Brothers Calling Each Other Kafirs

Question

Zayd and ‘Umar are two brothers; there was intense discord between them; a community council was held and they were reconciled. ‘Umar is a man of prayer and also leads the prayer in the mosque. Despite the reconciliation Zayd stopped praying in the mosque and prayed the two ‘Id prayers elsewhere. At this ‘Umar issued a “fatwa” that Zayd had broken his promise and, by not praying behind him, had become a kafir; this was announced on Friday. Matters continued thus.

Answer

Enmity — and that too between two brothers — is, by the Sacred Law, by ethics and by custom, an extremely blameworthy and ill-omened thing: it ruins both religion and worldly life. Zayd erred in abandoning the congregation and beginning to pray alone at home, and deprived himself of a very great blessing; he must go to the mosque and pray with the congregation and repent of…

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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