بِسۡمِ اللهِ الرَّحۡمٰنِ الرَّحِيۡمِ

In the Name of Allâh, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

All praise belongs to Allah alone, and may He exalt our Last Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, bless him and his family, Companions, and all who follow him rightly until the Last Hour.

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Types of Refutation

1. Praiseworthy Refutation

1.1 Scholars refuting one another with sincerity and manners

This is when true scholars refute each other with wisdom, good manners, and without any worldly motives. The goal is to clarify the truth, not to win an argument or gain followers.

For example, Imām Muḥammad Nāṣiruddīn al-Albānī رحمه الله would sometimes refute Shaykh ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz ibn Bāz رحمه الله and vice versa, yet both remained brothers in faith, respected each other, and united upon the Sunnah.

Allah says:

"Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and good instruction, and argue with them in a way that is best."
 (Sūrah an-Naḥl, 16:125)

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1.2 Scholars refuting misguided sects and innovators

This is when true scholars refute Ahl al-Bid‘ah (people of innovation). This does not mean lying, slandering, or attacking personal lives. The Prophet ﷺ said:

"Whoever among you sees an evil, let him change it with his hand; if he is unable, then with his tongue; and if he is unable, then with his heart – and that is the weakest of faith."
 (Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, 49)

This type includes:

• Warning the public against individuals or groups or organisations
  
• Making tabdīʿ (declaring someone an innovator).
  
• Declaring someone mushrik (polytheist) kāfir (disbeliever), individually or as a group, if they commit acts of major shirk or major kufr.
  
• Declaring someone fāsiq (open sinner).
  

The order of severity is: mushrik/kāfir → mubtadiʿ → fāsiq.

Do not think refutation hardens the heart — rather, as Shaykh Ṣāliḥ al-Fawzān حفظه الله said:

"Not refuting innovators and innovation is what hardens the heart." source: Do Refutations of Ahlul Biddah Harden the Heart? | Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzaan(Youtube posted by Masjid DarruSunnah - Dus Dawah)

Before refuting, ensure you have understood Islam properly from qualified scholars and well-grounded students of knowledge.

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2. Blameworthy Refutation

This is the type of refutation where lies, slander, deception, and personal attacks are found. Such refutation is not accepted in Islam and is a sin. Allah says:

"O you who have believed, avoid much suspicion. Indeed, some suspicion is sin. And do not spy or backbite each other."
 (Sūrah al-Ḥujurāt, 49:12)

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The First Obligation in Refutation

The first obligation is to refute those enemies who hide behind the banner of Islam, because Allah and His Messenger ﷺ have already clarified the condition of open enemies such as idol-worshippers, Jews, and Christians. The Salaf (pious predecessors) — including the Four Imāms(Abu Hanifa,Malik,Shafai and Ahmad), the Companions, the Tābiʿīn, Taba-at-Tabi’in and those after them(khalaf) — focused heavily on refuting the internal enemies: the innovators who ascribed themselves to Islam outwardly.

As the saying goes:

"If your house is made of glass, do not throw stones outside."

The internal enemy is more dangerous than the external one because they(ahlulbidah) pretends to be from you.

The Salaf were united upon exposing these evils because they destroy Islam from within. Ahl as-Sunnah wal-Jamāʿah stand as the party of Allah (ḥizb Allāh), while all other parties are the party of Shayṭān (ḥizb ash-shayṭān) — as stated by Shaykh Ṣāliḥ al-Fawzān حفظه الله.

Allah says:

"Indeed, the party of Allah – they will be successful."
 (Sūrah al-Mujādilah, 58:22) source: Is Salafiyyah a Hizb? | Shaykh Salih Al Fawzan

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Why Study Major Shirk, Major Kufr, and Bid‘ah Mukaffirah?

The short answer is:
 It’s because these things make someone a mushrik kāfir, whether the person claims to be Muslim or non-Muslim. Major shirk makes a person a mushrik kāfir in this world, and in the Hereafter such a person will be burnt in the Hellfire forever, and Allah will never forgive them.

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Names and Titles for What Makes a Person Mushrik Kāfir

The things that nullify someone’s Islam completely are called by various names and titles:

• Major shirk
  
• Major kufr
  
• Bid‘ah mukaffirah
  
• Apostasy (riddah)
  
• Nullifiers of Islam
  

All of these come under the meaning of “Lā ilāha illā Allāh” — which means there is nothing worthy of worship in truth except Allah, and La-ilaha necessitates rejection of everything that is worshipped besides or along with Allah — whether idols, graves, stones, the sun, moon, stars, jinn, angels, righteous people, prophets, or anything else.

Do not think idol-worship is the only thing that makes a human a mushrik kāfir. Yes, idol-worship is major shirk, but it is not the only form of major shirk with Allah. If you read the Qur’ān, the people of Quraysh at the time of the last Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ used to worship various things.

Qur'ānic Verses on Different Objects of Worship

1. Sun and Moon
   
   
    "And of His signs are the night and the day and the sun and the moon. Do not prostrate to the sun or to the moon, but prostrate to Allah who created them, if you truly worship Him."
    (Sūrah Fussilat, 41:37)
   
   
2. Angels
   
   
    "And nor did He order you to take the angels and the prophets as lords (besides Allāh)."
    (Sūrah Āl ʿImrān, 3:80) 
   
   
3. Prophets
   
   
    "And when Allāh will say: ‘O ʿĪsā, son of Maryam! Did you tell the people: Take me and my mother as gods besides Allāh?’ He will say: ‘Glory be to You...’”
    (Sūrah al-Mā’idah, 5:116) — confirming that such worship is false.
   
   
4. Righteous People
   
   
    "Those whom they call upon besides Allāh—they themselves seek access to their Lord to be nearer to Him."
    (Sūrah al-Isrā’, 17:57) 

“And [beware the Day] when Allāh will say, ‘O ʿĪsā, son of Maryam, did you say to the people, ‘Take me and my mother as gods besides Allāh?’’ He will say, ‘Exalted are You! It was not for me to say that to which I have no right. If I had said it, You would have known it. You know what is within myself, and I do not know what is within Yourself. Indeed, it is You who is Knower of the unseen.’”

(Qur’an 5:116, Sahih International / Hilali-Khan)

5. Trees and Stones (Idols)
   
   
    "Have you then considered al-Lāt and al-ʿUzzā and Manāt, the other third?"
    (Sūrah an-Najm, 53:19–20) — referencing the idols of the Quraysh.
   
   

Therefore, “The Prophet ﷺ was sent to a people who worshipped many created things—angels, prophets, righteous people, trees, stones, the sun, and the moon—and he fought against all of them without differentiating between them as I mention the Quranic verses.”

The General Rule

To put it simply: everything that nullifies someone’s Islam completely is shirk in general.

There are two types of shirk:

• Major shirk (ash-shirk al-akbar)
  
• Minor shirk (ash-shirk al-asghar)
  

Everyone agrees that whoever is guilty of major shirk will reside in the Hellfire forever. Allah says:

“Indeed, Allah does not forgive associating partners with Him, but He forgives what is less than that for whom He wills.”
 (Sūrah an-Nisāʾ, 4:48)

“Indeed, Allah does not forgive associating partners with Him, but He forgives what is less than that for whom He wills.”
 (Sūrah an-Nisāʾ, 4:116)

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Shirk = Major shirk = Major kufr = Apostasy = Rejection of Lā ilāha illā Allāh Muhammadur Rasulullah.

This is the first obligation upon every Muslim — to learn Lā ilāha illā Allāh Muḥammadur Rasūlullāh.

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