what is meant is major disbelief, as other texts indicate. Thus, whoever disbelieves after having accepted Islam is an apostate. If someone accepts Islam for the sake of a salary, then disbelieves when his salary is reduced, he is an apostate. There are newcomers who accept Islam in order to remain in the country, but when they return to their families, they apostatize. We say: their apostasy is deemed apostasy from Islam, for we judge them according to their outward condition, while inward secrets are known only to Allah. So long as a person has accepted Islam and testified that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, he is considered a Muslim. If he then returns to his former religion, we deem him an apostate.
It should be known that apostasy may occur through belief, speech, action, or omission. These are the four categories of apostasy. Apostasy through belief includes believing something that entails disbelief while outwardly professing Islam, as in the case of the hypocrites. Apostasy through speech includes mocking Allah, impugning Him or His religion, and the like. Apostasy through action includes prostrating to an idol. Apostasy through omission includes, for example, abandoning the prayer, or refraining from ruling by what Allah has revealed out of turning away from it. As for disliking what Allah has revealed, this is apostasy through belief, since it falls under the actions of the heart.
His statement, “Whoever associates partners with Allah”: “whoever” is a jussive conditional noun; the conditional clause is “associates partners,” together with what is coordinated with it, and the result clause is “has disbelieved.”
“Whoever associates partners with Allah, or denies His Lordship, or His oneness, …”
His statement, “Whoever associates partners with Allah,” appears to be unrestricted, suggesting that every form of associating partners with Allah is disbelief. But this is not unrestricted, for some forms of shirk are minor and others are major. This discussion concerns only major shirk, since it falls under the chapter on apostasy. Minor shirk includes swearing by other than Allah