Al-Irshad ila Sahih al-Itiqad - Salih Al-Fawzan - (96)

Al-Irshad ila Sahih al-ItiqadSalih Al-Fawzan

the sunnah, has fallen into disbelief in Allah, for such derision demeans His Lordship and the Prophetic mission—an attitude that negates pure monotheism and is deemed unbelief by the unanimous verdict of the scholars.

Allah the Exalted says: “If you ask them they will surely say, ‘We were only talking idly and jesting.’ Say, ‘Was it at Allah, His revelations, and His Messenger that you were mocking? Make no excuse; you have lapsed into disbelief after having believed…’” ⦗1⦘.

The reason these two noble verses were revealed is what occurred on one of the campaigns when some hypocrites mocked the Messenger ﷺ and his Companions. Ibn Jarir and others transmit—from Ibn ʿUmar, Muhammad ibn Kaʿb, Zayd ibn Aslam, and Qatadah, their reports intertwining—that during the expedition to Tabuk a man said, “We have never seen the likes of these reciters of ours: more gluttonous bellies, more mendacious tongues, or more cowardly in battle,” meaning the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and the Qur’an-reciting Companions. ʿAwf ibn Malik retorted, “You have lied; rather, you are a hypocrite, and I shall inform the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.” ʿAwf set off to tell the Prophet, but the Qur’an had already preceded him. The man then came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, who had already mounted his camel, and pleaded, “O Messenger of Allah, we were merely chatting on the journey to pass the time.”

Ibn ʿUmar said, “It is as though I can still see him clinging to the strap of the Prophet’s saddle while the stones were striking his feet, repeating, ‘We were only talking idly and playing,’ and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ kept saying, ‘Was it at Allah, His revelations, and His Messenger that you were mocking? Make no excuse; you have lapsed into disbelief after having believed.’” ⦗2⦘

Thus these two verses, together with the account of their revelation, furnish unequivocal proof that anyone who mocks Allah, His Messenger, His revelations, the sunnah of His Messenger, or the Companions of the Messenger of Allah, has committed unbelief. Such behavior belittles divine Lordship and Prophethood, contradicting tawḥīd and sound creed—even if he claims that outright ridicule was not his intent.

Accordingly, mocking knowledge and its bearers, failing to honor them, or vilifying them likewise falls under this prohibition.

(1) Surah al-Tawbah, verses 65–66. (2) Surah al-Tawbah, verses 65–66.

السنة؛ فقد كفر بالله ﷿ لاستخفافه بالربوبية والرسالة، وذلك مناف للتوحيد، وكفر بإجماع أهل العلم. قال الله تعالى: ﴿وَلَئِنْ سَأَلْتَهُمْ لَيَقُولُنَّ إِنَّمَا كُنَّا نَخُوضُ وَنَلْعَبُ قُلْ أَبِاللَّهِ وَآيَاتِهِ وَرَسُولِهِ كُنْتُمْ تَسْتَهْزِئُونَ لا تَعْتَذِرُوا قَدْ كَفَرْتُمْ بَعْدَ إِيمَانِكُمْ ... ﴾ ١الآية. وقد جاء بيان سبب نزول هاتين الآيتين الكريمتين؛ أنه ما حصل من المنافقين في بعض الغزوات من سخرية بالرسول ﷺ وأصحابه؛ فقد روى ابن جرير وغيره عن ابن عمر ومحمد بن كعب وزيد بن أسلم وقتادة "دخل حديث بعضهم في بعض"؛ "أنه قال رجل في غزوة تبوك: ما رأينا مثل قرائنا هؤلاء أرغب بطونا ولا أكذب ألسنا ولا أجبن عند اللقاء "يعني: رسول الله ﷺ وأصحابه القراء". فقال له عوف بن مالك: كذبت، ولكتك منافق، لأخبرن رسول الله ﷺ فذهب عوف فذهب عوف إلى رسول الله ﷺ ليخبره، فوجد القرآن قد سبقه، فجاء ذلك الرجل إلى رسول الله ﷺ وقد ارتحل وركب ناقته، فقال: يا رسول الله! إنما كنا نخوض ونتحدث حديث الركب نقطع به الطريق". قال ابن عمر: "كأني أنظر إليه متعلقا بنسعة نتقة رسول الله ﷺ، وإن الحجارة تنكب رجليه، وهو يقول: إنما كنا نخوض ونلعب. فيقول له رسول الله ﷺ: ﴿أَبِاللَّهِ وَآيَاتِهِ وَرَسُولِهِ كُنْتُمْ تَسْتَهْزِئُونَ لا تَعْتَذِرُوا قَدْ كَفَرْتُمْ بَعْدَ إِيمَانِكُمْ.﴾ ٢. ففي هاتين الآيتين الكريمتين مع بيان سبب نزولهما دليل واضح على كفر من استهزأ بالله أو رسوله أو آيات أو سنة رسوله أو بصحابة رسول الله؛ لأن من فعل ذلك؛ فهو مستخف بالربوبية والرسالة، وذلك مناف للتوحيد والعقيدة، ولو لم حقيقة الاستهزاء. ومن هذا الباب الاستهزاء بالعلم وأهله، وعدم احترامهم، أو الوقيعة فيهم

١ سورة التوبة، الآيتان: ٦٥ ـ ٦٦. ٢ سورة التوبة، الآيتان: ٦٥ ـ ٦٦.