Chapter: About the Impurities that need to be Repented from:
Disbelief:
And as for kufr it is of two types:
Kufr akbar (major kufr) and kufr asghar (minor kufr).
So kufr akbar - this necessitates eternity in the Hellfire.
And the (kufr) asghar: Necessitates the fulfilment of the threat (of
Hellfire) without eternally abiding in it. As occurs in the saying of the
Exalted - and it used to be from what was recited and then it was abrogated
:
"And do not detest/hate your fathers, for that is disbelief from
you"
and his (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam) saying in the hadeeth:
"There are two matters in my ummah, by which (my) Ummah falls into kufr:
Reviling the genealogy and wailing/lamenting (over the dead)"
And his saying in the Sunan:
"Whoever comes to a women from her anus has disbelieved in what was
revealed upon Muhammad" and in another hadeeth: "Whoever comes to a
sorcerer or a diviner and believes in what he says has disbelieved in what
Allaah revealed upon Muhammad"
and his saying
"Do not become disbelievers after me, striking the necks of one
another".
And this is the explanation of Ibn ‘Abbaas and the generality of the
Companions regarding the speech of Allaah:
And whoever does not judge by what Allaah has revealed, then they are the
disbelievers (5:44)
Ibn Abbaas said: "It is not the kufr that takes one out of the religion.
Rather when he does it then it is [an act of] disbelief, and he is not like the
one who disbelieves in Allaah and the Last Day" and Taawoos said the same
and Ataa said: "It is disbelief less than disbelief, oppression less than
oppression and rebellion less than rebellion"
And amongst them are those who interpreted the verse to mean the one who
abandons the rule of Allaah while opposing and rejecting it (jahidan lahu) and
this is the saying of Ikrimah! And this is a defective saying, since just the
mere denial (juhud) of it is disbelief, regardless of whether he ruled by it or
not.
And amongst them are those who explained it to mean abandoning ruling by all
of what Allaah revealed, he said, and who enters into this the judgement of
Tawhid and Islam! This is the interpretation of Abdul-Aziz al-Kinani, and this
too is far from what is correct!! Since the threat (contained in the verse) is
for the negation of ruling by the revealed legislation, and this can apply to
abandoning all of the legislation of just some of it.
And amongst them are those who explained it to mean to rule in opposition to
the text, deliberately, without being ignorant of it and nor due to error in
understanding or interpreting it. Al-Baghawee quoted this from the scholars
generally.
And amongst them are those explained to refer to the Ahl ul-Kitaab. And this
is the saying of Qataadah, Dahhaak and others. And this is far (from what is
correct) - and it is in opposition to the apparent wording - so it is not to be
inclined towards.
And amongst them are those who explained it to mean the kufr that takes one
out of the religion!
And what is correct is that judging by other than what Allaah has
revealed is both types of kufr (disbelief) - kufr asghar (the minor disbelief)
and kufr akbar (the major disbelief) - and [which of the two it is] depends on
the condition of the ruler. If he believes in the obligation of judging by what
Allaah has revealed n this situation but turned away from it - out of
disobedience - and while acknowledging that he is deserving of punishment then
this is kufr asghar. And if he (i’taqada) believes that it is not
obligatory and that he has a choice in the matter - along with his firm
belief that it is the judgement of Allaah - then this is kufr akbar - and if he
was ignorant in the matter or made an error then he is one who errs
(mukhtee’) and his ruling is as the same for those who err (i.e. one
reward).
And the intent here is: That sins, all of them are of the minor form of kufr
(kufr asghar). For they are the opposite of gratefulness - which is to act in
obedience to Allaah. And the striving (of a person), either it constitutes
gratefulness (shukr) or disbelief (kufr), or a third matter which is neither
this or that (i.e gratefulness or disbelief), and Allaah knows best.
Chapter:
And as for the Major Kufr (kufr akbar) - then it is of five types :Kufr of
takdheeb (rejection), kufr due to arrogance and pride whilst one acknowledges
the truth (tasdeeq), kufr of I’raad (turning away), kufr of shakk (doubts)
and kufr of nifaaq (hypocrisy).
Ibn al-Qayyim on the Types of Kufr and Ruling by Other than What Allaah has Revealed