Does committing SHIRK out of IGNORANCE take one out of ISLAM?

[IHearIslam]

Assalaamu alaikum beloved sisters and respected brothers. I hope this reaches you in the best of health/imaan. I was reading this Fatwa online and I thought it was useful to share it with my TTI family. So here we go.....
:tti_sister:may Allaah give us the understanding of our deen! ameen

Does commiting Shirk out of ignorance take one out of Islaam?

Question:

The greatest shirk can take you out of the fold of Islaam but what if due to ignorance this is all that you know to be Islaam?

Answer:

He said concerning the person who commits shirk al akbar based upon ignorance or because of it the person falls into this we have to look at what it is that he committed. We have to look at the crime he committed. He said if we find this shirk al akbar that he fell into and that he committed are from the things that are clear and apparent to all the people of al Islaam then he will have no excuse, his ignorance will not be an excuse for him. If he did something all the people of al Islaam know to be shirk, for example, for a person to make prostration to an idol so he would not have an excuse of ignorance. But if the person does something, that the majority of the people do not know about this thing, the majority of the people are not experts in understanding this affair this situation is different, he may be excused because of his ignorance. He said all we have to do is look at the issue of the sahabas what happened when some of them made halaal the drinking of wine. When these sahabas made halaal the drinking of kamar they did so based upon some of the ayat of the Qur’an that they understood.
So the other sahaba what they did was that they did not say that they were kuffar but instead they sent to them the proofs to show them that kamar was haram. When these proofs arrived to them, they accepted them and they came back to the truth and they left of that which they were doing. The shaikh said had they continued to be obstinate and the proof had come to them and they would have rejected the proofs, then they would have become kuffar because they would have been disbelieving in Allah (subhaanahu wa ta`aalaa) and his Messenger (sallAllaahu alaihi wasalam).

So the issue of being excused or having an excuse because of ignorance it becomes different depending upon the time, the place, the person and the condition.

Shaykh `Abdus Salaam al-Burjis
Audio Tape: Aqeedah Comes First by Shaikh Abdus Salam Burjis (rahimahullaah) Article reference: AQD01004

 

[thariq2005]

Wa `alaykkum salaam wa rahmatullaah, Jazakillaah khairaa for sharing that fatwa. Just to add to this thread, if you don't mind...

Shaykh `Abdul-`Aziz ar-Raajihee (student of Shaykh Ibn Baz) was asked a question after his explanation of Nawaaqidh al-Islam: Is a Muslim excused due to ignorance?

Answer: A human being is not excused due to ignorance if he is able to uplift this ignorance from himself and find someone he could ask. And also (he is not excused) with regard to a matter that is known from the Religion by necessity. And the likes of it must not be obscure – (such as when) a man deals with interest amongst the Muslims. So when it is said to him that this is Haraam (forbidden) he says: “I don’t know, I’m ignorant.” This is not acceptable because this is a matter that is clear to everyone.

However if he were to be in a community that deals with interest, and its example is obscure and hidden from him. And say no one there accepts Islaam for example, so he lives in America and the people there deal with interest, so he thinks that it is lawful, this person perhaps (he will be excused) due to ignorance. So when this person becomes a Muslim and continues to deal with interest, and says: “I don’t know, I’m ignorant” – yes, this person its possible that the likes of this person is excused due to ignorance. Meaning, if the ignorance is with regard to some matter that is precise and obscure – he is excused. As for with regard to the matters that are clear in which there are no obscurities – he is not excused. In the obscure matters that one can be ignorant about, i.e. such as the case with this individual, its possible that this person is excused due to ignorance.

This is like the story that has been reported in the two Saheeh Collections about the man that ordered his family (when he died) to burn his body and disperse his ashes in the sea and in the land, saying: “If Allaah is able to get hold of me, He will indeed punish Me with a severe Torment.” He did this out of ignorance. And what caused him to do this was his fear of Allaah, so Allaah forgave him and had mercy on him. He did not do it deliberately, thinking that he will not fall under Allaah’s Decree and Judgement in this situation. He neither rejected the resurrection nor did he deny Allaah’s Ability, however he did deny the completeness of the details of Allaah’s Ability because this was the extent of his knowledge. He did not deny this out of arrogance and stubbornness rather he was ignorant and the thing that caused him to do it was his fear of Allaah. So this is an example of an obscure matter, as it relates to him.

As for the clear matters, then what is not acceptable is when: A man lives amongst the Muslims yet he doesn’t pray. So when he is advised, he says: “I don’t know if the prayer is obligatory, I’m ignorant.” This person is not paid attention to. And likewise if he says: “I don’t know if alcohol is forbidden” or “if fornication is forbidden.” This person is not listened to in this regard since these are clear matters.

 

[IHearIslam]

^ Assalaamu alaikum,

jazakaAllaah khair brother Thariq for the fatwa! mashaAllaah, tabarakaAllaah....this one is more general than the one I posted which was specific for :SHIRK: only! alhamdulillaah, we'll benefit from both! may Allaah reward you emmensely! ameen

Just to add to this thread, if you don't mind...

I dont mind at all...in fact I am glad you posted this! alhamdulillaah.

Anybody can share anything of benefit...if the topic is related to my threads....just for future reference!

salaamu alaikum warhamatullah wabarakatuh !