and such are the people of the Fire; they will remain therein forever.” [al-Baqarah 2:217].

Allah, Exalted is He, also says:

“Whoever rejects faith—his deeds shall come to nothing, and in the Hereafter he will be among the losers.” [al-Māʾidah 5:5].

And He says:

“Had they associated others with Him, all that they were doing would have been rendered null and void.” [al-Anʿām 6:88].

And He says:

“Were you to associate others with Allah, your own deeds would surely be annulled.” [az-Zumar 39:65].

(This form of nullification is unanimously agreed upon, whereas the other alleged nullification clashes with the statements of the Companions, the Successors, and the leading scholars of the religion) (1).

For Allah, glorified be He, has set down in the Qur’an the legal punishment for the fornicator—and likewise for the thief and the slanderer (2)—yet He did not declare them unbelievers, apostates (3) whose works are wiped out, nor did He command their execution as He did in the case of apostates. (It is well known that anyone who openly manifests apostasy must be put to death) (4), whereas the hypocrites never laid bare their disbelief. Had slander, theft, and fornication been acts of disbelief, the offender would have had to be killed if he failed to repent, yet the Qur’an prescribes nothing beyond flogging or amputation (5).

The Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—also ordered that the funeral prayer be performed for the one who misappropriated spoils of war and for the person who took his own life; had they been disbelievers or hypocrites, the prayer would not have been permissible.