Is it permissible to declare Shias as disbelievers?
Question:
Is it permissible to declare Shias as disbelievers?
Answer:
The Shia consist of categories and types; some have mentioned twenty-two types—meaning sects. However, the Batiniyya among them—such as the Ja’fariyyah and the Imami Twelvers, the followers of Khomeini—there is no doubt regarding their disbelief (kufr). This is because they are Rafidah, especially their leaders and Imams who call toward Shirk (associating partners with Allah) and the worship of Ahl al-Bayt. They exaggerate regarding Ali and worship him besides Allah, as well as Al-Hasan and Al-Hussein. They believe that they [the Imams] know the unseen (Ghayb), that they are infallible, and they claim that Ali is the deity. The same applies to the Nusayris and the Ismailis; these are among the most disbelieving of people—the leaders, the Imams, and the prominent figures among them.
As for their common folk, they are ignorant and astray; however, their prominent leaders and scholars know these matters and believe in these things—we seek refuge in Allah. They are among the most misguided of people and the furthest from guidance—we ask Allah for well-being.
And among them are ignorant Shias who do not exaggerate regarding the Ahl al-Bayt, do not worship them besides Allah, and do not believe that they know the unseen. However, they prefer Ali and say: ‘Ali is better than al-Siddiq [Abu Bakr] and better than Umar.’ This is an error, ignorance, and a sin, but they are not disbelievers; they are considered sinners and innovators (mubtadi’ah), but not disbelievers.
They only become disbelievers if they exaggerate regarding the Ahl al-Bayt and worship them besides Allah, or say that Ali and the Ahl al-Bayt know the unseen, or that it is permissible to worship them besides Allah, or say that they are better than the Prophets and that they are above Muhammad and the Prophets — as Khomeini says in his treatise ‘Al-Hukuma al-Islamiyya’. He says: ‘Indeed, our Imams have reached a station that no proximate angel nor sent Prophet has reached’ — We ask Allah for well-being.
The rulers of Iran today are among the most misguided and most disbelieving of people, even if they outwardly profess Islam — we seek refuge in Allah. This is because they are callers to shirk (polytheism), callers to the worship of other than Allah, callers to Rafidism, callers to the slandering and cursing of the Sahaba (Companions of the Prophet), and callers to exaggeration regarding Ali and Ahlul Bayt — claiming they are infallible and know the unseen, and that they are to be worshipped and called upon besides Allah: that aid is sought from them, vows are made to them, and so on — we ask Allah for well-being.