Ahmad transmitted it (5/382), and its chain of transmission is authentic according to the criteria of both al-Bukhari and Muslim. Al-Bukhari also transmitted it (6314), but without mentioning “the right hand,” as did al-Tirmidhi (3395), who said: “A good, authentic hadith.” This additional wording escaped al-Hafiz’s notice, so he did not attribute it to Ahmad!

2704 — “His statement: ‘Whoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed—they are the disbelievers’; ‘Whoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed—they are the wrongdoers’; and ‘Whoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed—they are the defiantly disobedient.’ He said: ‘All of them concern the disbelievers.’”

Ahmad transmitted it (4/286): Abu Mu'awiyah narrated to us; al-A'mash narrated to us, from Abdullah ibn Murrah, from al-Bara' ibn 'Azib, from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, who said this ...

I say: This chain of transmission is authentic according to the criteria of both al-Bukhari and Muslim. The hadith is explicit evidence that what is meant by these three verses is the disbelievers among the Jews, the Christians, and others like them who deny the Islamic Sharia and its rulings. Included among them is everyone who shares in such denial, even if he outwardly professes Islam—even if he denies only one of its rulings.

It should, however, be noted that this does not apply to one who fails to judge by one of those rulings without denying it. Such a person may not be declared a disbeliever or judged to have left the faith, for he is a believer. At most, it amounts to practical disbelief. This is an important point in this issue, one that many young people zealous for the implementation of Islam overlook; and for that reason, they often