Context of Kufr duna Kufr
The pronunciation and implication of Kufr duna Kufr has been authentically narrated. Unfortunately, the saying of Kufr duna Kufr is taken out of context by some who use this saying incorrectly.
What is the context of Kufr duna Kufr? It is a statement made in response to the Khawarij who claimed that committing and persisting in major sins makes a person Kafir. Ibn Abbas and others responded to the Khawarij who said this with: "Kufr duna Kufr".
Ibn Abbas in debate with the Khawarij
The Sahabi had a great debate with the Khawarij. They (the Khawarij) first lived in the city where 'Ali (Kufah) was, but when they saw that he and Mu'awiyyah set up two persons to settle the quarrel, they interpreted this as something new which does not come from the Shari'ah.
'Ubaidullah b. Abu Rafi' reported:
"The Hururiyyah (Khawarij) revolted against Ali ibn Abi Talib and they said: "Laa Hukm illa Allah (There is no Hukm except for Allah)." Ali radiyAllahu 'anhu then said: "A word of truth, but with incorrect intentions and intentions. Verily, the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, described some people and I recognized their description in these people. They speak the truth with their words, but it goes no further than this (and he pointed to his throat (ie, they do not comprehend)).""
[Sahih Muslim 1066g]
Thus, the Khawarij believed that 'Ali did not rule with the Shari'ah. And this is incorrect, as you will see in the debate of Ibn Abbas with the Khawarij.
Shortly after their famous saying, 'Laa hukmu illa Allah', they moved to an area along the border of Kufah, where they gathered.
The debate of Ibn Abbas with the Khawarij
(18678) - أخبرنا عبد الرزاق عن عكرمة بن عمار قال: حدثنا أبو زميل الحنفي قال: حدثنا عبد الله بن عباس رضي الله عنه قال:
لما اعتزلت الحروراء (4) فكانوا في دار على حدتهم، فقلت لعلي: يا أمير المؤمنين! أبرد عن الصلاة لعلي آتي هؤلاء القوم فأكلمهم، قال: إني أتخوفهم عليك، قلت: كلا إن شاء الله تعالى، قال:
فلبست أحسن ما أقدر عليه من هذه اليمانية، قال: ثم دخلت عليهم وهم قائلون في نحر الظهيرة، قال: فدخلت على قوم لم أر قوما قط أشد اجتهادا منهم، أيديهم كأنها ثفن الإبل، ووجوههم معلمة من آثار السجود قال: فدخلت، فقالوا:
مرحبا بك يا ابن عباس! ما جاء بك؟ قلت: جئت أحدثكم عن أصحاب رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم، عليهم نزل الوحي، وهم أعلم بتأويله، فقال بعضهم: لا تحدثوه، وقال بعضهم: والله لنحدثنه، قال: قلت: أخبروني ما تنقمون على ابن عم رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم وختنه، وأول من آمن به؟ وأصحاب رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم معه؟ قالوا:
ننقم عليه ثلاثا، قال: قلت: وما هن؟ قالوا: أولهن أنه حكم الرجال في دين الله، وقد قال الله: (إن الحكم إلا لله) (1)، قال: قلت:
وماذا؟ قالوا: وقاتل ولم يسب، ولم يغنم، لئن كانوا كفارا لقد حلت له أموالهم، ولئن كانوا مؤمنين لقد حرمت عليه دماؤهم، قال:
قلت: وماذا؟ قالوا: محا نفسه من أمير المؤمنين، فإن لم يكن أمير المؤمنين فهو أمير الكافرين، قال: قلت: أرأيتم (2) إن قرأت عليكم من كتاب الله المحكم، وحدثتكم من سنة نبيه صلى الله عليه وسلم ما لا تنكرون، أترجعون؟ قالوا: نعم، قال: قلت: أما قولكم: حكم الرجال في دين الله، فإن الله تعالى يقول: (يا أيها الذين آمنوا لا تقتلوا الصيد وأنتم حرم - إلى قوله - يحكم به ذوا عدل منكم) (1) وقال في المرأة وزوجها: (وإن خفتم شقاق بينهما فابعثوا حكما من أهله وحكما من أهلها) (2) أنشدكم الله أحكم الرجال في حقن دمائهم وأنفسهم، وإصلاح ذات بينهم أحق أم في أرنب ثمنها ربع درهم؟ قالوا:
اللهم بل في حقن دمائهم، وإصلاح ذات بينهم، قال: أخرجت من هذه؟ قالوا: اللهم نعم، [قال:] وأما قولكم: إنه قاتل ولم يسب ولم يغن، أتسبون أمكم عائشة؟ أم تستحلون منها ما تستحلون من غيرها، فقد كفرتم، [وإن زعمتم أنها ليست أم المؤمنين فقد كفرتم] (3) وخرجتم من الاسلام، إن الله يقول: (النبي أولى بالمؤمنين من أنفسهم وأزواجه أمهاتهم) (4) فأنتم مترددون بين ضلالتين، فاختاروا أيتهما شئتم، أخرجت من هذه؟ قالوا: اللهم نعم، قال: وأما قولكم: محا نفسه من أمير المؤمنين، فإن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم دعا قريشا يوم الحديبية على أن يكتب بينه وبينهم كتابا، فقال:
اكتب: هذا ما قاضى عليه محمد رسول الله، فقالوا: والله لو كنا نعلم أنك رسول الله ما صددناك عن البيت، ولا قاتلناك، ولكن اكتب محمد بن عبد الله، فقال: والله إني لرسول الله حقا وإن كذبتموني. اكتب يا علي! محمد بن عبد الله، فرسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم كان أفضل من علي رضي الله عنه، أخرجت من هذه؟ قالوا: اللهم نعم، فرجع منهم عشرون ألفا، وبقي منهم أربعة آلاف، فقتلوا.
Ibn Abbas narrated:
"The Hururiyyah settled along the border (of the city). I said to 'Ali, "O leader of the believers, postpone the prayer so that I can go and talk to them." He ('Ali ) told me: "I fear for you (that they will harm you)." I then said: "No, in sha Allah (nothing will happen)."
So I dressed in the best Yemeni clothes and left and arrived while they (the Khawarij) were having lunch. I have never met such a people. Their hands resembled the knees of camels (because of the roughness) and on their faces was the imprint of Sujud visible."
I entered and they said, "Marhaban (welcome) oh Ibn Abbas, what brought you here?" So I said to them: "I have come to report to you what the Sahaba of the Prophet (ﷺ) say, upon them the revelation was sent down, and they understand it (the revelation) the best." Some of them then said, "Do not talk to him." Others said, "We will talk to him."
So I said: "Tell me, what do you have against the person ('Ali) who was one of the first to embrace Islam and is the nephew and son-in-law of the Prophet (ﷺ)? And what do you have against the Companions of the Prophet (ﷺ) who is with him ('Ali)?"
Then they said, "Three things." I then said, "And what are they?" They said: "The first: that a man legislated while Allah says in the Quran: 'Inil Hukmu illa Lillah (The legislation belongs only to Allah)'." So I said, "And what other things?" Whereupon they said, "He fought but took no captives, nor did he take booty. If they disbelieved, then their prosperity was lawful for him, and if they were Muslims, then it was forbidden to fight them." I then said, "And what else?" They said, "He erased his title as leader of the believers, so if he is not then he is the leader of the disbelievers." I then said, "Was that it?" They said, "Yes."
I said to them, "If I deal with what you have mentioned of the matters according to the Quran and Sunnah, will you return?" They said, "Yes."
I said: "As for the first issue you mentioned, that a person legislated without being allowed to do it, Allah said: "O believers, do not kill a wild animal while you are in Ihram" until His saying: "Then let two righteous among you judge the matter (determine a punishment)." Allah said concerning the wife and the husband: "And if you fear a break between them, send an arbitrator from his family and an arbitrator from her family." So tell me, which one is more important: preventing quarrels and bloodshed between two parties? Or determining the punishment of one who kills a rabbit that costs a quarter of a dirham?" They said, "It is indeed more important to avoid a quarrel and bloodshed." I said, "Are you settled on this subject?" They said, "Yes."
I said, "As for the second issue you mentioned, that he took no captives or booty from that battle. Would you consider taking your mother 'Aicha as a prisoner? if you deem that permissible, then you have disbelieved, and if you say that she is not the mother of the believers, then you have also disbelieved, because Allah said: "The Prophet is nearer to the believers than themselves and his wives are their mothers." Both are wrong, so you have nowhere to go in this. Have you settled on this subject?" They said, "Yes."
I said: "As for your (third) statement: He erased himself as the leader of the believers; the Prophet (ﷺ) ordered on the day of Hudaybiyyah to prepare a letter to be sent to Quraysh. He (ﷺ) said: "Write down: This is Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah." But the Quraysh reacted negatively to this, they said, "If we believed that we were dealing with the Messenger of Allah, we would never have expelled you, nor would we ever fight you. So rather write Muhammad ibn Abdullah." The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Wallah, I am indeed His Messenger, even if you do not believe in it. Write down! Oh 'Ali: Muhammad ibn Abdullah." And the Prophet (ﷺ) is better than 'Ali radiyAllahu 'anhu (and even he erased his title on a letter). Are you finished on this subject?" They said, "Yes."
Then 20,000 of the Khawarij turned back, and 4,000 of the Khawarij remained, and they were (finally) fought (by 'Ali)."
[Musannaf Abdurrazzaq hadith 18678]
The Khawarij and their misinterpretations
The Khawarij falsely interpreted various narrations and verses from the Quran. For example, they used the verse 'And whoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed, they are the disbelievers' to declare Muslims as disbelievers when they commit major sins.
And whoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed, they are the disbelievers.
(Surat al-Maaidah verse 44)
Ibn Abbas refuted the Khawarij by commenting on the verse of Surah al-Maaidah, which they (Khawarij) used to claim that a person becomes a disbeliever after committing major sins.
6434 حدثنا محمد بن عبد الله بن يزيد المقري، ثنا سفيان عن هشام بن جحير عن طاووس عن ابن عباس في قوله: ومن لم يحكم بما انزل الله فأولئك هم الكافرون قال: ليس هو بالكفر الذي يذهبون اليه.
Ibn Abbas said:
"This (commiting major sins and persisting on it) is not the form of Kufr that they (Khawarij) think about."
[Tafsir Ibn Abi Hatim hadith 6434]
قال الخلال: قال أبو بكر: حدثنا أبو عبد اللَّه قال: ثنا وكيع، عن سفيان، عن معمر، عن ابن طاوس، عن أبيه، عن ابن عباس: {وَمَنْ لَمْ يَحْكُمْ بِمَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ فَأُولَئِكَ هُمُ الْكَافِرُونَ}، قال: هي به كفر، وليس كمن كفر باللَّه وملائكته وكتبه ورسله.
"السنة" للخلال 2/ 104 - 107 (1413 - 1425)
Al-Khallal narrated from Abu Bakr al-Marwadhi from Ahmad ibn Hanbal from Waki' from Sufyan from Ma'mar from Ibn Tawus from Tawus from Ibn Abbas commented on the verse: 'And whoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed, they are the disbelievers':
"This is Kufr, but not like the Kufr in Allah, His angels, His books and His messengers."
[Al-Sunnah 2/104-107 from Al-Khallal]
حدثني المثنى قال، حدثنا حجاج قال، حدثنا حماد، عن عمران بن حدير قال: قعد إلى أبي مجلز نفرٌ من الإبَاضيَّة، قال فقالوا له: يقول الله: " ومن لم يحكم بما أنـزل الله فأولئك هم الكافرون "، فَأُولَئِكَ هُمُ الظَّالِمُونَ ، فَأُولَئِكَ هُمُ الْفَاسِقُونَ ! قال أبو مجلز: إنهم يعملون بما يعلمون = يعني الأمراء = ويعلمون أنه ذنب! قال: وإنما أنـزلت هذه الآية في اليهود! والنصارى قالوا: أما والله إنك لتعلم مثل ما نعلم، ولكنك تخشاهم! قال: أنتم أحق بذلك منّا! أمّا نحن فلا نعرف ما تعرفون! [قالوا]: (70) ولكنكم تعرفونه، ولكن يمنعكم أن تمضوا أمركم من خشيتهم! (71)
Al-Mathna narrated from Hajjaj ibn Minhal from Hammad from Imran bin Hudayr that he said:
"There were people of the Ibadiyyah (sect of the Khawarij) sitting with Aba Mijliz and they said to him: "Whoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed, they are disbelievers, wrongdoers and evildoers!"
Then Abu Mijliz said: "They (the rulers) act according to what they know, and they know that they sin. And these verses had come down upon the Jews and the Christians."
Thereupon the people of the Ibadiyyah said, "However, by Allah, you know as much as we do, but you are afraid of them (the rulers)."
Abu Mijliz then said, "Indeed, you are more befitting to belong to that category than us, and we do not assume what you assume (that a ruler becomes a kafir by sinning)."
[Tafsir Tabari hadith 12026]
Other misinterpretations of the Khawarij
The Prophet (ﷺ) said:
"To verbally abuse a Muslim is Fisq and to fight him is Kufr."
[Sunan Tirmidhi 2635 (Hasan Sahih), Sahih al-Bukhari 48]
The Khawarij claim that fighting a Muslim is major disbelief, and they base this on their misinterpretation of this Hadith. Imam Tirmidhi and others gave us more clarity on what is meant by this Hadith.
قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ . وَمَعْنَى هَذَا الْحَدِيثِ قِتَالُهُ كُفْرٌ لَيْسَ بِهِ كُفْرًا مِثْلَ الاِرْتِدَادِ عَنِ الإِسْلاَمِ وَقَدْ رُوِيَ عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ وَطَاوُسٍ وَعَطَاءٍ وَغَيْرِ وَاحِدٍ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ قَالُوا كُفْرٌ دُونَ كُفْرٍ وَفُسُوقٌ دُونَ فُسُوقٍ
Imam Tirmidhi commented on this Hadith and said:
"What is meant by this Hadith is not the Kufr that makes a person leave the religion. It has been narrated from Ibn Abbas, Tawus, 'Attaa and more than one of the people of knowledge: "Kufr duna Kufr and Fisq duna Fisq."
[Commentary on Sunan Tirmidhi 2635]
The Khawarij were known for their misinterpretations of narrations and verses from the Quran. For example, one of their beliefs is that committing major sins such as alcohol consumption, zina and other sins makes a person leave the religion. They based this belief on the following Hadith.
The Prophet (ﷺ) said:
"If an adulterer commits unlawful sexual intercourse, then he is not a believer at that time, and if a drinker consumes alcohol, then he is not a believer at the time he drinks it, and if a thief steals, then he is not a believer at the moment of stealing, and when a robber robs, and people look at him, then he is not a believer at the moment of robbing.
[Sahih al-Bukhari 2475, Sahih Muslim 57a]
A person could fall into the trap of the Khawarij if he tried to interpret this Hadith himself. That is why it is important in cases like this to always look at how the Salaf Saliheen understood it. Imam Ahmad gives us more clarity about what is meant by this Hadith.
قال الخلال: أخبرني موسى بن سهل، قال: حدثنا محمد بن أحمد الأسدي، حدثنا إبراهيم بن يعقوب، عن إسماعيل بن سعيد قال: سألت أحمد عن المُصرِّ على الكبائر بجهده، إلا أنه لم يترك الصلاة والزكاة ¬
والصوم والحج والجمعة، هل يكون مصرًّا أمن كانت هذِه حاله؟ قال: هو مصرُّ في مثل قوله -صلى اللَّه عليه وسلم-: "لا يَزْنِي الزّانِي حِينَ يَزْنِي وَهُوَ مُؤمِنٌ"، من يخرج من الإيمان ويقع في الإسلام، ومن نحو قوله: "وَلا يَشْرَبُ الخَمْرَ حِينَ يَشْرَبُها وَهُوَ مُؤْمِنٌ، وَلا يَسْرِقُ حين يسرق وَهُوَ مُؤْمِنٌ، وَلا يَنْتَهِبُ نُهْبَةً. . " (¬1)، ومن نحو قول ابن عباس {وَمَنْ لَمْ يَحْكُمْ بِمَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ فَأُولَئِكَ هُمُ الْكَافِرُونَ} (¬2)، فقلت له: فما هذا الكفر؟ قال: كفر لا ينقل من الملة، مثل بعضه فوق [بعض]، فكذلك الكفر، حتى يجيء من ذلك أمر لا يختلف الناس فيه. فقلت له: أرأيت إن كان خائفًا من إصراره، ينوي التوبة، ويسأل ذلك، ولا يدع ركوبها؟ قال: الذي يخاف أحسن حالًا. "أحكام النساء" للخلال (91)
Imam Ahmad said:
"As for the one who commits major sins many times and persists on them, he has been described as the person who is not a believer while consuming alcohol or while stealing. This Hadith is understood as minor disbelief, just like the saying of Ibn Abbas.."
[Ahkam an-Nisaa page 57 from Abu Bakr al-Khallal, Masail Al-Shalanji pages 78-79]
Context of Surah al-Maaidah verse 44
The verse in Surah al-Maaidah, 'And whoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed, they are the disbelievers', is totally misunderstood by some.
The Khawarij used this verse on anyone who does not act according to Allah's revelation. This led them to believe that this verse is about sinning.
Why this verse has descended:
The verse in Surah al-Maaidah descends on a specific incident of the Jews, where they did not judge a situation as described in their Torah.
They judged according to their own desires and replaced the punishment prescribed in their Torah. They would flog and smear the perpetrators of Zina with black coal instead of stoning them. On this they were addressed, and then Allah sent down the verses about judging by other than what is prescribed.
Thus, the verses, "They are the disbelievers", "They are the wrongdoers" and "They are the transgressors" were first sent down upon the Jews who did not judge with the judgment written in their Torah.
Al-Bara' b. 'Azib reported:
"It happened that a Jew passed by Allah's Messenger (ﷺ), while he (the Jew) was smeared black with coals and scourged. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) called them (the Jews) and said: Is this the punishment you find in your Book (Torah) as a prescribed punishment for adultery?” They said, Yes.
He (the Holy Prophet) called one of the scholars among them and said: I ask you in the name of Allah Who sent down the Torah upon Moses if (what these people said) is the prescribed punishment for adultery which you have found in your Book. He (the Jewish scholar) said, "No. If you had not asked me in the name of Allah, I would not have given you this information. We find stoning to death (as a punishment prescribed in the Torah). But this crime (adultery) became very common among our aristocratic class (wealthy class among us). So when we caught a rich person (indulging in this crime) we spared him, but when we caught a poor person we imposed on him the prescribed punishment. So we then said: Let us change this by agreeing (on a punishment) that we can inflict on both the rich and the poor. So we decided to blacken the face of the criminal with coal and to be flogged as a substitute punishment for stoning.
Thereupon Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: O Allah, I am the first to bring Your command back to life after they (the Jews) killed it. He (the Messenger) then commanded and he (the transgressor) was stoned. Allah, the Majestic and Glorious, sent down (this verse):" O Messenger, (the behavior of) those who rival each other in denying the truth should not grieve you..." to "be granted, accept it" (v. 41)
It was said (by the Jews): Go to Muhammad; if he orders you to blacken the face and assign flogging (as a punishment for adultery), accept it, but if he pronounces judgment for stoning, reject it. It was (then) that Allah, the Majestic and Great, sent down (these verses): "And whoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed, they are the disbelievers (verse 44)", "And whoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed , they are the wrongdoers (v. 45)" and "Whoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed, they are the transgressors (v. 47)" All these verses were revealed in connection with the disbelievers.
[Sahih Muslim 1700a]
The verse: 'And whoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed', was sent down on judges who did not apply His Judgment and persisted in it, as well as judges who changed the Judgment.
So this verse has descended on the Jews, but it also applies to the Christians and Muslims. The judge should apply the Judgment of Allah without replacing it with anything else.
عبد الرزاق عن الثوري عن منصور عن إبراهيم قال نزلت هؤلاء الآيات في بني إسرائيل ورضي لهذه الأمة بها
تفسير القرآن - عبد الرزاق الصنعاني - ج ١ - الصفحة ١٩١
Ibrahim an-Nakha'ee said:
"This verse: 'And whoever does not judge with what Allah has revealed', was sent down on the Jews. It is (also) applicable to the Muslims."
[Tafsir Abdurrazaaq 1/191]
6433 حدثنا الحسن بن أبي الربيع اثنا عبد الرزاق ثنا الثوري، عن زكريا عن الشعبي يعني قوله: ومن لم يحكم بما انزل الله فأولئك هم الكافرون قال: للمسلمين.
Al-Sha'bi said regarding the verse 'And whoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed, they are the disbelievers':
"(also) For Muslims."
[Tafsir Ibn Abi Hatim hadith 6433]
Muslim judge who does not judge by what Allah has revealed
The judge who abandons the judgment of Allah and persists in it, he is a disbeliever. This is narrated from Al-Suddi.
٦٤٢٧ - أَخْبَرَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ عُثْمَانَ بْنِ حَكِيمٍ الأَوْدِيُّ فِيمَا كَتَبَ إِلَيَّ ثنا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مُفَضَّلٍ ثنا أَسْبَاطٌ عَنِ السُّدِّيِّ قَوْلَهُ: وَمَنْ لَمْ يَحْكُمْ بِمَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ قَالَ: مَنْ لَمْ يَحْكُمْ بِمَا أَنْزَلْتُ فَتَرَكَهُ عَمْدًا وَجَادًّا وَهُوَ يَعْلَمُ فهو من الكافرون.
Al Suddi said:
"And whoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed, but deliberately forsakes it and persists in it, then he is of the disbelievers."
[Tafsir Ibn Abi Hatim hadith 6427]
The judge who deliberately gives a different punishment contrary to the Shari'ah, is a disbeliever. This is narrated from Al-Qadi Ismail ibn Ishaq.
Al-Qadi Ismail bin Ishaq bin Hammad bin Zayd (282 AH) said:
"And this saying is an agreement between 'Umar and 'Ali, that whoever introduces new punishments that contradict the Book of Allah, he has the ruling of those who preceded him who also opposed the Book (Kafirun, Dhalimun, Fasiqun)."
[Ahkam al-Quran page 487, Surah al-Maaidah, from Qushayri]
The judge who accepts Allah's Judgment but does not act upon it out of bribery, he is a wrongdoer (Dhalim) and transgressor (Fasiq). This is narrated from Ibn Abbas.
٦٤٢٦ - حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي ثنا أَبُو صَالِحٍ حَدَّثَنِي مُعَاوِيَةُ بْنُ صَالِحٍ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَبِي طَلْحَةَ عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ قَوْلَهُ:
وَمَنْ لَمْ يَحْكُمْ بما أنزل الله يَقُولُ: مَنْ جَحَدَ الْحُكْمَ بِمَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ فَقَدْ كَفَرَ، وَمَنْ أَقَرَّ بِهِ وَلَمْ يَحْكُمْ بِهِ فَهُوَ ظَالِمٌ فَاسِقٌ. يَقُولُ: مَنْ جَحَدَ مِنْ حُدُودِ اللَّهِ شَيْئًا فَقَدْ كَفَرَ.
Ibn Abbas said:
"{And whoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed}, whoever denies His Judgment has disbelieved. Whoever recognizes it but then does not judge by it, is a wrongdoer and a rebellious transgressor."
[Tafsir Ibn Abi Hatim hadith 6426]
The judge who is bribed not to judge with Allah's revelation in some cases, falls into minor Kufr. The judge who is bribed to replace or completely abandon Allah's punishments, falls into major Kufr.
قال الخلال: قال أبو بكر المروذي: حدثنا أبو عبد اللَّه قال: ثنا هشيم قال: ثنا عبد الملك بن أبي سليمان، عن سلمة بن كهيل، عن علقمة والأسود، أنهما سألا ابن مسعود عن الرشوة. فقال: هي السحت. قالا: أفي الحكم ذلك؟ قال: ذلك الكفر. ثم تلا هذا الآية: {وَمَنْ لَمْ يَحْكُمْ بِمَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ فَأُولَئِكَ هُمُ الْكَافِرُونَ} [المائدة: 44] (¬2). "السنة" للخلال 2/ 104 (1411 - 1412)
Ibn Masoud said:
"Bribery in judgement of a judge is Kufr, 'And whoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed, they are the disbelievers'."
[Al-Sunnah 2/104 from Al-Khallal]
What is not meant with Kufr duna Kufr
Some do not understand the concept of Kufr duna Kufr as explained above. They claim that the ruling also applies to leaders who rule by other laws than what Allah has revealed.
These people use the concept of Kufr duna Kufr out of context. Kufr duna Kufr applies to a judge who (in some cases) does not judge with Allah's revelation out of bribery. So this statement does not apply to a leader who makes new laws or introduces completely new legislation.
So why does this statement not apply to making new laws? That is because only Allah has the right to legislate. He alone has the right to determine what is prohibited or permitted.
إِنِ الْحُكْمُ إِلَّا لِلَّهِ
Hukm is only for Allah
[Surah Yusuf verse 40]
وَلا يُشْرِكُ فِـي حُكمِهِ أحَداً
And He shares His Hukm with none
[Surah al-Kahf vers 26]
Who would disagree with the fact that only Allah has the right to legislate? He is the One who determines what is permissible and what is forbidden.
Whoever takes this right of Allah and legislates new laws, he is a clear Taghut. This is the understanding of Ahl Sunnah wal Jama'ah.