Explanation of the Nullifiers of Islam

His name: Shaykh ‘Abdur-Razzaaq Bin ‘Abdil-Muhsin Al-’Abbad AI-Badr.

He is the son of: Al-‘Allamah Muhaddith of Medina, Shaykh ‘Abdul-Muhsin AI-‘Abbad AI-Badr.

Birth: He was born on the 22nd day of Dhul-Qaddah in the year 1382 AH in az-Zal’fi, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. He currently resides in Al-Medina Al-Munawwarah.

Current occupation: He is a member of the teaching staff in the Islamic University in Al-Medina.

Scholastic certifications: Doctorate in ‘Aqeedah.

The Shaykh has authored books, researches, as well as numerous explanations in different sciences. Among them:

1. Fiqh of Supplications & Ad-Dhkaar.
2. Hajj & refinement of Souls.
3. Explanation of the book “Exemplary Principles” by Shaykh ‘Uthaymeen (May Allah have mercy upon him).
4. Explanation of the book “The Principles of Names & Attributes” authored by Shaykh-ul-Islam Ibnul-Qayyim (May Allah have mercy upon him).
5. Explanation of the book “Good Words” authored by Shaykh-ul-Islam Ibn Qayyim (May Allah have mercy upon him).
6. Explanation of the book “Aqeedah Tahaawiyyah.”
7. Explanation of the book “Fusuul: Biography of the Messenger” by Ibn Katheer (May Allah have mercy upon him).
8. He has a full explanation of the book “Aadaab-ul-Muf’rad” authored by Imam Bukhari (May Allah have mercy upon him).

From the most distinguished scholars whom he has taken knowledge and acquired knowledge from are:

1. His father, Al-‘Allamah Shaykh ‘Abdul-Muhsin Al-Badr – may Allah preserve him.
2. Al-‘Allamah Shaykh Ibn Baaz – may Allah have mercy upon him.
3. Al-‘Allamah Shaykh Muhammad Bin Saleh Al-‘Uthaymeen – may Allah have mercy upon him.
4. Shaykh ‘Ali Nasir Faqeehi – may Allah preserve him.

Indeed the praise is for Allaah; we praise him, we seek His Help, we seek His Forgiveness. We seek refuge with Allaah from the evil of our souls and the evil of our actions. He whom Allaah guides there is none to misguide and he whom Allaah allows to stray there is no guidance for him. I testify that none has the right to be worshipped except Allaah who is One without partners and I testify that Muhammad is His slave and messenger. May prayers and peace of Allaah be upon him, his family, and companions.

As to proceed:

I ask Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, to write for us all within this sitting and gathering righteousness and Taqwaa as well as actions which please Him. Likewise, that He blesses us with beneficial knowledge and righteous actions and increases us in knowledge and make that which we learn to be a proof for us and not against us.

Likewise, that He grants us success in attaining His Pleasure and keep us away from that which displeases Him; and that He guide us to the straight path.

My brother; this is a study of a valuable treatise by the Imaam , the rectifier, the reviver, Shaykhul-Islaam Muhammad ibn ‘ Abdul-Wahhaab —may Allaah have mercy upon him and forgive him —entitled: “The Nullifiers of Al-Islaam”. He, may Allaah have mercy upon him, wrote it advising and warning; because just as the Muslim is required to know the truth and guidance in order that he may love it and traverse upon it, he is also required to know falsehood and misguidance in order that he may hate it and avoid it.

Allaah, the Glorified and High, has clarified within the Qur’aan the path of the believers as well as the path of the criminals; the actions of the believers and the actions of the criminals and the qualities of each as well as the end result of each. He also clarified that which he has prepared for the believers from abundant reward and that which he has prepared for the criminals from painful punishment.

Due to this, just as the Muslim is required to know the truth so that he can traverse upon it he is also required to know falsehood in order that he may avoid it. He who does not know falsehood will fall into it whilst not perceiving it.

There has come within Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree that Hudhayfah ibn Al-Yam aan, may Allaah be pleased with him, said:

“The companions of Allaah’s Messenger (ﷺ) used to ask him about the good. I would ask him about the evil fearing that it would overtake me.” ^[1]

Due to this, it is said:

“I learned evil, not for (doing) evil; but to avoid it; For he from the people who does not know evil will fall into it.”

It is also said: “How can one avoid something when he does not know what he is avoiding?”

Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, commanded us to avoid Shirk, disbelief, falsehood, and misguidance. This cannot occur except after one knows it. Due to this, the people of knowledge have written books regarding the things which nullify actions. They have written about Shirk, disbelief, and hypocrisy. Within the books of legislative rulings one may find a chapter formulated regarding apostasy mentioning that by way of which one apostatizes from the religion. Likewise, the books of ‘Aqeedah speak extensively regarding these issues. Rather, the people of knowledge dedicated separate writings to this.

Shaykhul-Islaam Muhammad ibn ‘Abdul-Wahhaab, as was his habit within his writings and treatises, wrote that which there was a dire need for. He also wrote within the limits of the need. So his treatises are always concise yet sufficient; containing the utmost benefit. Allaah brought about great benefit by way of them.

This treatise entitled: The Nullifiers of Al-Islaam was written as approximately two pages. However, it contains the most important of that which is befitting be known in this field. He mentioned ten nullifiers; however, mentioning them was not by way of restriction. Rather, he mentioned the mothers of the nullifiers^[2] and that which the other unmentioned nullifiers extend from.

It is also possible that these nullifiers extend from three nullifiers:

1. That which the religion is nullified by from that which is connected to the heart; such as false beliefs, doubt in the religion, and the likes.
2. That which the religion is nullified by from that which is connected to statements; such as revilement of Allaah or revilement of the religion or mockery of the religion and the likes.
3. That which the religion is nullified by from that which is connected to actions; such as prostrating to other than Allaah, slaughtering for other than Allaah, and the likes.

Shaykhul-Islaam , may Allaah have mercy upon him, mentioned here within this treatise ten nullifiers which one is in dire need of knowing in order that the Muslim may beware of them. He began them by saying:

Know , that the nullifiers of Al-Islaam are ten.

He, may Allaah have mercy upon him, chose this title: The Nullifiers of Al-Islaam. It could be called: That by way of which the Person Apostates from the Religion; or Affairs which Expel one from the Religion; or Affairs which causes the One who Falls into them to be a Disbeliever. It could be called by a number of titles. Yet, the Shaykh, may Allaah have mercy upon him, chose the title: The Nullifiers of Al-Islaam. Him choosing this title has a precedence amongst the people of knowledge. It is a term which the people of knowledge used to use in this field and it is a usage that is correct in this regard as it relates to the linguistic meaning and its legislative implication.
The term نَوَاقِض (Nawaqid) is the plural of نَاقِض (Naqid), which is derived from النَّقْض (al-Naqd), the opposite of confirmation.

The nullification of a thing is the invalidation of it. Nullification of something which has been confirmed is the invalidation of its ratification. Due to this it is said:

• نَقْضُ الْغَزْلِ: i.e., The (spool of) yarn became undone.
• نَقْضُ الْحَبْلِ: i.e., The rope became unwound.
• نَقْضُ الْبِنَاءِ: i.e., The (foundation of the) building became destroyed.
• نَقْضُ الْبَيْتِ: i.e., The house was destroyed.

What is intended by all of this is that it was rendered null.
From this is the statement of Allaah:

And be not like her who undoes the thread which she has spun after it has become strong. [Soorah An-Nahl 16:92]

Likewise, the statement of Allaah:

Those who break Allah’s Covenant after ratifying it, [Soorah Al-Baqarah 2:27]

Also, Allaah’s statement:

And break not the oaths after you have confirmed them. [Soorah An-Nahl 16:91]

Hence, nullification is the opposite of ratification; and it is the invalidation of something. Nullification of the religion or nullification of Al-Islaam or Eemaan is doing something which invalidates or annuls it.
Due to this, the nullifier of the religion of Al-Islaam is not referred to as this except in relation to that which the religion is invalidated and annulled due to it if it occurs. For this reason, the people of knowledge say that Al-Islaam has nullifiers نَوَاقِض (Nawaqid) and it has things which diminish it نَوَاقِص (Nawaqis) The nullifiers are the things which invalidate it at its foundation and completely annul it. The things which diminish it are the things which remove its obligatory completion.

They are also called قوادح (depreciators). This word is applied to both the nullifiers and the diminishers. This is because from the depreciators is that which depreciates at the foundation such that it becomes a nullifier of the religion and from them there is that which depreciates the obligatory completion and thus is a diminisher of the religion. Each of them is referred to as قوادح.

As for the nullifiers, they are that which invalidates the religion and annuls it. The one who does them or commits them is outside of Al-Islaam and the folds of the religion and he is an apostate, a disbeliever in Allaah, the Magnificent. If he dies upon that then on the Day of Judgement he will be from the people of the fire. That which establishes this is the statement of Allaah:

This is as it relates he who dies and meets Allaah, the Glorified and High, having committed a nullifier from the nullifiers of the religion. Allaah, the Exalted, has said:

Due to this, from that which is of great importance, and there is dire need and extrem e necessity is that every Muslim know the nullifiers of the religion in order that he may beware of them himself and that he may warn those who are under his care against them and advise the people against this crim e which is the greatest of all crimes and this sin which is the greatest of all sins. Due to this, this treatise and its likes from that which the people of knowledge have written in its field are considered to be treatises of the utmost importance which every Muslim is in need of familiarizing himself with.

Before studying this treatise I w ish to bring some introductory speech which I previously wrote within my book: Fiqh Al-Ad’iyah wal-Adhkaar^[3] regarding clarifying the importance of the Muslim knowing the nullifiers of Al-Islaam and the dire need for that. I will make it to be an introduction before mentioning the ten nullifiers of Al-Islaam.

Indeed from that which is proper that the Muslim give due importance to in this great field is knowing the nullifiers of this statement in order that he may beware of them. Indeed Allaah, the Blessed and High, has clarified within His Book the path of the believers who actualize this statement in detail, and He has clarified the path of the criminals who oppose it in detail. He, Glorified be He, clarified the end result of each group and the deeds of each group as well as the reasons why one has been successful and the other has been destroyed. He has clarified the two affairs within His Book and exposed and clarified them with the utmost clarity. Allaah, the Exalted has said:

Allaah, the Glorified, said:

He who does not know the path of the criminals and it is not clarified to him is on the verge of falling into some of that which they are in from falsehood. For this reason, the chief of the believers, Umar ibn Al-Khattaab, may Allaah be pleased with him, said:

“Al-Islaam will be unraveled tie by tie when one grows up in Al-Islaam not knowing (anything about) Pre-Islamic Ignorance”^[4]

Due to this, many texts have come within the Book and Sunnah warning against the means of apostasy as well as the remaining types of polytheism and disbelief which nullify the statement of Tawheed: La Ilaha Illa-Allaah (None has the right to be worshipped except Allaah). The scholars have mentioned within the field of the ruling of the apostate from the books of Fiqh that the Muslim may apostate from the religion and leave the faith such that the mere utterance of Laa Ilaha Illa-Allaah will not benefit him.

Hence, this great statement which is the best means of remembrance and the most virtuous, will not benefit the one who says it unless he fulfills its conditions and avoids all that which will nullify it.

There is no doubt that the Muslim knowing these nullifiers is greatly beneficial in the religion if he knows them intending to safeguard himself from these evils and safety from those ills. Due to this, he who knows Shirk, Kufr, falsehood and its paths, and hates them, is cautious of them and warns against them whilst repelling them from himself and does not leave them to sully his Eem aan; rather, he increases in knowledge of them by having insight into the truth and loving it while hating those affairs and fleeing from them, then there will be, within this knowledge of his, fruits and benefits which none knows (their full extent) except Allaah.

Allaah, the Glorified, loves that the path of truth be known in order that it may be loved and traversed upon. He likewise loves that the path of falsehood be known in order that it may be avoided and hated. Therefore, just as the Muslim is required to know the path of goodness so that he can w alk upon it, he is similarly required to know the paths of evil in order that he may beware of them. For this reason it is affirmed within the two Saheehs on the authority of Hudhayfah ibn Al-Yam aan, may Allaah be pleased with him, that he said:

“The companions, may Allaah be pleased with them, used to ask the Messenger of Allaah (ﷺ) about the good. I used to ask him about the evil out of fear that it would overtake me”^[5]

Likewise, it is said:

“I learned evil, not for (doing) evil; but to avoid it; For he from the people who does not know evil will fall into it.”

Since the affair is like this having this importance, then it is obligatory upon every Muslim to know the affairs which nullify the statement of Tawheed: Laa Ilaha Illa-Allaah (None has the right to be worshipped except Allaah) in order that he may beware of them. As has preceded, it is nullified by way of many matters, however, the most dangerous of these nullifiers and those which are most frequently fallen into are ten nullifiers that many of the scholars have mentioned, may Allaah have mercy upon them. (End of introduction)

Most of this speech is summarized from the book Al-Fawaa’id by Ibnul-Qayyim, may Allaah have mercy upon him, under the title: A Great Principle: The People of Guidance and the People of Misguidance. He cited the statement of Allaah:

He also cited the statement of Allaah, the Exalted:

He, may Allaah have mercy upon him, mentioned that Allaah clarified within His Book the path of the

believers, in detail and He clarified the path of the criminals, in detail. He likewise clarified the end result of each group and the actions of each. All of that has come clearly within the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah of His Prophet ( ﷺ ).

Then he indicated that the people, in this regard (i.e., knowing the path of the believers and the path of the criminals), are divided into four categories or groups:

The First Group: He to whom the path of the believers and the path of the criminals is clarified in detail, in knowledge and action; these are the most knowledgeable of the creation.

The Second Group: He who is blinded from (knowing) the two paths; he is similar to cattle. These are closer to the path of the criminals and more likely to traverse their path.

The Third Group: He who devotes his attention to knowing the path of the believers without knowing its opposite. So he knows its opposite in general and opposes it. He knows that all of that which opposes the path of the believers is falsehood although he does not understand it in detail. Rather, if he hears something from that which opposes the path of the believers he turns his hearing away from it and does not busy himself with understanding and knowing the details of its falsehood. He has the status of one who safeguards his soul from wanting (the fulfilment of) desires. So he does not imagine (these things) with his heart nor does his soul call him to them. This is as opposed to the first group; for they know it and their souls incline towards it but they strive against their souls and abandon it.

The Fourth Group: A group which knows the path of evil, innovation, and disbelief, in detail but knows the path of the believers in general. This is the state of many of those who concern themselves with the writings of the nations and the writings of the people of innovation. So they know them in detail but do not know that which the Messenger ( ﷺ ) has come with in a similar fashion (i.e., in detail). Rather, they know it in general, although somethings are explained to him in detail.

The point is that this greatly beneficial section can be referred to and reviewed within the book Al-Fawaa’id by Ibnul-Qayyim, may Allaah have mercy upon him, on page 147 within the Daar An-Nafaa’is print with the checking of Ahmad ‘Aroosh; likewise, that which comes after it under the title which I indicated.

That which is important is just as the Muslim is required to know the truth and the path of the people of Eemaan and guidance in order that he may traverse upon it, he is also required to know the falsehood and the path of its people so that he may beware of it.

Due to this objective, the likes of these treatises are written in clarification of the nullifiers of the religion and clarifying the affairs which cause to person to apostate; likewise, the books regarding innovations and major sins. All of that in order that the person may know it and hate it in so that he may beware of it.

Now, we will begin with the treatise:

Know that the Nullifiers of Islaam are ten.

He, may Allaah have mercy upon him, said: “With the Name of Allaah, the Most Merciful, the Bestower of Mercy.” He began this treatise with the Basmalah, following the example of the Book of Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, and the guidance of our Prophet, prayers and peace be upon him, as he would do in his correspondences.

What is intended by the Basmalah is: Seeking aid and beginning with the Name of Allaah, (asking for) favor and blessing by way of mentioning His Name; as well as seeking aid and assistance from Him, Glorified be

He. The letter Baa’ ب in the statement: بسم الله (With the Name of Allaah,) is the Baa’ of seeking aid. Its meaning is: I begin this book of mine seeking the Help of Allaah by saying بسم الله (With the Name of Allaah,). Hence, it is a statement of Al-Isti’aanah (Seeking aid). Due to this, it is legislated for the Muslim to say it when he enters and when he exits, when he eats his food, when he reads the Book of Allaah, and in many other instances, he performs this Sunnah. He does so seeking blessing, aid, assistance, and Tawfeeq from Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic.

His statement: “Know,” It was his, may Allaah have mercy upon him, manner — in most of his treatises — to begin with this statement: “Know…” It is a statement which is said before matters which are greatly important and every Muslim in in need of. Within numerous places in the Qur’aan, this statement is begun with. Such as the statement of Allaah, Glorified and Exalted be He: