> question: with respect to the proper understanding of the issue of people who do not hold the polytheists to be disbelievers, such as ibn sina (avicenna), if a person comes along and says, i do not hold ibn sina to be a disbeliever. he is a muslim to me. has this person committed disbelief? > answer: if he is confused about him and is not aware of his condition, he does not commit disbelief until his (ibn sinas) affair is first made clear to him. however, someone who knows he was a disbeliever and a heretic, yet does not declare him to be a disbeliever, falls under this nullifier of islaam (i.e. he is no longer a muslim). this may not be clear to some people, however, so the one who is not aware of his condition should be made aware of it. > question: [continuing] but if he rejects this and says, i am not required to do this? > answer: he is required to do this. this means that he has fallen into one of these nullifiers of islaam: whoever does not consider the polytheists to be disbelievers, or has doubts about their disbelief or considers their ways and beliefs to be correct, then he has committed disbelief. you are required to hold the polytheists as disbelievers and have enmity and hatred for them for the sake of allaah. allaah has required this from you.
India