Al-Sharḥ al-Mumtiʿ - Ibn al-'Uthaymin - (14/446)

Al-Sharḥ al-MumtiʿIbn al-'Uthaymin

is that he does not become a disbeliever, because he is not legally accountable and the pen has been lifted from him. Thus, if he commits shirk by prostrating to an idol or the like, we do not declare him a disbeliever; likewise, if he abandons the prayer, he does not become a disbeliever. Accordingly, the apostasy of one who has not reached adulthood is invalid. This is the apparent meaning of the author’s words, and it is correct.

However, the relied-upon position in the school is that the apostasy of a discerning minor is legally recognized, but he is not called to Islam until after reaching adulthood; he is then asked to repent, and if he repents, well and good; otherwise, he is executed.

There is a third opinion concerning the minor: that his apostasy is legally recognized and that he is called to Islam; if he repents, well and good, and otherwise he is executed. Thus, there are three opinions. But the correct view is that his apostasy is not legally recognized, on account of the general proofs indicating that liability is lifted from the minor.

His statement, “acting voluntarily,” is the third condition: voluntariness. That is, the apostasy must occur from him voluntarily. The opposite of voluntariness is coercion. Thus, if he is compelled to apostatize, he does not become a disbeliever, provided that his heart remains at rest in faith—meaning that he does not wish for disbelief and utterly detests it, but is compelled to it and consequently does or says it. He does not become a disbeliever, due to Allah’s saying:

“Whoever disbelieves in Allah after having believed—except one who is compelled while his heart remains at rest in faith—but whoever willingly opens his breast to disbelief, upon them is wrath from Allah, and for them is a tremendous punishment.” [al-Naḥl 16:106]

Is it a condition that he do it in order to avert the coercion? The correct view is that this is not a condition, and that he does not become a disbeliever, even if the thought of averting the coercion never occurred to him, because of the generality of Allah’s saying, “except one who is compelled,” and because ordinary people in particular are not conscious of this meaning—that is, they are not conscious that they intend thereby to avert the coercion. Rather, he is compelled to disbelieve, so he disbelieves while detesting it; and this is

كلام المؤلف أنه لا يكفر؛ لأنه غير مكلف، وقد رفع عنه القلم، فلو أنه أشرك بأن سجد لصنم، أو ما أشبه ذلك فإننا لا نكفره، كما أنه لو ترك الصلاة لا يكفر، وعلى هذا فلا تصح ردة غير البالغ، وهذا ظاهر كلام المؤلف، وهو الصحيح. ولكن المذهب أن ردة الصغير المميز معتبرة، ولكنه لا يُدعَى إلى الإسلام إلا بعد بلوغه، ويستتاب فإن تاب وإلا قتل. وهناك قول ثالث في مسألة الصغير: أن ردته معتبرة، ويُدْعَى إلى الإسلام، فإن تاب وإلا قتل، فالأقوال إذاً ثلاثة، ولكن القول الصحيح أن ردته غير معتبرة لعموم الأدلة الدالة على رفع الجناح عن الصغير. وقوله: «مختار» هذا هو الشرط الثالث وهو الاختيار، يعني أن تقع منه الردة مختاراً، وضد الاختيار الإكراه، فلو أكره على الردة لم يكفر، بشرط أن يكون قلبه مطمئناً بالإيمان، بمعنى أنه لا يريد الكفر، وأنه يكرهه غاية الكراهة لكن أكره عليه ففعل أو قال، فإنه لا يكفر لقوله تعالى: ﴿مَنْ كَفَرَ بِاللَّهِ مِنْ بَعْدِ إِيمَانِهِ إِلاَّ مَنْ أُكْرِهَ وَقَلْبُهُ مُطْمَئِنٌّ بِالإِيمَانِ وَلَكِنْ مَنْ شَرَحَ بِالْكُفْرِ صَدْرًا فَعَلَيْهِمْ غَضَبٌ مِنَ اللَّهِ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ﴾ [النحل:١٠٦]. وهل يشترط أن يفعله دفعاً للإكراه؟ الصحيح أنه لا يشترط، وأنه لا يكفر، ولو كان لم يطرأ على باله أنه يريد دفع الإكراه؛ لعموم قوله تعالى: ﴿إِلاَّ مَنْ أُكْرِهَ﴾، ولأن العامة خصوصاً لا يشعرون بهذا المعنى ـ أي: لا يشعرون أنهم يريدون بذلك دفع الإكراه ـ لكن أكره على أن يكفر فكفر مع كراهته له، وهذا هو