NULLIFIERS OF ISLAM -02

By

A. Haroun (Abu Imran)

Introduction (cont'd)

The arabic word for 'nullifiers' as used in this context is nawaaqid (مفرد: ناقض). It is a word which originaly means to untwine, untie, loosen, break, disassemble etc. It appears prominently in two places in the Qur'aan; in verse 91 and 92 of suratul Nahl:

91- ......و لا تنقضوا الأيمان بعد توكيدها....

...and do not break your oaths after making them.....

92- و لا تكونوا كا لتي نقضت غزلها من بعد قوة أنكاثا....

...and do not be like she who untwines her spun-thread having painstakingly spun it...

From the foregoing, we realise that we do not speak of a nullifier (naaqid) untill there was a prior state of intactness.  Nullifiers of Islaam are actions, speeches, beliefs and doubts that either loosens the strength of a person's Islaam (نقص) or completely breaks it (نقض), and from this definition of mine stems two categories of muslims both on the extremities; the Khawaarij (singular - khaarij) and the Murji'ah.

Before I elaborate on these two, let me quickly explain the words shirk (associating partners with Allaah) and Kufr (Disbelief). A kaafir is worse than a Mushrik. A kaafir is anyone who disbelieves in Allaah while a Mushrik is someone who, despite his belief in Allaah, associates partners in the worship of Allaah. Because both Kufr and shirk can be obvious and pronounced as well as subtle and even sub-conscious, Scholars have divided both into major and minor types with clear evidences from the Qur'aan and the Sunnah. The khawaarij (extremists) reject this division, and they say whoever falls into ANY form of kufr or shirk or even some sins, however little or large, deliberately or subconsciously, irrespective of any other consideration, is a Kaafir, and spilling his blood is permissible!

It is from such a harsh stand that extremist and terrorist organizations around the world today permit the killing of muslims in droves, may Allaah protect us from misguidance! The khaariji is most interested in the harsh aspects of the deen and verses of the Qur'aan that are concerned with the fear of Allaah alone and they pay little concern for the mercies of Allaah They do not accept as excuse such scholarly explanations such as عذر بالجهل (excuse on the basis of ignorance) or even إكراه (duress) before blatantly labelling people as Kaafir. Between a person committing an act of Kufr, or any of the nullifiers of Islaam and his being termed a Kaafir are strict conditions that must be established, ignorance of which results in the proliferation of takfeeris like we see today.

On the other end of the extremities are the murji'ah; those who are carefree about the state of people's Islaam or eemaan. They say faith (Islaam by extension) is in the heart, and it's state can neither be affected by actions nor speech. They say لا يضر مع الإمان معصية (dissobedience to Allaah does not harm faith). By this, they maintain that as long as a person has become a muslim, he can not leave Islaam by virtue of mere actions and speech neither will his eemaan be reduced by it.

Indeed this version of the extremities is the most popular among muslims for it is the most convenient! So you hear muslims say "do not judge me by my actions for I have got faith in my heart" and they justify it by saying التقوى هاهنا (piety is here- pointing to their chest, making reference to a hadeeth gravely misunderstood), yet if you were to point a gun at anyone, he doesn't judge by your

Intention or what is in your heart, but your intended action! Unfortunately, the murji'ah ideologies is the most embraced by muslims for it allows for one to practice Islaam and kufr along side each other conveniently. It is receptive to liberal Islaam and the case of many muslims who are only muslims by names with no outward manifestation of Islaam!

This is just a summarised commentary on the khawaarij and Murji'ah as they relate to the topic of discuss, details about them can be researched upon from authentic sources. May Allaah protect us from both extremities. 

Having known the muslims on both extremes, who are the balanced muslims in the middle?

TO BE CONTINUED IN SHA ALLAAH.....