Al-Sharḥ al-Mumtiʿ - Ibn al-'Uthaymin - (15/423)

Al-Sharḥ al-MumtiʿIbn al-'Uthaymin

from what he previously said: “by neither committing a major sin nor persisting in a minor one.” This applies whether a person’s wrongdoing consists of deeds, words, or beliefs. Wrongdoing may be verbal, such as falsely accusing someone of adultery or fornication, for this is among the major sins, as Allah, the Exalted, says:

“Indeed, those who falsely accuse chaste, unsuspecting believing women are cursed in this world and the Hereafter, and theirs will be a tremendous punishment.” [al-Nur: 23]

Wrongdoing in deeds includes adultery, drinking wine, and theft; these are deeds that render a person sinful.

As for wrongdoing in belief, some scholars have mentioned a criterion concerning it: every innovation that renders the independent scholar who adopts it an unbeliever renders the lay follower sinful. This is a clear criterion, because the scholar who independently adopts it professes it, debates in its defence, and may even call others to it, whereas the follower does not know. Thus, we say that he is sinful. Some scholars stated this without qualification, and, as I have mentioned, it is a fine formulation.

Others disagreed and said: A follower is not free of one of two situations. Either he believes that what this scholar has said is the truth because he knows of no other view; in that case, it is not possible for us to judge him sinful, for he has feared Allah to the best of his ability, and he is unable to do more than that. In his town, he has no scholars other than these, and he hears no view that differs from theirs, nor any view claimed to be the truth while differing from theirs. So how can we declare him sinful when he has feared Allah to the best of his ability?

Rather, we say: It is the one who displays partisanship for them whom we then declare sinful. That is, if he is told, “The truth is such-and-such,” and he replies, “No, my shaykhs say such-and-such,” then there is no doubt that we declare him sinful, because he resembles the idolaters who say:

“Indeed, we found our forefathers upon a way, and we are guided by their footsteps.” [al-Zukhruf: 22]

And in the other verse:

“Indeed, we found our forefathers upon a way, and we are following in their footsteps.” [al-Zukhruf: 23]

For example, if someone were to say that the Quran is created, and that the Quran is created and distinct from Allah

على ما سبق من قوله: «بأن لا يأتي كبيرة ولا يدمن على صغيرة»، وسواء كان فسقه بالأفعال، أو بالأقوال، أو بالاعتقاد؛ لأن الفسق قد يكون بالأقوال كالقذف ـ مثلاً ـ فإن القذف من كبائر الذنوب كما قال الله تعالى: ﴿إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَرْمُونَ الْمُحْصَنَاتِ الْغَافِلَاتِ الْمُؤْمِنَاتِ لُعِنُوا فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالآخِرَةِ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ *﴾ [النور]، والفسق بالفعل كالزنا، وشرب الخمر، والسرقة فهذه من الأفعال المفسقة، والفسق بالاعتقاد ذكر بعض العلماء ضابطاً في هذا، فقال: كل بدعة مكفرة للمجتهد فهي مفسقة للمقلد، وهذا ضابط واضح؛ لأن المجتهد يقولها ويناظر عليها وربما يدعو إليها، والمقلد لا يعلم فنقول: هو فاسق، هكذا أطلق بعض العلماء وهي كما ذكرت عبارة جميلة وخالف آخرون فقالوا: إن المقلد لا يخلو إما أن يعتقد أن ما قاله هذا المجتهد هو الحق؛ لأنه لا يعرف غيره فهذا لا يمكن أن نحكم بفسقه؛ لأنه اتقى الله ما استطاع، ولا يستطيع أكثر من ذلك، وليس عنده في بلده إلا هؤلاء العلماء، ولا يسمع قولاً يخالف قولهم، أو قولاً يُدَّعى أنه الحق وهو مخالف لقولهم، فكيف نفسقه، وهو قد اتقى الله ما استطاع؟! ولكن نقول: من تعصب لهم فحينئذٍ نفسقه، يعني لو قيل له: الحق كذا، قال: لا، مشايخي يقولون: كذا وكذا، فهذا لا شك أننا نفسقه، لأنه يشبه قول المشركين الذين يقولون: ﴿إِنَّا وَجَدْنَا آبَاءَنَا عَلَى أُمَّةٍ وَإِنَّا عَلَى آثَارِهِمْ مُهْتَدُونَ﴾ [الزخرف: ٢٢]، والآية الثانية: ﴿وَإِنَّا عَلَى آثَارِهِمْ مُقْتَدُونَ﴾ [الزخرف: ٢٣]، مثلاً: لو قال قائل بخلق القرآن، وأن القرآن مخلوق بائن من الله