Chapter: The Ruling on the Apostate

Shaykh al-Islām—may Allah be pleased with him—was asked:

Two men discussed “the issue of pollination.” One of them said: “Whoever disparages the Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, or says something implying disparagement of the Messenger, has disbelieved. However, declaring unbelief in general terms does not entail declaring a particular individual an unbeliever. A scholar may address an issue according to his independent scholarly judgment and err without thereby being declared an unbeliever, even though someone making that statement may be declared an unbeliever if the proof warranting that judgment has been established against him. If we were to declare every scholar an unbeliever on such grounds, we would have to declare so-and-so an unbeliever”—and he named one of the well-known scholars who do not deserve to be declared unbelievers, namely al-Ghazālī—“for he stated in one of his books that the Messenger had erred in the matter of pollinating date palms.”

Does this constitute disparagement of the Messenger in any way? Is he liable to discretionary punishment for absolving scholars of unbelief when they say such things, or not?

If this is reported, but he cannot at the time obtain the actual book from which he quoted it, though he is known to be truthful, is he liable to discretionary punishment for that, or not? Does this apply whether he was correct or mistaken in reporting the scholar’s words? Does this constitute disparagement of the Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace?

If someone wrongs such a person or accuses him of disparaging the Messenger or the scholars, and seeks to have him punished for that, what is incumbent upon him? Give us a ruling; may you be rewarded.