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Fatwa CenterCommitting prohibited actions may or may not be disbelief
Question
Can we call everything unlawful "polytheism"?
Answer
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger. The unlawful falls into three categories: Disbelief or polytheism, major and minor sins. Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): • {Say, "Come, I will recite what your Lord has prohibited to you. [He commands] that you not associate anything with Him, and to parents, good treatment, and do not kill your children out of poverty; We will provide for you and them. And do not approach immoralities - what is apparent of them and what is concealed. And do not kill the soul which Allaah has forbidden [to be killed] except by [legal] right. This has He instructed you that you may use reason."}[Quran 6:151] • {Say, "My Lord has only forbidden immoralities - what is apparent of them and what is concealed - and sin, and oppression without right, and that you associate with Allaah that for which He has not sent down authority, and that you say about Allaah that which you do not know."}[Quran 7:33] Some prohibited actions are considered disbelief or polytheism. The basis of this is the name given to them by Allaah the Almighty. Fighting against Muslims, wailing over the dead and accusing a person of being an illegitimate son are all causes of disbelief. The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, also said that blaspheming a Muslim is wrongdoing and fighting him is disbelief. [Al-Bukhari and Muslim] The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, also considered slandering a Muslim’s lineage and wailing over the deceased as disbelief. [Muslim] In addition, ostentation, evil omens and swearing by other than Allaah The Almighty are called polytheism. In a Hadeeth (narration) the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said that minor polytheism is ostentation. [Ahmad] He also stated that believing in evil omens is polytheism. [Ahmad, Abu Daawood At-Tirmithi and Ibn Maajah] He, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, further said that whoever swears by other than Allaah the Almighty has committed disbelief or polytheism. [Ahmad and At-Tirmithi] There are many other things that have been referred to as disbelief or polytheism by Allaah The Almighty, such as invoking other than Allaah The Almighty, ridiculing the verses of Allaah The Almighty or his Messenger, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, abandoning prayer and going to soothsayers and believing them. All the things considered unanimously by scholars to be disbelief or polytheism, which causes apostasy, as well as whatever fulfils the criteria of verbal polytheism, like saying, "I rely on Allaah and on you" are also included. On the other hand, all other sins that have no proof in the Sharee'ah (Islamic law) to indicate that they are disbelief or polytheism are not to be called disbelief or polytheism, because it is not for us to call them so. For example, it is impermissible to say that adultery, fornication, theft or drinking alcohol is disbelief, as long as there is no clear context indicating this. Allaah Knows best.
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