Three Misconceptions
Abu `Abdil Kareem


There are three misconceptions that some of us Muslims have that are
important to clarify.


Misconception #1

Not declaring kufr in what is worshipped besides Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala.

Declaring Kufr in what is worshipped besides Allaah is as essential as
affirming the true Unity of Allaah ta`aalaa. In fact they go hand in hand,
as
our shahaadah contains both a negation of all deities (Laa ilaaha.) besides
Allaah ta`aalaa and affirmation that Allaah ta`aalaa Alone is worthy of
worship (.illa 'Llaah).

There is many ahaadeeth that whoever says Laa ilaaha ill Allaah will enter
Jannah. However, as if we at times leave an important hadeeth that explains
this issue in more detail: "Whoever says Laa ilaaha ill Allaah and declares
Kufr (disbelief) in whatever is worshipped besides Allaah then his money and
blood are Haraam (forbidden to be harmed) and the judgment (upon this
person)
is up to Allaah."

Dr. Saleh as-Saleh says in his book on the Shahadatain, "The above Hadeeth
is
a great explanation for the true meaning of 'There is no God but Allaah.' It
emphasizes that there must be a complete disassociation from anyone/anything
(a righteous man, a star, moon, fire, river, cow, Buddha, Ghandi, Jesus,
Khomeini, Malcolm X, or Y, Farrakhan, graves, statues, money, lust, heads of
states, etc.) introduced between man and Allaah. When the person disbelieves
in whatever is being worshipped             other than Allaah, then he
becomes a Muslim."

So it is essential for our maintaining of tauheed of Allaah ta`aalaa inour
lives to declare disbelief in all that is worshipped besides Him. In  fact,
one of the principles in Islam that one who does not declare in kufr in what
is kufr has himself committed an act of kufr, may Allaah protect us from it.


Misconception #2

Misconception that whoever declares himself Muslim, utters the shahaada, and
even prays and pays zakaah and fasts, is necessarily a Muslim and that we
cannot criticize his actions, "as we don't know their intention". This is
obviously incorrect, as the punishment of killing for apostasy (ridda) was
instituted in Islaam for a reason - Allaah ta`alaaa does not give us
legislation that has no application. The issue of takfeer is complicated
one,
but if a person, say, denies a single aayah in the Qur'aan, even if he does
everything else that Islaam requires of him, he may leave Islaam by that act
alone and he cannot marry a Muslim, nor can meat he slaughters be eaten, nor
can he be buried with Muslims, nor are Muslims allowed to pray for his
forgiveness.

The following excerpt from Sh. J.Zarabozo's "The Friday Prayer: Part III:
Khutbahs (II)" explains very well some misconceptions that some of us
Muslims
may have in this regard.

After explaining how the Jews and Christians went astray believing they are
chosen people, and how we should not take the religion in the same way, Sh.
Zarabozo writes:

".The wrong actions we perform can harm us greatly as we many be sent to the
Hell-fire due to our actions. Furthermore, and this is the point that I want
to stress in today's khutbah, we may even be performing actions that take us
completely out of the realm of Islam to the realm of kufr. These acts - even
if we call ourselves Muslims - are such that they negate any belief we claim
to have and they can land us in the
Hell-fire forever.

Many people don't realize that leaving Islam does not necessarily mean
leaving it completely by not performing any of its acts. Someone can leave
the fold of Islam even if he continues to call himself a Muslim, claims to
be
a believer and even if he continues to perform some of the acts of Islam,
such as praying and fasting. A Muslim is not simply one who performs any
part
of the religion. What happens sometimes is that a person performs part of
Islam and at the same time he performs many acts of apostasy - such that, in
fact, nothing is left of his Islam. He has left the fold of Islam even if he
still claims to be Muslim. He is like the person who performs wudhu and then
invalidates his wudhu; obviously nothing is left of his wudhu after he has
invalidated it. Similarly, nothing is left of a person's Islam after he has
invalidated it by acts of apostasy and kufr.

Islam or being Muslim is not simply a name that we can call ourselves.
Instead, it is testifying to something specific. Our actions must also be
representative of that testimony. There are acts that one might perform that
completely contradict that testimony. In such a case, nothing is then left
of
his testimony of Islam and he is no longer a Muslim.

At the outset, however, let me clarify one important point. There is a
difference between kufr (act of disbelief) and kafir (a disbeliever). It is
possible for a person to commit an act of kufr while he himself is not a
kafir. If a person does an act of kufr out of ignorance, this does not
automatically make him a disbeliever unless his kufr is explained and
clarified to him and he then insists on following that act of kufr.

When you realize this fact - that there are certain acts or beliefs that may
take one out of the realm of Islam and into kufr - you will then realize the
importance of knowing those acts in order to avoid them. One of the best
ways
of protecting yourself from evil is by knowing what evil is in order to
recognize it when it appears and in order to remain away from the roads that
lead to it. Therefore, everyone of us should take the time to study those
acts of kufr that may lead us out of Islam.

Study them in order to makes sure that we ourselves are not performing them.
We should know them in order to keep ourselves away from them. We should
also
be familiar with them in order to teach them to others to protect them from
such acts also.

We should also realize that if we stay within the realm of iman and Islam,
then even if we commit sins in this life - which is not something we may
strive to do or be pleased with - but we should know that if we stay within
the boundaries of Islam then even if we should commit many sins, Allah will
enter us into Paradise as promised in many statements of His Messenger
(peace
be upon him). We may be punished in Hell for
some time - and I ask Allah to save all of us from such an event - but then
Allah will shower His mercy upon us and remove our sins from us, purify us
and enter us into Paradise. But if we should leave the fold of  Islam, then
all of our deeds that we may perform will be worth nothing  and we shall be
in the Hell-fire forever. So this topic of knowing what takes one from the
realm of Islam to the realm of kufr is of tantamount
    importance.


Misconception #3

Misconception that we should not write or speak about deviations that occur
among Muslims.

Ibn Taymeeyah, in Majmoo`ah ar-Rasaa'il wa al-Masaa'il, 4/110, writes, "When
some people mentioned to Imaam Ahmad ibn Hambal that they felt uneasy about
criticizing people, he replied, 'If I were to remain silent, how would the
ignorant masses know truth from falsehood?' Those who introduce heretical
writings and deviant religious rites contrary to Quraan and Sunnah have to
be
exposed and the Muslim nation warned against them, according to the
unanimous
agreement of Muslim scholars.

In fact, when Ahmad ibn Hambal was asked if one who fasted, prayed and
secluded himself in the masjid was dearer to Him than one who spoke out
against people involved in deviations, he replied, 'When he fasts, prays and
secludes himself, he does so for himself alone, but if he speaks out
against
deviations, he does so for Muslims in general which is more noble'. Hence it
is clear that openly opposing innovation and deviation is of general benefit
to Muslims in the practice of their religion and comes under the heading of
Jihaad Fee Sabeelil-laah. Purification of Allaah's religion and the
repulsion
of attacks against it is a general obligation (Fard Kifaayah) on Muslims by
unanimous agreement. For, if Allaah did not raise up some people to oppose
the corruption preached by heretics, the religious would surely become
distorted and deviant. The corruption of divinely revealed religion is far
more terrible than the corruption resulting from the military conquest of
non-Muslims over Muslims. For, when non-Muslims overpower Muslims, they are
not able to corrupt the hearts of Muslims or their religion, except after
some time, whereas, heretics corrupt the hearts from the very outset."