[FailiaFelay]

Regarding those who are "afraid" of making takfir even when it's evident:

"Before answering this question in some detail, I would like to allude to a very remorseful phenomenon that we witness in various circles of our Muslim Homelands. It is that many people have gone to extremes regarding this issue in that they either cross the bounds or they fall short (of the correct opinion). This is because on the one hand, some are very quick to render any person who does not follow their opinion in Far’ee[1] issues as Kaafir whereas such issues are not part of the fundamental beliefs of Deen. Rather there is room for Ijtihad in them and academic difference of opinion has existed in them from the early eras of Islam. This portrays Islam as if it is a cramped courtyard and if a person steps out of it even to the extent of a fingertip he comes out of the fold of Islam. On the other hand, there are some people who accept the claim of every person who proclaims Islam. They do not allow rendering such a person as a Kaafir under any circumstance, even though such person denies the fundamental beliefs of Deen which distinguish Islam from other religions. This portrays Islam as if it does not possess an established reality and is merely a tattered piece of clothing which may be adorned by every false and destructive belief so long as a person claims to be a Muslim. Both these points of view are baseless and have provoked turmoil and dissention amongst the Muslims. The truth of the matter is that Islam or Iman is an established and defined reality which needs to be proven in order to render a person Muslim. This established reality accommodates many differences in Far’ee issues that Islam itself has sanctioned and thus it is not permissible to render a person as Kaafir merely on the basis of such Far’ee differences. Similarly this reality is not lost merely by a person committing certain Far’ee errors in his action or belief, so long as he believes in the fundamentals around which Islam and Kufr revolve. Thus, if we desire to unite the ranks of the Muslims then it is necessary to distance both types of extremes. Therefore, just as we will need to disassociate ourselves from those who render people as Kaafir merely on the basis of Far’ee differences, so too will we need to absolve ourselves from those who wish to introduce into Islam every such false belief that contradicts the centuries-old established fundamentals of Deen.

It follows that we need to define this reality that is termed ‘Islam’, so that we may be able to hold onto the moderate opinion that distances us from both types of extremes. The definition of Islam in the light of the Qur’an and Sunnah upon which there is consensus of the Muslim Ummah is: “Believing in that regarding which it is known with absolute certainty that the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلّم has come with it.” (شرح العقائد للتفتازانى ؒ ص١١٩ وروح المعاني ١:١١۰)

Thus, whoever is included in this definition is a Muslim whom it is not permissible to render a Kaafir. Based on this, the schools of thought that claim Islam are of three types:

(...)"

Continues on: http://www.muftitaqiusmani.com/index...eous&Itemid=14