The Ruling on Disparaging Jesus in Retaliation
A newspaper from Azerbaijan was found this week depicting Jesus (Peace Be Upon Him) and his mother Mary (Peace Be Upon Them) in a hideous/vile manner. This was done, according to their claims, in response to what the Danish newspapers did regarding our Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. Does the person who did this to Jesus and his mother commit disbelief (kufr) and apostatize from the religion of Islam—bearing in mind that those who did this affiliate themselves with Islam? Answer: There is no doubt that ignorance does worse to its people than even this. This stems from ignorance—we seek refuge in Allah—and what is the sin of Messiah (Peace Be Upon Him)? What is the sin of his mother (may Allah be pleased with her)? For we believe in all the Messengers, we respect all the Messengers, and all the believers from all nations. Our fellow believers—we ask for mercy upon them and seek forgiveness for them: “Our Lord! Forgive us and our brethren who have preceded us in Faith” (Qur’an, al-Hasr, 59:10). We are allies to the believers from any generation and any century; from Adam until the Hour is established, they are our brothers. We pray for mercy upon them and we do not disparage them. As for disparaging the Prophets, that is disbelief (kufr). Those who disparaged Jesus—this is disbelief. It is not permissible to respond to disbelief with disbelief—we seek refuge in Allah—this is a matter that is not allowed. However, as for ruling these specific people as disbelievers, we do not know; perhaps they are ignorant, or they acted based on a misinterpretation, or something similar. Meaning, they have ignorance, and ignorance is an excuse. We do not know regarding the ruling upon them specifically, so we withhold [judgment]. But this act is not permissible; it is hideous, and it constitutes a [forbidden] differentiation between the Prophets. And Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, says regarding the believers: “We make no distinction between any of them” (Qur’an, al-Baqarah, 2:136) We respect Messiah and we respect all the Prophets, and we believe that whoever disparages even one of them is a disbeliever. However, the ruling of disbelief (kufr) upon a specific individual may be withheld due to ignorance or for a reason we are unaware of.
Advice for Social Media Users
May Allah protect you, honorable Shaykh. The questioner here asks you to provide advice to social media users. Answer: Yes, these media platforms have both good and bad aspects. If they are used for good, they can be beneficial, but if they are used for evil, they can harm everyone, Muslims and non-Muslims alike. They are like a double-edged sword, which can bring benefit if used for good, but can cause harm if used for evil. Therefore, Muslims youth should be aware of this and take from these social media channels and websites what is useful and beneficial for their religion and worldly affairs, and leave what is worthless, such as misguided ideas, deviant opinions, and ignorance spread by ignorant people or those who are misguided. Knowledge is not obtained from websites or social media networks; it is obtained directly from scholars, from the Book [of Allah] and the Sunnah by the hands of scholars! It is not obtained from social media networks, rumors, or websites. This is misleading. Knowledge can only be obtained directly from scholars. If the questions arise, they should be posed to scholars, not to the general public. They should be sent directly to scholars, who are responsible for answering them. If there is a matter of security or fear, they can be broadcasted. This is called broadcasting, which is the dissemination of information to the masses, including the ignorant people. They may enter into such matters and make judgments without knowledge. If they had referred the matter back to the Messenger (the Prophet), he would have replied to it during his lifetime and after his death (rely) according to his Sunnah. If they referred the matter to the leaders, they would be divided into two groups: the political leaders and the scholars. In matters of religion and worldly affairs, in matters of jurisprudence, religious problems, and politics, the matter should be referred to the people of knowledge.