such matters and is a believer will have his error forgiven by Allah if he has done his utmost to seek the truth. If he has fallen short in some respect, this is a sin that does not necessarily amount to disbelief, even though the statement itself may be described categorically as disbelief. Thus, the early generations declared disbelief of those who held certain Jahmī doctrines, such as the createdness of the Quran, the denial of seeing Allah, and similar views that fall short of denying Allah’s exaltedness above creation and His being above the Throne. Declaring someone who held this latter view a disbeliever was, to them, among the clearest matters. Yet a general declaration of disbelief, like a general threat of punishment, does not entail declaring a particular individual a disbeliever until the proof whose rejection constitutes disbelief has been established against him.

This is illustrated by the report established in the authentic hadith collections from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, concerning the man who said: “When I die, burn me, then grind me to powder and scatter me in the sea. By Allah, if Allah has power over me, He will punish me as He has punished no one else in all the worlds.” Allah said to him: “What prompted you to do what you did?” He replied: “My fear of You.” So He forgave him.

This man believed that Allah would be unable to gather him together if this were done—or doubted His ability to do so—and that He would not resurrect him. Each of these two beliefs constitutes disbelief, and a person thereby becomes a disbeliever when