The Prohibition of Calling
a Muslim an Infidel
By Al-Imam An-Nawawi
In the name of
Allāh, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful;
All the praise
and Thanks is due to Allāh, the Lord of al-‘ālameen. I testify that there is
none worthy of worship except Allāh, and that Muhammad, Sallallāhu ‘alayhi
wasallam, is His Messenger
1732. Ibn 'Umar
(radiyallāhu’anhu) said: The Messenger of Allah (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam)
said: "When a person calls his brother (in
Islam) a disbeliever, one of them will certainly deserve the title. If the
addressee is so as he has asserted, the disbelief of the man is confirmed, but
if it is untrue, then it will revert to him."
[Al-Bukhari and
Muslim].
Commentary: We learn
from this Hadith that to call a Muslim a Kafir is strictly prohibited because
if the one who has been called as such does not have the traits which makes him
a Kafir, then the one who says it will be held Kafir.
1733. Abu Dharr
(radiyallāhu’anhu) said: I heard the Messenger of
Allah (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam) saying, "If somebody accuses another
of disbelief or calls him the enemy of Allah, such an accusation will revert to
him (the accuser) if the accused is innocent."
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].
Commentary: This
Hadith also tells us that to call without reason any Muslim a Kafir or enemy of
Allah is strictly prohibited.
And
Allāh Almighty Knows best.
[Via Guided ways from The Prohibition of Calling
a Muslim an Infidel, Chapter # 326, Riyad-Us-Saliheen Compiled, and By
Al-Imam Abu Zakariya Yahya bin Sharaf An-Nawawi Ad-Dimashqi]
