from the fold of
Islam. Among the gravest and most prevalent of these nullifiers are ten, which
we shall outline briefly so that you may beware of them and caution others
against them, seeking thereby salvation and well-being. We shall also provide
succinct clarifications where necessary.
The First Nullifier
The most severe of these
nullifiers is associating partners with Allah (shirk) in worship. Allah,
exalted be He, states:
"Indeed, Allah does not
forgive association with Him, but He forgives what is less than that
for whom He wills." (Surah An-Nisa: 48)
"Indeed, he who
associates others
with Allah—Allah has forbidden him Paradise, and his refuge is the Fire. And
for the wrongdoers, there are no helpers." (Surah Al-Ma’idah: 72)
This includes supplicating to
the dead, seeking their assistance, making vows or sacrifices in their name,
and other acts of devotion directed to them.
The Second Nullifier
Whoever places intermediaries
between himself and Allah, invoking them, seeking their intercession, and
relying upon them, has committed disbelief (kufr) by consensus of the scholars.
The Third Nullifier
Whoever does not declare the
polytheists to be disbelievers, doubts their disbelief, or validates their
doctrine has himself disbelieved.
The Fourth Nullifier
Whoever believes that a
guidance other than that of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon
him) is more perfect, or that the ruling of another is superior to his
ruling—such as those who prefer the laws of tyrants over the divine law—has
disbelieved.
The Fifth Nullifier
Whoever despises anything
brought forth by the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), even if he
adheres to it outwardly, has disbelieved. As Allah, exalted be He, states:
"That is because they
disliked what Allah revealed, so He rendered their deeds null and void." (Surah Muhammad: 9)
The Sixth Nullifier
Mocking anything from the
religion of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), its rewards, or
its punishments constitutes disbelief. The evidence is the statement of Allah:
"Say: Was it Allah, His
verses, and His Messenger that you were mocking? Make no excuse; you have
disbelieved after your belief." (Surah At-Tawbah: 65-66)
The Seventh Nullifier
Practicing sorcery, including
forms of magic that involve diverting or compelling affections (al-sarf wa
al-‘aÏf). Whoever engages in such practices or approves of them has
disbelieved. The proof lies in the verse:
"But neither of these
two (angels) taught anyone until they had said: 'We are but a trial, so do not
disbelieve.'"
(Surah Al-Baqarah: 102)
The Eighth Nullifier
Supporting the polytheists and
aiding them against the Muslims. Allah, exalted be He, states:
"And whoever is an ally
to them among you—then indeed, he is one of them. Indeed, Allah does not guide
the wrongdoing people."
(Surah Al-Ma’idah: 51)
The Ninth Nullifier
Whoever believes that certain
individuals are exempt from the Shari'ah of Muhammad (peace and blessings be
upon him) has disbelieved. As Allah states:
"And whoever seeks a
religion other than Islam—it will never be accepted from him, and in the
Hereafter, he will be among the losers." (Surah Aal-e-Imran: 85)
The Tenth Nullifier
Turning away from the religion
of Allah, neither learning it nor acting upon it. The evidence for this is the
statement of Allah:
"And who is more unjust
than one who is reminded of the verses of his Lord, then he turns away from
them? Indeed, We shall take retribution from the criminals." (Surah As-Sajdah: 22)
There is no distinction in
these nullifiers between one who is jesting, one who is serious, or one who is
in fear. All of them constitute grave dangers and are widespread among people;
thus, every Muslim must guard against them and fear them for himself.
Included under the fourth
nullifier is the belief that man-made systems and legislations are superior to
Islamic law, or that the Islamic system is unsuitable for application in the
modern era, or that it was the cause of the Muslims' decline, or that it
pertains solely to personal worship without encompassing societal matters. Also
included under the fourth nullifier is the view that enforcing the divine
rulings—such as the amputation of the thief’s hand or the stoning of the
adulterer—is unsuitable for the present age.
Similarly, included under this
category is the belief that it is permissible to judge by laws other than
Allah’s in financial transactions, criminal laws, or any other matter, even if
one does not deem it superior to the divine law. This is because such a stance
entails permitting what Allah has forbidden by scholarly consensus. Whoever
permits what is categorically forbidden in Islam—such as fornication, alcohol
consumption, usury, or ruling by laws other than Allah’s—has committed
disbelief by unanimous agreement of the Muslims.
We seek refuge with Allah from actions that incur His wrath and from the severity of His punishment.
May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon the noblest of His creation, Muhammad, as well as upon his family and companions.
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