What are a nabî and a rasûl?

Question: Some people, in order to represent their masters as rasûls, say, “A prophet to whom a Book was sent is called a nabî (prophet), while a prophet to whom no Book was sent is called a rasûl (messenger).” Has prophethood not ended? Is our Prophet not the last prophet?

ANSWER
Such claims that have nothing to do with the Islamic faith are of the tactics and ruses of the enemies of Islam who want to demolish our religion from within. Saying “Only the Qur’ân!” and interpreting the âyât (Qur’anic verses) according to their own minds, they show no regard for the explanations given by the Messenger of Allah. They consider all ahâdîth to be made-up.
A prophet to whom a Book was sent is called a rasûl. A nabî, on the other hand, is a prophet who disseminated the religion of the rasûl coming before him. A prophet who did not bring a new religion but invited people to the previous religion is called a nabî. Every rasûl is a nabî at the same time, yet every nabî is not a rasûl. Payghambar is a Persian word which is used in the meaning of rasûl or nabî. Our master the Prophet is referred to as a Rasûl, and sometimes as a Nabî, in many places of the Qur’ân al-karîm. His being referred to as a nabî does not prevent him from being a rasûl. That is, calling a rasûl a nabî does not mean that he is not a rasûl. It is similar to sometimes calling the chief of the general staff a general, a senior military officer, or a soldier.
In the communication (tablîgh) of commands and in calling the people to Allahu ta’âlâ’s religion, there is no difference between a rasûl and a nabî. The 27th verse of ‘Ankabût Sûra purports, “We gave him [Ibrâhîm] Ishâq and Ya’qûb [after Ismâîl] as well. We bestowed on his descendants prophethood [being a nabî] and the Books [the Tawrât, the Injîl, the Zabûr, the Qur’ân].” According to this verse, as prophethood [being a nabî] was bestowed upon the descendants of Ibrâhîm ‘alaihis-salâm, so there were also rasûls among his descendants who were given Books. (Baydâwî, Madârik, Jalâlayn)

Let us give examples of rasûls with a Holy Book. Hadrat Mûsâ (Moses) was a rasûl. The purport of some Qur’anic verses is as follows:
(Mûsâ said, “O Pharaoh! Undoubtedly, I am a rasûl sent by the Rabb of the worlds.) [Sûrat-ul-A’râf, 104]
(Even this verse alone suffices to show up their lies. The Tawrât was descended to Hadrat Mûsâ; that is, a Book was sent to him. For this reason, he is called a rasûl. As a Book was revealed to our master the Prophet as well, many verses mention him as a rasûl. The word rasûl appears a lot more because when the word rasûl is used, it also includes the word nabî in itself. In the same way, the word rasûl appears in the Kalama-i shahâdat. If being a nabî were higher in rank, then that word would have been used.)
(We sent Mûsâ with Our miracles to Pharaoh and his establishment. Mûsâ said, “I am the Rasûl of the Rabb of the worlds.”) [Sûrat-uz-Zukhruf, 46] (He explicitly states in this verse that Hadrat Mûsâ was a rasûl.)
Hadrat Mûsâ, like our master the Prophet, was both a rasûl and a nabî. The purport of the following verse declares:
(Remember Mûsâ in the Book. Certainly, he was a servant with ikhlâs, and he was a nabî, a rasûl.) [Sûrat-u Maryam, 51]

Hadrat ‘Îsâ (Jesus), too, was a rasûl with a Book. The purport of a verse is as follows:
(The Messiah [‘Îsâ], son of Maryam, is only a rasûl.) [Sûrat-ul-Mâ’ida, 75]
(Because of their saying, “We killed ‘Îsâ, son of Maryam, Allah’s Rasûl,” We cursed them [the Jews] and expelled them from Our compassion.) [Sûrat-un-Nisâ’, 157]
Mûsâ ‘alaihis-salâm, a rasûl with a Book, desired that Hârûn (Aaron), his brother, should be his vizier, that is, his helper.
An âyah purports as follows:
(O my Rabb! From my family, appoint Hârûn, my brother, to be my helper. Support me with him, and make him a partner in my task.) [Sûrat-u Tâhâ, 29-32]
Accepting his (this) prayer, Allahu ta’âlâ declares:
(Allah said, “O Mûsâ! You have been given what you asked.”) [Sûrat-u Tâhâ, 36]
(We gave Mûsâ the Book, and We appointed Hârûn, his brother, to be his helper.) [Sûrat-ul-Furqân, 35]
It was Hadrat Mûsâ who was given a Book and who was a rasûl. Hadrat Hârûn, on the other hand, was his vizier, that is, his helper. Could his helper be higher than he? When Hadrat Mûsâ was a rasûl, Hadrat Hârûn was appointed as a nabî. The purport of a verse is as follows:
(Out of Our mercy, We granted him his brother Hârûn as a nabî.) [Sûrat-u Maryam, 53]
Hadrat Hârûn was a nabî, who disseminated the religion brought by Mûsâ ‘alaihis-salâm, that is, the Musawî religion (true religion of Hadrat Mûsâ).
(When Zakariyya was performing salât in the mihrab, the angels called out to him saying, “Allah gives you good news of Yahyâ [John], who is a confirmer of Kalimullah [Jesus], who is a chief [leader of his tribe], who controls his nafs, and who is a nabî from among the pious.”) [Sûrat-u Âl-i ‘Imrân, 39] (The fact that Hadrat ‘Îsâ was a rasûl with a Book has been made known with the verses above. Hadrat Yahyâ was a nabî, who spread the religion brought by Hadrat ‘Îsâ, that is, the Isawî religion [true religion of Hadrat ‘Îsâ].)
As it is seen clearly from these examples, a prophet to whom a Book was given is called a rasûl. A prophet who spread the religion brought by a rasûl is called a nabî. Every rasûl is a nabî at the same time. No nabî will succeed our master the Prophet. As a matter of fact, an âyah purports as follows:
(He is the Rasûl of Allah and the last of the nabîs.) [Sûrat-ul-Ahzâb, 40]

Now that no nabî will succeed him, a rasûl never succeeds him because the rank of being a rasûl is more special and higher than the rank of being a nabî. Having cited these Qur’anic verses, now let us list the pertinent ahâdîth:
(Nubuwwa [prophethood] and risâla [messengership] ended. No nabî or rasûl will succeed me.) [Tirmudhî]
(The coming of nabîs ended with me.) [Muslim]
(The first of the rasûls is Âdam and the last is Muhammad.) [Hakim, Tabarânî]
(I am not saying this to boast [I am telling the truth]: I am the master of the mursals [all prophets who were sent either as a rasul or as a nabî]. I am the final of them all and the first of intercessors.) [Dârimî]
(My status in comparison with the other nabîs is like this exemplification: A person builds a nice house, but one brick is missing from it. The visitors like the house, only they say, “If only a brick had been put in this gap.” Lo! I am that brick. I am the last and completer of nabîs.) [Bukharî, Muslim]
(O ‘Alî! Whatever Hârûn was in relation to Mûsâ, you are the same in relation to me. But no nabî will come after me.) [Bukhârî, Muslim, Tirmudhî, Ibn Mâja, Imam-i Ahmad, Tabarânî]
Our master the Prophet is not only the rasûl of his time and of Arabia but also the rasûl of all people that will exist up until the end of the world and of the whole world. An âyah purports:
(We have sent you to all people only as a bringer of good tidings and as a warner, but most of people do not know.) [Sûrat-u Saba’, 28]
A hadîth-i sharîf purports: (I have been sent to all humankind.) [Muslim]

(We have sent you a rasûl from among you, who will recite Our âyât to you, who will purify you from every evil, who will teach you the Book and wisdom, and who will inform you about what you do not know.) [Sûrat-ul-Baqara, 151]
(This verse, too, proves that a Book was sent to a rasûl, not a nabî.)
After proclaiming that the Messenger of Allah is the last nabî, the Qur’ân al-karîm explains as follows the fact that the building of Islam has been completed:
(This day have I perfected your religion for you, completed My favor upon you, and approved for you Islam as the religion.) [Sûrat-ul-Mâ’ida, 3]
Now that Allahu ta’âlâ has completed His religion by sending His last nabî and rasûl and now that there is no deficiency left in the religion, looking for another religion and prophet means denying the Qur’ân al-karîm.
The 164th verse of Nisâ’ Sûra, which purports, “We also sent rasûls whose parables We have not related to you,” demonstrates that the number of rasûls has not been stated in the Qur’ân al-karîm. It is declared in a hadîth-i sharîf:
(There are 124 000 nabîs and 313 rasûls.) [Hakim]
This hadîth-i sharîf shows that rasûls, who brought Books, is fewer than nabîs in number. The reason why nabîs are more in number is that they promulgated the religions of rasûls.

Khidir ‘alaihis-salâm

Question: Some people assert that such legendary figures as Khidir (Hizir) are fictitious. Aren’t there any ahâdîth about Khidir ‘alaihis-salâm?

ANSWER
Islamic scholars fell into disagreement not as to the existence of Khidir ‘alaihis-salâm but as to whether he was a prophet, so some of them said he was a prophet while some others said he was a walî.

Hadrat Imâm-i Rabbânî stated that he met and had a talk with Khidir ‘alaihis-salâm but that he passed away and his soul was made to appear in a human form. [vol.I, Letter 282]
Because it is a known fact that Hadrat Khidir has talked with many awliyâ’, there are Islamic scholars communicating that he is alive. But the statement “There is no such person as Khidir” has never been uttered by any Ahl as-Sunnat scholar.
The friendship between Mûsâ ‘alaihis-salâm and Hadrat Khidir is narrated in the âyât from 60th to 72nd of Kahf Sûra. Tafsîr and hadîth books write that the friend of Mûsâ ‘alaihis-salâm was Hadrat Khidir. (Baydâwî, Jalâlayn, Madârik, Bukhârî)
One of the hadîth-i sharîfs about Hadrat Khidir is as follows:
(When Khidir lays a white hide on the ground and sits on it, the dry land instantly becomes green with vegetation. Because the green grass that has grown hangs from his back, he is called Khidir.) [Bukhârî] (Khidir means green.)

The moral of the story

Question: What is the moral of the story of Khidir and Hadrat Mûsâ, which appears in the Qur’ân?

ANSWER
Every story contains practical lessons to draw. Some of the rulings scholars inferred from the story of Hadrat Khidir and Mûsâ ‘alaihis-salâm are as follows:
1. When one is making a journey, it is jâiz (permissible) to have a servant. Also, one can set off for a journey with a friend. [On a journey, it is sunnat to choose one the commander, and it is wâjib to obey this commander.]
2. It is mustahab to make long-distance journeys in order to learn ‘ilm (knowledge), if need be.
3. When a person sets out on a journey, it is permissible to take food with him or her. This act is not an obstacle to tawakkul (trust in Allahu ta’âlâ).
4. Even if a disciple is superior to his master in rank, he should behave humbly and modestly towards his master. [Humans are the teachers of what they know and the students of what they do not know. So when they are learning something they do not know from someone else who knows it, they should humble themselves towards that person.]
5. If a disciple asks something that he will be unable to bear, his master should offer an apology because he will not be able to teach it.
6. People should say “Inshâ-Allah” when they are talking about something they will do.
7. The followed can stipulate conditions for the follower to fulfill.
8. The conditions stipulated must be fulfilled.
9. One must not be reproached for something one has forgotten.
10. Repetition is made three times.
11. It is permissible for a traveler to ask for food if it is necessary.
12. One can demand a wage for the work one has done.
13. A poor person is not exempted from being poor even if he or she has a means of earning a living.
14. It is harâm to appropriate others’ property.
15. In order to save the property of an orphan or goods that have been entrusted to someone, damage can be done to some part of them.
16. When one faces two evils, it is necessary to commit the lesser of them.
17. A (damaged) building must be repaired. It must not be neglected until it collapses.

Finding the True Path and Qadar

Question: Some people say, "Embracing Islam and finding the true path are something related to qada' and qadar." Since it is Allah who creates qadar, why does He create other people unfortunate? Is His creating so compatible with justice?

ANSWER: Allahu ta'ala does not create anyone a disbeliever. He knows with His eternal knowledge all the things that happened and will happen. For example, He knows whether or not a certain disbeliever will remain a disbeliever forever. He knows all the things that will happen the way they will happen. Let us explain this issue with an example: The times when the sun will rise and set during a year are calculated and written on charts and timetables. And the sun rises and sets at those times written beforehand. However, the reason why it rises or sets at calculated times is not that they were written so on charts and timetables. Their having been written does not affect sunrise or sunset. Because Allahu ta'ala foreknows what will befall humans, He recorded it in al-Lawh al-Mahfuz. The reason why Allahu ta'ala has stated that some people will be unfortunate is that they want to remain in disbelief of their own volition and do not want to believe. They do not remain in disbelief as Allahu ta'ala has informed us about it. The Qur'an al-karim says (what means):

(By Allahu ta'ala, who gave the nafs good and evil [ability to obey and disobey, that is, the right to choose one of them; partial will], he who has purified his nafs and who has purged it of disbelief and disobedience has been saved. He who has left it in them has suffered a loss.) [Ash-Shams 7-10]

Humans are free in using their partial will. They are not compelled. That is, if they use their partial will in goodness, Allahu ta'ala creates goodness. If they spend it in evil, He creates evil. Humans use their partial will, and Allahu ta'ala creates [what they want]. (The pamphlet "Iradah al-Juz'iyyah")
This means to say that He creates goodness for him who wills it, and that person is considered fortunate. He creates evil for him who wills it, and that person is considered unfortunate. There is no compulsion. In other words, Allahu ta'ala does not force anyone to sin. Nor does He guide anyone to Hell by force. In conclusion, there is nothing incompatible with justice.

Words and Actions That Cause Disbelief

The following are some words and actions that cause a Muslim to fall into kufr (disbelief, apostasy). We have quoted them from Zawajir by Hadrat Ibn Hajar al-Makki, Hadiqa, Bariqa, Birghiwi, Miftah-ul Janna, Maktubat-i Rabbani, Endless Bliss, and Ibn 'Abidin.

1. Attributing Allahu ta'ala with a non-befitting attribute causes disbelief. For example, it is disbelief to say "Allah knows that I did not do it" to refer to something one did or to say "Allah knows that I did it" to refer to something one did not do, if there is no extreme necessity to say so. Uttering such a statement means imputing ignorance to Allahu ta'ala.

2. Saying "Allah is wise, conscious, and thinks well" means likening Him to His creation, which is disbelief.

3. Making derogatory remarks about prophets or making fun of them causes disbelief. Examples of this category of disbelief are as follows: saying "The first human was wild" to refer to Hadrat Adam or considering a wali higher than a prophet or saying "If what the Prophet said is true, we have attained salvation."

Such statements, too, cause disbelief: "Only the Qur'an" or "I do not accept any sources except the Qur'an" or "There is no need for any sources other than the Qur'an" or "The Prophet is a postman. His mission is over."
4. It is disbelief to claim that a prophet will succeed our Master the Prophet. ('Isa 'alaihis-salam will come but not as a prophet.)

5. Making disparaging remarks about angels is disbelief. For example, such statements are included in this category: "In my opinion, your look is like Azrail" or "I would not believe it even if Jibrael said it" or "If you do not discipline your children well, they will be Zabanis."

6. Insulting the words of, the fiqh books of, and the fatwas of Islamic scholars instead of respecting them causes disbelief. Examples of disbelief of this kind include: to claim, for instance, that the qiyas performed by Imam-i A'zam is not valid or to fling a fatwa on the ground or to hurl the books of hadith and tafsir on the ground.

7. It is an act of disbelief to make mockery of the events that will take place in the Hereafter. To say, for instance, "I do not want Paradise. I want Hell because all prostitutes will be there."

8. It causes disbelief not to believe, not to like, or not to attach importance to any of Allahu ta'ala's commandments and prohibitions, that is, any of the Islamic facts that have been communicated clearly by the Qur'an al-karim and hadith-i sharifs and have spread everywhere by means of the books of Islamic scholars and thus must be believed in indispensably. To say, for instance, "I do not believe in genies and evil eye because I do not see them" causes disbelief.

9. It is an act of disbelief to say the Basmala while eating or drinking something that is definitely known to be haram. To say the Basmala, for instance, while drinking wine or eating pork causes disbelief. However, it does not cause disbelief to say the Basmala while eating something that has been obtained by way of theft because what is haram in this case is not that which is eaten but theft itself.

10. It is an act of disbelief to do or use the things that are symptoms of disbelief, symptoms of denying and disbelieving Islam. It is wajib on us to debase them. Also, he who does or uses one of them that is commonly known without knowing or as a joke or to make people laugh becomes a disbeliever. For example, it causes disbelief to wear the robe-like girdle called zunnar, which is worn by priests. One's using them to make others laugh causes disbelief too, even if one might have correct faith. (Bariqa)

11. It is disbelief to say that the earth exists without a beginning and an end, as did the Greek philosophers.

12. Using such expressions as "Islamic thought" or "Islamic theory" or "Islamic view" to mean the Islamic religion causes disbelief. [A thought means a solution that is considered to deal with a situation or means a compared result. A view means a thought, too. A theory means an idea based on mental and intellectual principles. Islamic scholars state that attributing Allah with man's created attributes, such as mind, consciousness, memory, and thought, causes disbelief.]

13. It is an act of disbelief to call Allahu ta'ala's commandments and prohibitions "divine thoughts" or "divine views" or "divine theories" or "divine consciousness." The case is the same with calling the rules in the Qur'an al-karim "Qur'anic views."

14. It is disbelief to like the religious rites or religious festivals of disbelievers, to congratulate them on Christmas if there is no extreme necessity to do so, or to attend services at church.

15. Saying "Those Jews and Christians who believe in Allah will go to Paradise" causes disbelief.

16. It is disbelief to deny mu'jizah and karamah.

17. It causes disbelief to consider halal that which is commonly known as haram or to consider haram that which is commonly known as halal, e.g., to consider lard halal and vinegar haram.

18. It is an act of disbelief to throw a piece of paper on which is written a Qur'anic verse, the Basmala, the name of an angel or a prophet in the toilet, on filth. Also, cursing the mouth a Muslim with the words of defecation and urination is an act of disbelief.

19. If someone says to a Muslim, "O, you, disbeliever," it causes disbelief to say "Yes" by accepting it.

20. To say "A slice of bread is better than Islamic knowledge" causes disbelief because one holds Islamic knowledge in contempt with this statement.

21. It is disbelief to think, "I will become a Christian sometime later." A Muslim woman becomes a disbeliever (an apostate) at the moment she makes up her mind to marry a Christian man. Similarly, a Muslim man becomes a disbeliever at the moment he makes up his mind to marry an atheistic woman.

22. If one is afflicted by a severe illness and supplicates, "O my Allah, take my soul, as a disbeliever if You like," it causes disbelief.

23. It is disbelief to say, "O my Allah, You have taken my child. Now do whatever You are able to."

24. When someone with long nails is told, "It is sunnat to cut nails," if he answers "So what?" he becomes a disbeliever. It causes disbelief not because he does not cut his nails but because he treats a sunnat as unimportant.

25. To say "Uttering 'insha-Allah' or 'masha-Allah' or performing salat does not fill one's stomach. Things do not take place by saying 'insha-Allah' or 'masha-Allah'" is disbelief. One dislikes and mocks the order of our religion by uttering such statements. Insha-Allah means "by the permission of Allah." Nothing takes places except by His permission. Therefore, it is necessary to believe that good and evil are from Allah. It is disbelief to reject the fact that evil, like good, is from Allah. Man wills an action, and Allahu ta'ala creates it.

26. It is disbelief to say to someone one loves, "You are dearer to me than Allah and the Prophet are."

27. Approval of kufr (disbelief) causes kufr. An example of it is that one does not feel sad that one's children have become disbelievers, e.g., to consent to the marriage of one's daughter to a non-Muslim man.

28. When a disbeliever wants to become a Muslim and needs you, it causes disbelief to delay his becoming a Muslim on a plea of some work.

29. It is disbelief to say, "The boorish hand of ajal." (The reason is that ajal [one's appointed time of death] comes by Allah's command. It is disbelief to describe the command of Allah and the duty of Azrail 'alaihis-salam as cruelty.)

30. To respect a disbeliever, e.g., to kiss the hand of a priest out of respect, causes disbelief.

31. It is an act of disbelief to call any of the As-hab-i Kiram a disbeliever (kafir). (The reason for it is that the Qur'an al-karim declares that all of them will go to Paradise. If one calls any of them a disbeliever, then one has not believed what the Qur'an says.)

32. To say, "The disbelievers who suffer oppression will go to Paradise," causes disbelief.

33. It is disbelief to expect thawab from money that is haram. For example, if a woman sacrifices an animal with the money that she earned through prostitution and expects thawab in return for this act of hers, she will fall into disbelief. If she does it without expecting any thawab, it will not be disbelief.

34. To consider Allahu ta'ala as being with place, e.g., to say, like Christians, "Allah sits in the sky" or to say "Some sound has come from the sky" by meaning that that sound has come from Allahu ta'ala or to say "Allah is looking at us from the sky" causes disbelief because such statements mean ascribing a place to Allahu ta'ala. The earth, planets, Paradise, and Hell are not without a beginning. They were created afterwards and are creatures. Allahu ta'ala had existed when the earth and the heavens did not exist. Islamic scholars state that it is permissible to use the statement "Allah is present and overlooking all the time and everywhere eternally." However, since Allahu ta'ala is not with time or with place, this statement is not as it seems to be, but it is a metaphor. That is, it is permissible to say, "Allah is not with time or with place. He is present [exists] and overlooking [sees] without Him being at any place." Otherwise, Allahu ta'ala would be considered to be with time or with place, which is kufr. It is written in the book Miftah-ul Janna: "If one says, 'There is no space that is not filled by Allah" or "Allah is my witness in the sky," one becomes a disbeliever, for he has attributed a place to Him. However, Allah is clear of occupying spaces'" (The Chapter About Kufr).

35. To say, "I do not perform salat, but look at my heart. My heart is pure," is disbelief. (The reason for it is that one treats salat as unimportant by saying so, and considering it unimportant is disbelief. A person's not performing salat means he is committing haram all the time. A committer of haram cannot have a pure heart.)

36. When one says to a person, "Your parents are dark-skinned. How do you have fair skin?" it is disbelief to answer, "I am a faulty design." This statement means to suggest that the Creator has done a faulty deed.

37. To perform acts of worship or to sing nasheeds in a way accompanied by music causes disbelief because nasheeds are ibadah. And mixing something haram into ibadah causes disbelief. Similarly, saying the Basmala while drinking alcohol is disbelief, too.

38. To say about a Muslim, "So-and-so is like a Jew in my eyes," is disbelief.

39. If a Muslim says, for a jocular purpose, about an Islamic book widely acknowledged as reliable that it is old wives' tale or if he says mockingly "May it be halal!" to someone who is committing haram or who is making someone commit haram, he becomes an apostate.

40. A person will lose his faith if he says, "How beautifully you recited!" to a hafiz who recited the Qur'an by tuning it up to musical notes. (Durr-ul-muntaqa)

41. When a person listens to a singer or sees any haram action, he will lose his faith as soon as he says, "How nice!" to refer to that haram. (Maktubat-i Rabbani, Vol. 1, Letter 266)

42. It causes disbelief to use deliberately, not for any other reason—such as from sheer force of habit—such expressions for a human: "He created it" or "He is creative" or "I created it" or "I am the creator." No one, except Allah, is called a creator. The Creator is Allahu ta'ala alone. Such expressions should not be used metaphorically either in the meaning of "making or producing something." Nevertheless, those who use them metaphorically or without malice should not be called disbelievers.

43. He who disbelieves the Islamic knowledge that is indispensable and has been communicated through consensus becomes a disbeliever. Every word, every action signifying disbelief, even if it is done in a jocular manner or unwillingly, is disbelief. (Kitab al–Milal wa al-Nihal)

44. It is disbelief to insult Islamic knowledge and scholars of the Ahl as-Sunnah wa'l-Jama'ah.

45. When someone looking at non-mahram women is advised that it is haram to do so, if he says, 'It is thawab to look at what is beautiful," it is disbelief. With this statement, he does not accept haram and says that it is thawab, as if it were an act of worship. Looking at non-mahram women weakens eyes and darkens heart. It is thawab to like what is lawful and beautiful and to observe Allah's power.

46. It is disbelief to curse the religion and the creed of a Muslim.

Becoming a Disbeliever by Only One Statement

Question: Some people claim, "Sometimes, a statement does not make a person who has uttered it a disbeliever, even though it is a statement of disbelief (alfaz al-kufr). Maybe he has said it not out of disbelief but out of ignorance. If he has not renounced faith by heart, he does not lose his faith simply because of his statement." Is it not disbelief to utter statements of disbelief out of ignorance? Should everybody be ignorant so that he will not fall into disbelief?

ANSWERIgnorance about statements of disbelief is inexcusable. Just as a disbeliever becomes a Believer by saying the Kalima at-Tawhid once, so a Believer becomes a disbeliever by uttering only one statement. A hadith-i sharif says (what means):
(Such a time will come that a person will lose his faith without even noticing it.) [Daylami]

If a Muslim purposely makes a statement or commits an act that he knows Islamic scholars unanimously define as one of the statements or acts that will cause one to become a disbeliever, he will lose his faith, even if the statement has been made or the act has been committed for jocular purpose or without really thinking of its meaning. This sort of disbelief is called kufr-i inadi (disbelief out of obstinacy). Doing so purposely causes one to become a disbeliever, even if one does not know that the statement or the act concerned causes a state of disbelief. In this case the state of disbelief lapsed into is called kufr-i jahli (disbelief out of ignorance). It is fard (obligatory) for every individual Muslim to learn those Islamic facts that they have been enjoined to know. Not to know them is not excusable. A statement of disbelief does not cause one to become a disbeliever only when it is uttered by mistake or in an interpretable way or under duress. (Bariqa, Hadiqa, Majma-ul-anhur)

Question: If a Muslim has made a statement of disbelief, can we consider him a disbeliever?

ANSWERWe are enjoined to have a good opinion of (husn az-zann) Muslims, so we should have a good assumption about him and think, "Maybe he uttered it by mistake. Or he said it in an interpretable way. Or maybe he repented of what he had said." We are not considered sinful because of our good thoughts about him, even if he has not made repentance for what he said.

Hadrat Imam-i Rabbani states:
If a statement or an action of a Muslim signifies 100 meanings 99 of which causing disbelief and one showing that he is a Muslim, it is necessary to take this one meaning and not to call him a disbeliever. (Vol. 3, Letter 38)
This is the case when a statement or an action signifies 100 meanings. If, however, 1 out of 100 statements or actions indicates faith while 99 of them show disbelief, such a person cannot be called a Muslim because if only one statement or action of a person openly shows disbelief, that is, if it does not have a meaning that indicates the presence of faith, he is judged to be a disbeliever. He is not protected from disbelief and is not judged to be a Muslim by his other statements or actions that show the presence of faith in him. (Advice for the Muslim)

Having a good opinion of an apostate

Question: It is written in the book Endless Bliss: "Then, it is useless to say 'Maybe he repented, gave up apostasy' about those dead people who did not believe in Islam when they were alive. Their limbs that perpetrated oppression must do favors. Their tongues must pray, and they must say their last requests in such a manner as to please the oppressed. Those apostates who have not done so will not be thought of as good." What is the use of a disbeliever's or an apostate's doing favors and supplicating?

ANSWERNo thawab (reward) is given in return for the good deeds of disbelievers and apostates. However, some people, when a disbeliever or an apostate has died, say, "Maybe he had made repentance and become a Muslim before he died. We should entertain a good assumption about him." This passage of the book gives an answer to those who say so. That is, it means to say, "In our religion, a person is judged by external criteria. If there are not any signs that he regretted and made repentance, we must not have a good assumption about him and not consider him a Muslim. The signs mentioned herein refer to the actions signifying the opposite of his oppression." To sum up, if we know that he made repentance, then we can have a good assumption about him. If we do not know whether he made repentance, we must not assume that he made repentance. Even if he made repentance, as we do not know anything about his penitence, there is no harm upon us for not having a good opinion of him, for sins committed publicly must be repented of publicly.