KUFR [INFIDELITY]

 

Kafir “Male infidel”, Kafira “Female infidel”, Kuffar/ Kafireen/ Kafiroon “Plural Infidels”

 

The All-mighty Allaah says in the glorious Quran:

The Day when man will see that (the deeds) which his hands have sent forth, and the infidel will say: “Woe to me! Would that were dust!” – An-naba’, v.29

Note

All creatures will resurrect on the Day of Recompense, Mankind, Jinn, animals, and even insects, and then Allaah commands the animals to turn into dust, and when the infidels see this they will say: Woe to me, i wish that I were dust.

 

What is Kufr “infidelity”? And how many types of Kufr exist?

 

  Kufr “Infidelity”

  Linguistically : To cover up.

Religiously : Anything that is against Islam.

 

Types of Kufr:

 

Major Kufr

Minor Kufr

 

MAJOR KUFR:

 

It is the Disbelief in Allaah and his messengers either with or without denying.

 

The Ruling of Major Kufr:

It expels the person from Islam.

 

Sections of Major Kufr:

 

i. The Kufr of Denial.

 

وَ مَنْ اَظْلَمُ مِمَّنِ افْتَرٰی عَلَی اللّٰہِ کَذِبًا اَوْ کَذَّبَ بِالْحَقِّ لَمَّا جَآئَ ہٗ اَلَیْسَ فِیْ جَہَنَّمَ مَثْوًی لِّلْکٰفِرِیْنَ

 

And who does more wrong than he who invents a lie against Allaah or denies the truth (Muhammad and his doctrine of Islamic Monotheism and this Quran), when it comes to him? Is there not a dwelling in Hell for disbelievers (in the Oneness of Allaah and in His Messenger Muhammad)? Al-Ankabut, V.68

 

ii. The Kufr of Arrogance.

 

وَ اِذۡ قُلۡنَا لِلۡمَلٰٓئِکَۃِ اسۡجُدُوۡا لِاٰدَمَ فَسَجَدُوۡۤا  اِلَّاۤ  اِبۡلِیۡسَ ؕ اَبٰی وَ اسۡتَکۡبَرَ ٭۫ وَ  کَانَ مِنَ الۡکٰفِرِیۡنَ

 

And (remember) when we said to the angels: “Prostrate your selves before Adam.” And they prostrated except Iblis (Satan), he refused and was proud and was one of the disbelievers (disobedient to Allaah). Al-Baqara, V.34

 

 iii. The Kufr of Doubt.

 

 

وَ دَخَلَ جَنَّتَہٗ  وَ ہُوَ ظَالِمٌ  لِّنَفۡسِہٖ ۚ قَالَ مَاۤ   اَظُنُّ  اَنۡ  تَبِیۡدَ  ہٰذِہٖۤ   اَبَدًا ﴿ۙ۳۵

وَّ مَاۤ  اَظُنُّ السَّاعَۃَ قَآئِمَۃً ۙ وَّ لَئِنۡ رُّدِدۡتُّ اِلٰی رَبِّیۡ  لَاَجِدَنَّ خَیۡرًا مِّنۡہَا مُنۡقَلَبًا ﴿۳۶

قَالَ لَہٗ  صَاحِبُہٗ  وَ ہُوَ یُحَاوِرُہٗۤ اَکَفَرۡتَ بِالَّذِیۡ خَلَقَکَ مِنۡ تُرَابٍ ثُمَّ  مِنۡ  نُّطۡفَۃٍ   ثُمَّ  سَوّٰىکَ  رَجُلًا ﴿ؕ۳۷

لٰکِنَّا۠ ہُوَ اللّٰہُ  رَبِّیۡ وَ لَاۤ  اُشۡرِکُ بِرَبِّیۡۤ اَحَدًا ﴿۳۸

 

And he went into his garden while in a state (of pride and disbelief) unjust to himself. He said: “I think not that this will ever perish. “And I think not the Hour will ever come, and if indeed I am brought back to my Lord, (on the Day of Resurrection), I surely shall find better than this when I return to Him.”.

Al-Kahf, V.35-38

 

 iv. The Kufr of Aversion. (Noah’s Story)

 

وَالَّذِیْنَ کَفَرُوْا عَمَّآ اُنْذِرُوْا مُعْرِضُوْنَ

 

But those who disbelieve turn away from that whereof they are warned.

Al-Ahqaf, V.3

 

 v. The Kufr of Hypocrisy.

 

ذٰلِکَ بِاَنَّہُمْ اٰمَنُوْا ثُمَّ کَفَرُوْا فَطُبِعَ عَلٰی قُلُوْبِہِمْ فَہُمْ لَا یَفْقَہُوْنَ

 

That is because they believed, then disbelieved, therefore their hearts are sealed, so they understand not.

Al-Munafiqoon, V.3

 

 MINOR KUFR:

 

It is the disobedient act that was identified as Kufr in the Quran and in The Sunnah, and hasn’t been mentioned as Major Kufr.

 

The Ruling of Minor Kufr:

It is haram “unlawful”, and it is of the major sins, but does not expel the person from Islam.

 

Examples of Minor Kufr:

 

i. The Kufr of Grace.

 

وَ ضَرَبَ اللّٰہُ مَثَلًا قَرۡیَۃً کَانَتۡ اٰمِنَۃً مُّطۡمَئِنَّۃً یَّاۡتِیۡہَا رِزۡقُہَا رَغَدًا مِّنۡ کُلِّ مَکَانٍ فَکَفَرَتۡ بِاَنۡعُمِ اللّٰہِ فَاَذَاقَہَا اللّٰہُ لِبَاسَ الۡجُوۡعِ وَ الۡخَوۡفِ بِمَا  کَانُوۡا  یَصۡنَعُوۡنَ ﴿۱۱۲﴾

 

And Allaah puts forward the example of a township (Makkah), that dwelt secure and well content; its provision coming to it in abundance from every place, but it (its people) denied the Favors of Allaah (with ungratefulness). So Allaah made it taste the extreme of hunger (famine) and fear, because of that (evil, i.e. denying Prophet Muhammad) which they (its people) used to do- An-nahl, V.112

 Note:

When mankind is graced with Allaah’s bounties, and denies that Allaah is the one who bestowed that grace upon them, Allaah doesn’t let that grace last long, he punishes them with hunger and fear for what they have denied, and takes that grace away from them due to their disbelief.

 

ii. A Muslim killing another Muslim.

 

سباب المسلم فُسُوْقٌ وَقِتَالُہُ کُفْرٌ

 

 ‘Abdullah narrated that: The Prophet Muhammad (Salla Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam said, “Abusing a Muslim is Fusuq (an evil doing) and killing him is Kufr (disbelief).”

 

Volume 1, Book 2, Number 46

 

iii. Attacking someone’s lineage.

 

Abu Hurayrah reported that the Messenger of Allaah (Salla Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam) said,

“Two things people do have disbelief in them: attacking lineage of others…” (Muslim)

 

 iv. Wailing over the dead.

 

Abu Hurayrah reported that the Messenger of Allaah (Salla Allaahu Alayhi wa sallam) said,

“Two things people do have disbelief in them: ……….. and wailing over the head”

[Muslim]

 

 

REFERENCE:

BOOK: “THE TAWHEED MADE EASY “

By Rayan Fawzi Arab.