Chapter Five: Clarifying the Ruling on Mocking the Religion and Belittling Its Sacred Bounds

Mocking the religion is an act of apostasy from Islam and a complete withdrawal from the faith. Allah the Exalted says: “Say, ‘Was it Allah, His signs, and His Messenger that you were mocking? Do not make excuses; you have disbelieved after having believed.’” (Qur’an 9:65–66).

This verse establishes that ridiculing Allah is disbelief, that ridiculing the Messenger is disbelief, and that ridiculing the signs of Allah is disbelief. Whoever mocks any one of these has, in reality, mocked them all. The incident that produced this revelation concerned hypocrites who scoffed at the Messenger and his Companions, whereupon the verse was sent down.

Such forms of mockery always go hand in hand. Thus, those who belittle the tawḥīd (pure monotheism) of Allah Most High and exalt the practice of calling upon others—people now dead—besides Him inevitably deride the summons to monotheism. Whenever they are commanded to uphold tawḥīd and forbidden from polytheism, they treat the message with contempt. In the same vein, Allah says: “When they see you, they take you only in mockery, saying, ‘Is this the one Allah has sent as a messenger? He nearly led us away from our gods had we not remained steadfast to them.’” (Qur’an 25:41–42).