This means that one who pretends to be a Muslim—whenever he says something that is not heard except from a disbeliever, or does something that is not done except by a disbeliever—is considered a hypocrite, not an apostate. This is because an apostate is a disbeliever who openly acknowledges his disbelief after Islam, and—based on mutawatir reports—killing him under this title, before or after repentance, is permissible, according to what Allah’s caliph on the Earth sees fit. However, a hypocrite is a disbeliever who does not openly acknowledge his disbelief, but rather considers himself a Muslim to protect his life. As a rule, killing him under the title of disbeliever is not permissible; because the rule is that one who says he is a Muslim is to be taken at his word, and the reckoning of his deeds lies with Allah[1]. Yes, if the hypocrite’s blasphemous statement or action is evident and is an example of fighting against Allah and His Prophet and spreading corruption on the Earth, then it is permissible to kill him as a fighter against Allah and His Prophet and a corrupter on the Earth, not as a disbeliever. In such a case, he is given ghusl and the funeral prayer—just as is done for Muslims—and he is buried in the cemetery of Muslims. Of course, it is not appropriate for Allah’s caliph to personally perform these tasks; as Allah has said to him: ﴿وَلَا تُصَلِّ عَلَى أَحَدٍ مِنْهُمْ مَاتَ أَبَدًا وَلَا تَقُمْ عَلَى قَبْرِهِ ۖ إِنَّهُمْ كَفَرُوا بِاللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ وَمَاتُوا وَهُمْ فَاسِقُونَ﴾[2]; “And never perform prayer over any of them upon his death, nor stand at his grave; for they disbelieved in Allah and His Prophet and died while they were sinful.”

[Recognizing the Polytheist[3]]

Based on this, one who considers himself a Muslim is not regarded as a polytheist due to what he does, even if it is something like calling upon the dead; for calling upon the dead is not considered polytheism if it is done with the belief that they can be beneficial by the permission of Allah. This is because Allah has the power to provide benefit through a dead person, just as He has the power to do so through a living person. Rather, He has the power to bring the living out of the dead and the dead out of the living; as He has said: ﴿يُخْرِجُ الْحَيَّ مِنَ الْمَيِّتِ وَيُخْرِجُ الْمَيِّتَ مِنَ الْحَيِّ وَيُحْيِي الْأَرْضَ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهَا﴾[4]; “He brings the living out of the dead and brings the dead out of the living and gives life to the Earth after its death.”

↑[1] . Likewise, it has been narrated that the Messenger of Allah said: «أُمِرْتُ أَنْ أُقَاتِلَ النَّاسَ حَتَّى يَقُولُوا: لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ، فَإِذَا قَالُوهَا عَصَمُوا مِنِّي دِمَاءَهُمْ وَأَمْوَالَهُمْ إِلَّا بِحَقِّهَا، وَحِسَابُهُمْ عَلَى اللَّهِ» (Sahih of al-Bukhari, vol. 4, p. 48; Sahih of Muslim, vol. 1, p. 39; Sunan of ibn Majah, vol. 2, p. 1295; Sunan of Abi Dawud, vol. 3, p. 44; Sunan of al-Tirmidhi, vol. 5, p. 717; Sunan of al-Nasa’i, vol. 6, p. 4); “I have been commanded to fight people until they say: ‘There is no god but Allah.’ So when they say it, they protect their blood and their wealth from me—except by its right—and their reckoning is with Allah,” and he said to Ali when he commanded him to fight: «قَاتِلْهُمْ حَتَّى يَشْهَدُوا أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ، وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ، فَإِذَا فَعَلُوا ذَلِكَ فَقَدْ عَصَمُوا دِمَاءَهُمْ وَأَمْوَالَهُمْ إِلَّا بِحَقِّهَا، وَحِسَابُهُمْ عَلَى اللَّهِ» (Musnad of Abi Dawud al-Tayalisi, vol. 4, p. 187; Sahih of Muslim, vol. 7, p. 121); “Fight them until they bear witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. If they do that, then they have protected their blood and their wealth—except by its right—and their reckoning is with Allah,” and he said to Usamah when he killed a man who had outwardly professed Islam: «أَقَتَلْتَهُ بَعْدَ قَوْلِ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ؟!»; “Did you kill him after he said: ‘There is no god but Allah’?” Usamah said: “He only said it out of fear of the weapon.” He said: «هَلَّا شَقَقْتَ عَنْ قَلْبِهِ؟!»; “Did you not split open his heart (to see what his true intention was)?” (Musannaf of ibn Abi Shaybah, vol. 6, p. 480; Musnad of Ahmad, vol. 36, p. 133; Sahih of Muslim, vol. 1, p. 67; Sunan of Abi Dawud, vol. 3, p. 44)

↑[2] . At-Tawbah/ 84

↑[3] . [Mushrik]

↑[4] . Ar-Rum/ 19