Status of specific statements
| Fatwa #726 | Category: Aqaaid (Beliefs) | Country: Belgium | Date: 2nd February 2022 |
| Fatwa #726 | Date: 2nd February 2022 |
| Category: Aqaaid (Beliefs) | |
| Country: Belgium | |
Question
Assalmu Alaikum, I have two questions:
1.) If a person says: “had it not been for so and so, this would have/have not happened” but a person believes that had it not been for Allah, so and so would not be able to make it happen, would this be Shirk?
2.) If a person mocks, ridicules, insults, show enmity or contempt for ulema, is he a kafir?
JazakAllahKhayr
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
- Man by nature is inclined to identify apparent causes behind any event. It therefore stands to reason that occurrences within one’s life will also be subject to the same.
Taqdeer refers to the belief that each and every aspect of our life is predetermined. However, this does not nullify the concept of causation.
An easy example to understand this is, person A was unfortunately diagnosed with cancer and eventually passes away. It is common to hear the statement “he passed away because of the cancer” although in actual fact only Almighty Allah is the true giver of death.
Such statements do not are simply an identification of the apparent cause whilst fully acknowledging the true power behind the event. This is not shirk. The statement in your query will also not be shirk.
- Insulting any Muslim is fisq and sin. This is understood from the following hadith,
قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم سِبَابُ الْمُسْلِمِ فُسُوقٌ، وَقِتَالُهُ كُفْرٌ
Translation: “Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said, abusing a Muslim is Fusuq (evil doing and sinful) and killing him is Kufr (disbelief).” (Bukhari-7076)
This sin is further exacerbated if the insult is targeted towards the people of knowledge (Ulama) whom Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) described as the “Heirs of the Prophets”. The Ulama are the protectors of this deen. Insulting them is a major sin (Kabeerah).[1]
Imam Tahawi (Rahimahullah) says in his Aqeedah Tahaawiyyah, a book on the fundamentals of our creed, accepted by Ulama since it was written and contains the views of the Ahlus Sunnah wal Jamaa’ah,
وَعُلَمَاءُ السَّلَفِ مِنَ السَّابِقِينَ وَمَنْ بَعْدَهُمْ مِنَ التَّابِعِينَ أَهْلِ الْخَيْرِ وَالْأَثَرِ وَأَهْلِ الْفِقْهِ وَالنَّظَرِ لَا يُذْكَرُونَ إِلَّا بِالْجَمِيلِ، وَمَنْ ذَكَرَهُمْ بِسُوءٍ فهو على غير السبيل
Translation: “The Ulama of the pious predecessors and those after them of the Taabi’een, the people of good and tradition, and the people of Fiqh and insight, are not to be mentioned except with praiseworthy speech. And whoever mentions ill about them is not on the straight path.”
Therefore, one ought to be wary of his tongue. Each and every Muslim should be considered off limits and no insults should escape one’s mouth.
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Mufti Bilal Pandor
Checked and Approved by
Mufti Nabeel Valli
Darul Iftaa Mahmudiyyah
Lusaka, Zambia
الجوهرة النيرة على مختصر القدوري (2/ 231) [1]
ومن الكبائر السحر وكتمان الشهادة من غير عذر والإفطار في رمضان من غير عذر وقطع الرحم وترك الصلاة متعمدا ومنع الزكاة ونسيان القرآن وسب الصحابة – رضي الله عنهم – والخيانة في الكيل والوزن وأخذ الرشوة وضرب المسلم بغير حق وامتناع المرأة عن زوجها بلا سبب والوقيعة في أهل العلم