In light of the foregoing, I would have preferred that Ibn al-Qayyim—may Allah have mercy on him—not neglect to cite this authentic hadith as an explicit proof for those who refuse to declare Muslims unbelievers, and that he respond to it if he had an answer. By doing so he would have treated both sides of the discussion with scholarly rigor and fairness, without bias toward either party.

Still, I must acknowledge—and it is only right to do so—that he did devote a special chapter entitled “On Judging Between the Two Parties and Rendering the Final Decision Concerning the Two Factions.” This chapter assists the researcher in correctly understanding the texts advanced by each side, for he demonstrates with remarkable clarity the principle accepted by the scholars: not every instance of kufr committed by a Muslim takes him out of the fold of Islam.

It will therefore be useful for me to present the reader with select passages—indeed, concise summaries—of his words that reveal his intent, after which I shall append the necessary commentary that accords with this authentic hadith and supports the sounder position.

He—may Allah have mercy on him—states that kufr (disbelief) is of two kinds:

1. kufr of action, and
2. kufr of denial and conviction.

Moreover, kufr of action itself subdivides into that which negates faith and that which does not. ⦗37⦘