Can Those Who Commit Major Shirk In Muslim Lands Be Excused For Their Jahl (Ignorance)?

Written by:

‏‏قال عبد الله أبا بطين رحمه الله:  
 
كل من فعل اليوم ذلك(أي الأفعال الشركية) عند هذه المشاهد(أي القبور )، فهو مشرك كافر بلا شك، بدلالة الكتاب والسنة والإجماع؛ ونحن نعلم أن من فعل ذلك ممن ينتسب إلى الإسلام، أنه لم يوقعهم في ذلك إلا الجهل، فلو علموا أن ذلك يبعد عن الله غاية الإبعاد، وأنه من الشرك الذي حرمه الله، لم يقدموا عليه، فكفرهم جميع العلماء، ولم يعذروهم بالجهل، كما يقول بعض الضالين: إن هؤلاء معذورون لأنهم جهال.
 
الدرر السنية 10/ 404-405
 
Imām Abd-Allāh Abā Butayn, the Mufti of Najd in his time (13th century), one of the great scholars of Dawah Najdiyyah said:
 
“Anyone who commits any action of Shirk at the graves (grave worshipping) then he is a Mushrik Kāfir without any doubt, due to the evidence from the Qur’ān, Sunnah & Ijma of the Salaf. And we know that whoever does this from those who ascribe to Islam, that nothing led them to do so except Jahl (ignorance), so if they knew that this action was far from Allāh’s legislation, and it is from the Shirk that Allāh has forbidden, they would not do it. Thus all the scholars declared them to be Kuffār (unbelievers), and they did not excuse them for Jahl (ignorance), as some of the misguided ones say: “These (Mushriks) are excused because they are Jāhil (ignorant).”
 
[ad-Durar as-Saniyyah 10/404-405]
 
Translated by Abū Sakeenah al-Athari