And declaring someone an unbeliever is among these threats of punishment. Even if a statement constitutes a denial of what the Messenger said, the person may have only recently embraced Islam or grown up in a remote desert region. Such a person does not become an unbeliever through what he denies until the proof has been established against him. He may not have heard those texts, or he may have heard them without their authenticity being established to his satisfaction. Alternatively, something else may have conflicted with them in his understanding, compelling him to interpret them differently—even if he was mistaken.

I would regularly cite the hadith in the two Sahīh collections concerning the man who said:

“‘When I die, burn me, then grind me to powder, then scatter me in the sea. By Allah, if Allah has power over me, He will punish me as He has never punished anyone in all creation.’ They did that to him, and Allah said to him, ‘What prompted you to do what you did?’ He replied, ‘Fear of You.’ So He forgave him.”

This man doubted Allah’s power and His bringing him back to life after he had been scattered. Indeed, he believed that he would not be brought back to life. This is unbelief by the agreement of the Muslims. Yet he was ignorant and did not know this, and he was a believer who feared that Allah would punish him, so Allah forgave him on that account. A person qualified to exercise independent judgment who adopts an interpretation and is keen to follow the Messenger is even more deserving of forgiveness than such a man.