During the past few months a group active in
the United States that calls itself the "Nation of
Islam" has received world wide press coverage. Its
leader, Louis Farrakhan, met Islamic scholars and heads of
state, introducing himself as a representative of American Muslims. Some brothers of ours asked this Board:
"Can
Mr. Farrakhan and his followers be accepted as 'Muslim' in
the sense that this word is defined by the Shari'a (Islamic
Law)?" With the permission and the help of Allah, after
due investigation of the matter, this Board answers as
follows:
Praise to Allah, the One Who created good and
evil, and who revealed the difference between the true and
the false. Generally speaking, the 'hukm' (Shari'a rule) is
that each one who claims to be a Muslim must be accepted as
such by other Muslims, except in the case they have a clear
evidence of the contrary. The most common 'hukm' is that
"unbelief is not proved by actions", but "is
proved by the principles that are believed". The most
common way to prove what a man actually believes is by
analyzing his speeches and writings.
That means that the fact that someone does
not usually observe the 'hukm' of the Shari'a is not enough
to proof his unbelief. This view is held by the Hanafi,
Maliki and Shaf'i schools, but the school of Imam Ahmad ibn
Hanbal says that "unbelief is not proven by actions,
expect for the compulsory ritual prayers (salawat)". According to this school, a Muslim who refuses to pray a
compulsory prayer must be regarded as a renegade, but the
other three schools says he is a Muslim, although a sinner (fasiq).
Notwithstanding this divergence, the four
schools are unanimous in considering non-Muslim someone who --
without being under pressure -- says "I do not regard
prayer as compulsory", or "There is no need to fast
on Ramadan", or "There is no harm in drinking wine", etc.
That kind of declaration proves that a
person has rejected one of the clear 'hukms'. about which
there is no doubt or possibility of misunderstanding. The
consensus of Islamic jurists is that rejecting a single 'hukm' is like rejecting them all, and that missing an
element of faith is like missing them all.
There is no difference between a 'hukm'
concerning things that must be believed by the heart or
things that must be done by the body.
As a general rule, it is forbidden to
investigate whether Muslims observe the Shari'a, and even if
their belief is correct from all points of view. Notwithstanding this, as soon as a Muslim hears from his
brother something that can be identified as a wrong belief,
he has the duty to correct him and to teach him the correct
doctrine according to the Qur'an and the Sunna.
In cases when some wrong doctrine can imply
unbelief, it is necessary, for the involved person, to repent
and to pronounce again the two testimonies. The case is
different when a person or a group is openly preaching and
teaching doctrines that look unusual. In that case, the Ulema
[Clergy] are bound to investigate the matter, and judge
whether these doctrines imply heresy (bid'a) or apostasy (ridda).
Regarding the "Nation of Islam",
their official doctrine is that Allah appeared in the form of
a human being named Fareed Muhammad, and that this
"incarnation of God" chose another man, called
Elijah Muhammad, as his Prophet. This is a clear
contradiction of the Monotheistic faith (Tawhid), and of the Qur'anic teaching according to which Muhammad (blessings and
peace upon him) is the Seal of the Prophets. That is enough
to say that everyone who belongs to the "Nation of
Islam" is not, ipso facto, a Muslim, but an unbeliever.
Muslims must declare this truth, and each one
of them who keeps silent while listening to Mr. Farrakhan
being called "a Muslim leader" is sinning. Since
the matter concerns "faith and unbelief", it is not
permitted to avoid a judgement due to political or diplomatic
considerations. Every marriage between a Muslim and a member
of the "Nation of Islam" is null and void, and
whoever, after becoming a member of this organization, wants
to return to Islam, must repent and be re-converted. In case
he was married, he must re-celebrate his wedding; in case he
performed the Pilgrimage, he must perform it again.
We pray to Allah to make all this clear to
our brothers in Islam, and to help them never to deviate from
the doctrine that was revealed in the Holy Qur'an and that is
presently accepted by the Islamic Community. And we call upon
Allah as a Witness of what we say.
Shaykh 'Ali Moallim Hussen, President
Board of Ulema [Clergymen]
Italian Muslim Association