something that often occurs. Indeed, even someone other than an ordinary person may, due to distraction and the intensity of the situation, fail to think of intending thereby to avert the coercion.
The fourth condition is that he intends disbelief. If words of disbelief slip from his tongue unintentionally, he does not become a disbeliever, because he did not intend them. This is inferred from Allah’s saying, “but whoever willingly opens his breast to disbelief,” for one who does not intend it has not willingly opened his breast to disbelief. An example is someone who utters words of disbelief out of overwhelming joy, anger, or the like.
The evidence for this is what is authentically established from the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, in the account of the man whose riding animal escaped in a desolate land, carrying his food and drink. He searched for it but could not find it, so he lay down beneath a tree, awaiting death. Then, while he was in that state, he found the halter of his she-camel hanging from the tree. He seized it and said, “O Allah, You are my servant and I am Your lord!” He misspoke out of overwhelming joy. (1) These words are words of disbelief, but he did not intend them. Thus, it is necessary that he intend disbelief; if he does not intend it, then he does not become a disbeliever. Accordingly, we say: if someone merely recounts words of disbelief without intending their meaning—for example, if he says, “What do you say about a man who said such-and-such?”—while not intending the meaning, or if he relates disbelief that he heard, he does not become a disbeliever because he did not intend it.
The fifth condition is that he be aware of both the circumstance and the legal ruling. As for being aware of the circumstance, it means that he knows that this statement or act constitutes disbelief. If he does not know that it constitutes disbelief, he does not become a disbeliever. For example, a man may utter a word of disbelief without knowing its meaning, such as an Arab who speaks a word of disbelief in a non-Arabic language, unaware that it signifies disbelief. Such a person does not become a disbeliever.