Grand Ayatollah Shirazi: Individuals Denying Religious Matters Through Ignorance Are Not Apostates

Grand Ayatollah Shirazi: Individuals Denying Religious Matters Through Ignorance Are Not Apostates
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Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Sadiq al-Husseini al-Shirazi held his daily academic session on Tuesday, Rabi al-Awwal 30, 1447 AH, where he addressed questions regarding various jurisprudential issues.

His Eminence clarified the ruling concerning individuals who deny, express doubt about, or mock certain religious matters. He stated that if these individuals accept the Shahada (the declaration of faith) and do not deny the necessities of the religion (those matters clearly and definitively known to be part of the faith), they are not considered apostates (Murtad).

Regarding the ruling on a person who denies the obligatory nature of fasting or any other necessary religious duty, Grand Ayatollah Shirazi stated that such individuals are not considered apostates. He noted that there are objections both in defining apostasy and in implementing the corresponding rulings for such cases, as the evidence for apostasy typically does not extend to these types of denial.

He further explained that the implementation of Sharia rulings, including those related to apostasy, is subject to specific conditions which are often not fully met. Consequently, the ruling of apostasy does not apply to many cases, and its related judicial procedures are problematic in such instances.