It is established from the Prophet (Sallaallaahu ‘alaihi wa ‘alaa aalihi wa sallam) that he said: ((there is no man from amongst the Jews nor from amongst the Christians who hears of me and does not believe in me except that the fire has precedence over him)), so do we understand from this hadeeth that with the mere acquaintance and hearing that the person will not be excused or is the understanding of the evidence to coincide with that?

That which is apparent is that it is the mere coming to hear about him just as it is intended, ((no Jew and no Christian hears of me and does not believe in me except that he will enter the fire)) so we say: coming to hear about him is just as it is intended – so he does not hear it from the Christian or from the Jew who distort the image of the Prophet (Sallaallaahu ‘alaihi wa ‘alaa aalihi wa sallam), but rather the hearing of this should be from the aspect that the proofs can be established due to it, so one explains to them the affair of Allaahs Messenger (Sallaallaahu ‘alaihi wa ‘alaa aalihi wa sallam) with a sufficient explanation, and as for the hadeeth then it is reported by Muslim from the hadeeth of Aboo Hurairah radiyallaahu ‘anhu.

Is it allowed to declare a particular individual a disbeliever and did the Salaf declare a particular individual a disbeliever?

Takfeer of a particular individual who commits what would necessitate kufr due to it – by either going against clear proofs or making something haraam into something halaal, then there is nothing wrong in making takfeer of him – but with the condition, as has preceded that he commits what would necessitate kufr due to it, otherwise it is as the Prophet (Sallaallaahu 'alaihi wa ‘alaa aalihi wa sallam) said as is found in the ‘Saheeh’ ((Whoever says to his brother ‘O kaafir’, if it is as he says then so, otherwise it returns back to him.))

As for cursing a particular individual like the one who sinned from amongst the Muslims, then that which is correct is that it is impermissible, because the Prophet (Sallaallaahu 'alaihi wa ‘alaa aalihi wa sallam) said to ‘Umar in the incident when he said to Nu’aymaan as is found in Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree: “May Allaah disgrace you, how many times have you been bought out?”

So the Prophet (Sallaallaahu 'alaihi wa ‘alaa aalihi wa sallam) said: ((do not aid the Shaitaan upon your brother)). So the like of the takfeer on a particular individual who commits what would necessitate kufr due to it – then Imaam Ash-Shaafi’ee rahimahullahu ta’aala said concerning Hafs Al-Fard: “He is a kaafir due to the fact that he says: the Qur’aan is created”.