Know, O Muslim brother, that some people today—and even before today—have no willingness to accept these authentic hadiths and the judgement they contain that the Prophet’s parents were disbelievers. Indeed, some of them imagine themselves to be callers to Islam, yet they vehemently object even to mentioning these hadiths and their explicit indication.
In my view, if they regard these reports as true, their objection is in fact directed against the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, who uttered them. This, as is plainly evident, is manifest disbelief. Or, at the very least, it is directed against the imams who transmitted and authenticated them; and this is sinful transgression, or outright disbelief, because it necessarily casts Muslims into doubt concerning their religion. For they have no way to know it and believe in it except through their Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, as is clear to every Muslim who has insight into his religion. If they refuse to accept these reports because they do not accord with their sentiments, tastes, and whims—and people differ most greatly in this regard—this opens an immensely wide door to rejecting authentic hadiths. This is a matter witnessed today in many writers by whose writings Muslims have been afflicted, such as al-Ghazali, al-Huwaydi, Bulayq, Ibn Abd al-Mannan, and others like them, who have no criterion for declaring hadiths authentic or weak other than their whims.
And know, O Muslim—who fears for his religion lest it be destroyed by the pens of some who claim affiliation with it—that these hadiths and others like them, which report the disbelief or faith of particular individuals, are matters of the unseen that must be believed and accepted. Allah, Most High, says:
“Alif, Lam, Mim. This is the Book about which there is no doubt, a guidance for those mindful of Allah—who believe in the unseen.” (al-Baqarah 2:1–3)
And He says:
“It is not for a believing man or a believing woman, when Allah and His Messenger have decided a matter, to have any choice in their affair...” (al-Ahzab 33:36)
Thus, turning away from these reports and not believing in them necessarily entails one of two alternatives, with no third possibility—and even the less bitter of the two is bitter: either declaring the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, a liar, or declaring his trustworthy transmitters to be liars, as mentioned above.