al-Hadd al-Fasil bayn al-Iman wa al-Kufr
- Author died
- 1442 AH
- Editions
- al-Dar al-Salafiyyah
al-Hadd al-Fasil bayn al-Iman wa al-Kufr (The Demarcation Line between Faith and Disbelief) is a theological treatise on creed and the criteria of excommunication (takfir) by the contemporary Salafi scholar Abd al-Rahman ibn Abd al-Khaliq (d. 1442 AH / 2020 CE) .
Background and Purpose
The author completed the first draft of the work in Kuwait on 3 Jumada al-Akhirah 1393 AH (3 July 1973 CE) . He composed it during a period marked by the spread of extremist excommunication (fitnat al-takfir), when certain fringe groups declared contemporary Muslim societies to be disbelievers, viewed their own small circles as the sole legitimate Muslim community, and denied the Islam of anyone who did not pledge allegiance to their leaders .
Concurrently, the author noted the opposite error: individuals validating the faith of those who openly commit clear acts of disbelief, or Muslims falling into acts of disbelief out of ignorance . He wrote the treatise in an accessible, direct style aimed at the general public, deliberately avoiding speculative theology (kalam) and philosophical terminology . In the introduction to the second edition, dated 6 Ramadan 1401 AH (8 July 1981 CE) in Banha, the author noted that he merged the book with an accompanying treatise on loyalty and disavowal (al-Wala' wa al-Bara') .
Contents and Core Methodology
The work establishes foundational principles regarding the boundaries of faith (iman) and disbelief (kufr):
- Distinction between the Act and the Actor: The text lays down the principle of distinguishing between the abstract concept or act of disbelief (al-kufr) and declaring a specific individual a disbeliever (al-kafir), noting that an utterance or action of disbelief may occur without necessarily warranting an immediate judgment of apostasy against the perpetrator .
- The Reality of Faith: Drawing on the Quran and Sunnah, the author defines faith as comprising two inseparable dimensions: internal assent (tasdiq) to the revelation of God and His Messenger ﷺ, and practical adherence (iltizam bi-l-'amal) to divine commands . He explains that separating the conviction of the heart from bodily submission is merely a conceptual device for analysis, whereas in reality, genuine belief in the heart inherently drives physical compliance .
- Acts That Do Not Nullify Faith: In chapters addressing sins, such as chapter five, the work clarifies that major sins (such as theft or drinking wine) do not expel a Muslim from Islam unless accompanied by legalizing them (istihlal), defined as justifying the sin and lacking fear of divine retribution . The author contrasts the mainstream Sunni position with the extreme stances of the Kharijites and the Mutazilites, who held that unrepented major sins destroy all prior righteous deeds and consign the sinner to eternal damnation .
Publication
The work was published in Kuwait by Dar al-Qalam .
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