Assalamu Alaykum Wa Rahmatullaahi Wa Barakatuh: When is A'ql (i.e. sound reasoning and common sense) given preference over Naql (i.e. Quran and authentic Hadeeths) and vice versa? O Sheikh, we hear from people of knowledge a statement that says: "Whoever does not declare a Kafir as one, he becomes a disbeliever himself and whoever doubts the disbelief of a disbeliever, he becomes a disbeliever himself”. So, does one becoming kafir, due to such reasons, mean that one’s Islam has been nullified? Or would Takfeer require certain conditions in order for this ruling to apply? May Allaah reward you bountifully.

In the name of Allaah, the Benevolent, the Merciful. All praise is due to Allaah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allaah, his family, companions, and those loyal to him. In principle, the correct statement is to say is that authentic texts (i.e. Quran and Sunnah) do not contradict obvious common sense and sound reasoning. Thus, when a text is proven authentic and reasoning is explicit (i.e. unbiased, sound and free of influences) then there are no chances for contradictions to take place at all. However, if it happened that one authentic text (i.e. Quran and Sunnah) seemed to contradict explicit reasoning then it is either that the reasoning was not explicit or that texts are inauthentic. Keep this principle in mind and hold fast to it. The principle that states: “Whoever does not declare (or believe) that a kaafir is a Kaafir is himself a kaafir” is actually referring to issues that are agreed on to be a form of kufr that nullifies one’s Islam and not referring to acts that are disputed over by scholars. For instance, whoever does not declare or believe Christians and Jews and all other known Kaafir sects are and groups to be Kaafir is not a believer himself because he acknowledges kufr as Imaan, which means he opposes the Quran. On the other hand, issues that scholars differ their views on based on Ijtihad such as declaring one who does not pray Kaafir and such issues, this principle does not apply on them at all. Moreover, even when someone does not declare one a Kaafir in spite of committing an act that is agreed upon as Kufr, a clarification is required to remove any doubt that prevents him from declaring one as Kaafir before we judge him based on that i.e. declaring one a Kaafir for not declaring whoever commits a Kufr that is agreed upon a Kaafir. May Allaah increase you in cautiousness and success. And Allaah, the Most High, knows best.