Difference between Kufr and Shirk – Imam Ibn Baz

Difference between Kufr and Shirk – Imam Ibn Baz by AbdurRahman.org

Difference between Kufr and Shirk

Q: A Muslim sister N. S. `A from Riyadh says: What is the difference between Kufr (disbelief) and Shirk (associating others with Allah in His Divinity or worship)? Please, advise. May Allah reward you!

Answer by Imam Ibn Baz (rahimahullaah):

Kufr is the denial and concealment of the Truth such as those who deny the obligation of Salah, Zakah, Sawm, Hajj in case of being financially and physically able, and dutifulness to one's parents, and so on. It is also like those who deny the prohibition of Zina (premarital sexual intercourse and/or adultery), consuming Khamr (intoxicants), and disobeying one’s parents.

Shirk is to devote the acts of worship to anything beside Allah (Exalted be He) such as those who seek the help of the dead, the absent, the Jinn, idols, the stars, and so on or those who offer sacrifices or make vows to them.

A Kafir (disbeliever) may be called a Mushrik (one who associates others with Allah in His Divinity or worship) and vice versa. Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) says,

"And whoever invokes (or worships), besides Allâh, any other ilâh (god), of whom he has no proof; then his reckoning is only with his Lord. Surely! Al­Kâfirûn (the disbelievers in Allâh and in the Oneness of Allâh, polytheists, pagans, idolaters) will not be successful."

Allah (may He be Praised) also says, "Verily, whosoever sets up partners (in worship) with Allâh, then Allâh has forbidden Paradise to him, and the Fire will be his abode."

In Surah Fatir, Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) says, "Such is Allâh, your Lord; His is the kingdom. And those, whom you invoke or call upon instead of Him, own not even a Qitmîr (the thin membrane over the date­stone). If you invoke (or call upon) them, they hear not your call; and if (in case) they were to hear, they could not grant it (your request) to you. And on the Day of Resurrection, they will disown your worshipping them. And none can inform you (O Muhammad ملسو هيلع اللها ىلص) like Him Who is the All­Knower (of everything)." Here, Allah (Exalted be He) names their call upon things other than Him as Shirk and in Surah Al­Mu'minun, Allah (Exalted be He) names it Kufr.

In Surah Al­Tawbah, Allah (Glorified be He) says, "They (the disbelievers, the Jews and the Christians) want to extinguish Allâh’s Light (with which Muhammad ملسو هيلع اللها ىلص has been sent ­ Islâmic Monotheism) with their mouths, but Allâh will not allow except that His Light should be perfected even though the Kâfirûn (disbelievers) hate (it). It is He Who has sent His Messenger (Muhammad ملسو هيلع اللها ىلص) with guidance and the religion of truth (Islâm), to make it superior over all religions even though the Mushrikûn (polytheists, pagans, idolaters, disbelievers in the Oneness of Allâh) hate (it)." Here, Allah (Exalted be He) calls the disbelievers as Kuffar and Mushriks. This indicates that a Kafir may be called a Mushrik and vise versa. There are many Ayahs and Hadith that stress the same meaning.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "Verily, between a man and Shirk and Kufr is the negligence of prayer." (Related by Muslim in his Sahih (authentic) book of Hadith on the authority of Jabir Ibn `Abdullah, may Allah be pleased with them).He (peace be upon him) also said, "The covenant that distinguishes between us and them (the hypocrites) is Salah. Anyone who abandons it is a Kafir." (Related by Imam Ahmad, Abu Dawud, Al­Tirmidhy, Al­Nasa'y, and Ibn Majah with a Sahih chain of transmission on the authority of Buraydah ibn Al­Hasib, may Allah be pleased with him).May Allah grant us success!

( Part No : 9, Page No: 175-176)

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Source: English Translations of Collection of “Majmoo al Fatawa of Ibn Baz”, Volume 09. By: Sheikh `Abdul `Aziz Bin `Abdullah ibn `AbdulRahman ibn Bazz (May Allah forgive and reward al-Firdouse to him and his parents). He was The Mufti of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Chairman of the Council of Senior Scholars, and Chairman of Department of Scholarly Research and Ifta’.

This English Translation is collected from alifta.net, Portal of the general Presidency of Scholarly Research and Ifta’

Sun being brought near in the day of judgement

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The Sun will be brought near on the Day of Qiyaamah – Shaykh Uthaymeen by AbdurRahman.org Day of Resurrection  The Third Event The Sun is Brought Near The sun will be brought near to mankind, as close as a “mile,” the Arabic word used for mile here being مِيْل (mīl). Whether it is the mile we know to be the common unit of distance or the eye-pencil to apply kohl (as the word could imply in Arabic), whatever the case the sun will be very close to people.[29] If the sun’s heat is as we know it here in this life while there is such a great distance between it and us, then how will it be when it is a “mile” above our heads? Here is a question: It is well-known that if the sun were to move even a hair from its position, it would burn the earth, incinerating it completely. So how is it possible on that day for the sun to be that close and not burn creation? The answer is that although people will be resurrected on that day with their previous bodies, they may not be recreated in the same exact state and with the same capability as they have now. Rather, they will be stronger and greater in what they can withstand. For example, if people were to remain for fifty days in direct sunshine with no shade, no food, and no water, they would be unable to do so; they would die. But on the Day of Resurrection, they will remain in such a state for fifty thousand years [30] without food,water, or shade except those to whom Allah ( عزّ وجلّ ) shades. In addition, they will witness other terrifying events but they will be made to withstand them. As an example of this greater capability to bear situations without dying, look at how the people of the fire will withstand such seemingly unbearable circumstances: إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا بِآيَاتِنَا سَوْفَ نُصْلِيهِمْ نَارًا كُلَّمَا نَضِجَتْ جُلُودُهُم بَدَّلْنَاهُمْ جُلُودًا غَيْرَهَا لِيَذُوقُوا الْعَذَابَ Indeed, those who disbelieve in our verses, we will drive them into a fire. Every time their skins are roasted through, we will replace them with other skins so they may taste the punishment. [Surah An-Nisa 4:56] Will anyone be saved from the heat of the sun on the Day of Resurrection? Yes, there are types of people whom Allah will shade from the sun. The prophet ( صلّى اللّه عليه وسلّم ) said: There are seven (types of people) whom Allah will shade in his shade on a day when there will be no shade except his shade: a just ruler; a youth who grew up in the worship of Allah; a man whose heart is attached to the mosques; people who love each other for Allah’s sake, meeting for his sake and parting for his sake; a man who is called by a woman of beauty and position (for adultery), but he says: “(No) I fear Allah;” a man who gives in charity and hides it so much so that his left hand does not know what his right hand gives in charity; and a man who remembered Allah in private so much that his eyes shed tears. [Recorded by al-Bukhārī, Muslim, and al-Tirmidhī] There are also other types of individuals Allah will shade on that day. And by, “when there will be no shade except his shade,” it means no shade except the shade Allah creates. And it is not as some people think that it is the shade of Allah himself because that would necessitate that the sun would be above Allah ( عزّ وجلّ) In this life, we can take shelter in shade ourselves, but on the Day of Resurrection, there will be no shade except the shade Allah ( سبحانه وتعالى ) makes so that whoever he wills can take shelter in his shade when the sun is brought near. Due to the closeness of the sun, people will sweat so much that it will rise. The Fourth Event The Sweat Rises Because of the sun’s heat, people will sweat profusely in proportion to their deeds. For some, the sweat will rise to their ankles, some to their knees, some to their waists, and for some, the sweat will rise up to their mouths. So individuals will be at different levels regarding their sweat. They will sweat from the intense heat and the extremely uncomfortable situation: crowdedness, extreme hardships, and at close distance to the sun. Still, although people will sweat from the circumstances of that day, their sweat will only be according to their deeds in this life. [33] Here is a question: How will they be of varying degrees in sweat if people are all together in one place? To answer, we must return to a basic principle of belief. It is that when dealing with affairs of the unseen, events that authentic texts confirm will take place in the future, it is incumbent upon us to believe in them, trusting them to be true without persisting in asking, “How? Why?” These are things beyond the extent of our own intellects; it is not yet possible for us to perceive or fully understand it. Imagine two people buried in a single grave, one a believer and the other a disbeliever. The believer will still experience the enjoyment that he deserves, and the disbeliever will experience the punishment he deserves even though they are in the same grave. Likewise, we believe the sweat will rise on the Day of Judgment as foretold. Now are we saying that Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) will gather together someone whose sweat will reach his mouth in a particular place, someone with sweat to his ankles in a different place, and others with sweat rising to their knees or waist in other places? No, not necessarily but Allah knows best. What we are saying is that it is possible for the individual with sweat reaching only to his ankles to be next to someone with his sweat up to his mouth because Allah is capable of doing anything. This is comparable to the fact that light will encompass believers all around them, yet at the same time, disbelievers in Allah will be surrounded by darkness. So regarding the Day of Resurrection, we must believe in it and all that is to occur on that day. As for the “How?” and “Why?” of the exact nature, that is not our right to know. As people suffer on the Day of Resurrection, standing in their own sweat, they will anxiously wait for judgment to begin. And this will only occur by “The Greatest Intercession.” Footnotes: [29] The prophet ( صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ) said in the ḥadīth recorded by Muslim confirming this: » تُدْنَى الشَّمْسُ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ مِنْ الْخَلْقِ حَتَّى تَكُونَ مِنْهُمْ كَمِقْدَارِ مِيلٍ « On the Day of Resurrection, the sun will be brought close to creation so much that it will be a “mile” from them. One of the narrators of the ḥadīth, Sulaym Ibn ‘Āmir, said, “By Allah, I do not know if he meant by mīl the distance of land or the mīl that is used to apply kohl to the eye.” [30] The scholar is perhaps alluding to the verse in Sūrah al-Ma’ārij (70:4) in which Allah says, تَعْرُجُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ وَالرُّوحُ إِلَيْهِ فِي يَوْمٍ كَانَ مِقْدَارُهُ خَمْسِينَ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍ The angels and the spirit will ascend to him during a day the extent of which is fifty thousand years. Also, the prophet ( صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ) said in a ḥadīth recorded by Muslim: مَا مِنْ صَاحِبِ كَنْزٍ لا يُؤَدِّي زَكَاتَهُ إِلاَّ أُحْمِيَ عَلَيْهِ فِي نَارِ جَهَنَّمَ فَيُجْعَلُ صَفَائِحَ فَيُكْوَى بِهَا جَنْبَاهُ وَجَبِينُهُ حَتَّى يَحْكُمَ اللَّهُ بَيْنَ عِبَادِهِ فِي  يَوْمٍ كَانَ مِقْدَارُهُ خَمْسِينَ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍ ثُمَّ يَرَى سَبِيلَهُ إِمَّا إِلَى الْجَنَّةِ وَإِمَّا إِلَى النَّارِ There is no owner of treasure who does not pay its zakāh (obligated charity), but it will be heated in the fire of Hell and made into plates with which his sides and forehead will be branded until Allah passes judgment between his slaves on a day the length of which will be like fifty thousand years. Then he will be shown his path, whether it leads to Paradise or to Hell. [33] This is established by the ḥadīth recorded by Muslim in which the prophet ( صلّى اللّه عليه وسلّم ) said: فَيَكُونُ النَّاسُ عَلَى قَدْرِ أَعْمَالِهِمْ فِي الْعَرَقِ ، فَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ يَكُونُ إِلَى كَعْبَيْهِ ، وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ يَكُونُ إِلَى رُكْبَتَيْهِ ، وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ يَكُونُ إِلَى حَقْوَيْهِ ، وَمِنْهُمْ مَنْ يُلْجِمُهُ الْعَرَقُ إِلْجَامًا The people will be in sweat in accordance with their deeds. For some, it will rise to their ankles, some to their knees, some to their waists, and for some of them, the sweat will reach their mouths. Posted

How to correct the problems of the muslim world

By imam al Albani 

Because we know the firmly established reality, which is being neglected or more accurately purposely neglected, by those extremists who do not have anything except that they proclaim Takfeer of the rulers, and then nothing else!!

And they continue to proclaim Takfeer of the rulers then nothing stems from them, or about them, except discord and strife!!

The calamities in these past few years which have been by the hands of these people, beginning from the discord (fitnah) of the Haraam of Makkah to the dissension in Egypt and the killing of Sadaat. Finally, in Syra and now in Egypt and Algeria- a sight that everyone can see; the shedding of the blood of many of the innocent Muslims because of these fitn, tribulations, and the occurrence of many trials and calamities.

All of this because they opposed many of the texts from the Book and the Sunnah and the most important of which is:

"Indeed in the Messenger of Allaah you have a good example to follow, for him who hopes in the meeting with Allaah and the Last Day and remembers Allaah much."

If we really want to establish the rule of Allaah on the earth – in reality not just in a claim - then do we start with making Takfeer of the rulers while it is not possible for us to confront them – let alone fighting them - or do we start – with the obligation - the Messenger of Allaah - SallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam - started with?

There is no doubt that the answer is:

"Indeed in the Messenger of Allaah you have a good example to follow......"

But what did the Messenger of Allaah - SallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam -begin with?

It is known – with certainty - to anyone who has smelt the fragrance of knowledge that he began with the Daw’ah between individuals whom he thought were ready to accept the truth. Then whoever was ready to respond to him, from the individuals of the noble Companions responded to him - as it is well known in the prophetic biography. Then the punishment and the severity befell these Muslims in Makkah. After that came the command for the first migration and the second until Allaah Azza wa Jal consolidated Islaam in al-Madeena al-Munnawara. From there began the skirmishes and the opposition. Also, the fighting between the Muslims and the kuffaar on one side and the Jews from the other.......etc.

Therefore it is necessary for us to begin by teaching the people the true Islaam; like the Messenger - SallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam - had begun. Now we cannot just confine ourselves to teaching alone, because things have entered into Islaam which are not from

it, and has no association with Islaam, from the bida' and innovations which were the reason for the clear downfall of the lofty status of Islaam.

Because of this it is obligatory upon those inviting to Islaam to begin with purification of Islaam from what has entered into it.

The first principle – “Purification”

The second principle – “Education”

The education that is associated with this purification is the education of the young active Muslims on this pure Islaam.

If we study the reality of the Islaamic groups which have existed, for nearly a generation, and their ideas and the practice of these ideas. We would find that many of them have not benefited themselves, nor have they benefited others with anything that can be remembered! Despite their outcry and noise, that they want an Islaamic government!! Which was a reason of spilling blood of the innocent with this baseless argument!! Without them having realised anything from it.

We continue to hear from their beliefs which are opposed to the Book and Sunnah and actions which are negated by the Book and Sunnah, let alone them trying, again and again with futile attempts which oppose the Sharia'.

Finally I say: there is a statement which one of the propagators of Islaam said, which I used to hope that his followers would adhere to it and fulfill it, which is: 'Establish the Islaamic state in your heart it will be established for you on the earth.'

Because If a Muslim corrects his Aqeedah built upon the Book and Sunnah, then there is no doubt that from this he will correct his worship, correct his behavior and his manners etc.

But, with regret, these fine words have not been acted upon by these people, they persist with an outcry to establish the Islaamic state but without any benefit! and it is said about them – and I swear by Allaah to this - what the poet said is true:

You hope for success and you do not follow its path Indeed a ship does not sail on dry land.

Perhaps in this what I have mentioned is persuasive enough for every just person, and a termination for every oppressor.

We seek Allaah's help.