Calling the Kafir, Kafir???

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Calling the Kafir, Kafir???
Sabr
07/15/01 at 02:43:49
Assalamu 'alaikum!

I can't remember if I saw this from a thread *somewhere* here, or from an article...but I do remember some kind of controversy over the use of the word Kafir.

Isn't a kafir, "one who disbelieves"...but in the sense that they continue to disbelieve even AFTER they have read the Qur'an...even AFTER they have learned everything about Islam...even AFTER we as Muslims have tried everything possible to show them the truth (excluding compulsion of course!)???

Doesn't that mean that we cannot simply go around calling every non-Muslim a "kafir"???

Can someone please enlighten me ??? :(

Jazakallah khairan
fee amanillah,
~Sabr
Re: Calling the Kafir, Kafir???
talib
07/15/01 at 14:21:53
Personally, I think you're on to something.  I had a problem with the irresponsible use of the word kafir not that long ago.  Some chose to call my friends, who they knew absolutely nothing about, kafir because they were non-muslims.  I, on the other hand, refused to just give them up altogether because they weren't Muslim.  I felt and still feel that they just haven't been exposed to the truth of Islam yet, and how could I even consider myself a faithful follower of Allah if I didn't at least give them the food for thought that Allah so graciously provided me.  That would make me a hypocrite, in my opinion.  I simply look at my friends as "potential Muslims".  So, yes, I think you're right in your definition of kafir as those who won't believe even after they've been exposed to the truth and even after you've explained it to them until you're blue in the face.  Those are the ones whom Allah has placed a seal over their hearts.  Still, I don't see a reason to give up on them even then.  There is absolutely nothing to lose as long as you don't compromise your deen trying to help them.  This is just what I think.

Talib
Re: Calling the Kafir, Kafir???
eleanor
07/15/01 at 17:33:39
slm

Interesting thread! My opinion always was that kafir or disbeliever or unbeliever is someone who is not a Christian, Jew or Muslim.

Allah has secured these three as believers and he also told us in the Qur'an :

"Those who believe (in the Qur'an) and those who follow the Jewish (scriptures), and the Christians and the Sabians, - Any who believes in God and the Last Day, and work righteousness, shall have their reward with their Lord: on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve"

Now you can imagine my relief to read that Ayah. Not for myself but for my family or any other good Christian family who have always stuck to the teachings of the church and have led good lives. I mean Allah is great, and Allah is merciful and Allah will save those who work good and those who believe in him.

As far as I was concerned, as soon as I had accepted the Shahada in my heart there was no going back for me, because I *knew* the truth and to reject it would make me kafir.

Also those who worship idols or who are atheists etc, are kafir

Do you get what I'm saying?

wasalaam
eleanor
Re: Calling the Kafir, Kafir???
Kashif
07/15/01 at 17:54:25
assalaamu alaikum

I wanted to comment on this because i feel there is a trend developing amongst Muslims to avoid calling people by their true labels.

There are two issues i think:
1> the first is what do you call a person who does not believe in Allah and/or His Messenger sallallahu alaihi wa sallam?

I don't understand why i have to be writing a post on such a basic concept.... the fact of the matter is that a person who has disbelieved in Allah and His Messenger is a kaafir. Is there anything inherently wrong is using that term? Does it convey a meaning that is absent from that person? I don't think so.

I'm thoroughly confused as to why we are becoming embarrassed to use this label. Whats going to be next, are we going to invent a new term for them? 'ghair-Muslim' perhaps?

2> The context in which the term is used. I do understand what Br. Charles is saying when he refers to occasions when the term is used improperly.

What i mean is, just because you know a person is a kafir doesn't mean that you go and yell it in their face, or snicker behind their back saying "he's a stinkin' kafir" or something like that. I don't see what the point of that is, and probably if ppl seem to get joy out of doing so you find its almost always something that will have a detrimental effect on their da'wah.

From the point of view of a non-Muslim its a word in a strange language which most likely has a bad meaning to it, and the moment they sense some disrespect from you, they'll run a hundred miles.

So what i'm saying is that if a person disbelieves in Allah & His Messenger, we KNOW that he is a kafir, yet we shouldn't feel obliged to spell that fact out in front of him.

Kashif
Wa Salaam
NS
Re: Calling the Kafir, Kafir???
Sabr
07/15/01 at 18:45:57
Assalamu 'alaikum!

I agree with ALL of the points brought up so far...
And that's where my question lies I guess...

If the Qur'an states, [quote]"Those who believe (in the Qur'an) and those who follow the Jewish (scriptures), and the Christians and the Sabians, - Any who believes in God and the Last Day, and work righteousness, shall have their reward with their Lord: on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve"[/quote]

shouldn't there be just a little more moderation into who we label an unbeliever?  

I did not intend to instigate such a problematic thread for some people...I just posted in reaction to the fact that I have noticed (within my community....on the net...and especially in Islamic Rap nasheeds) that there is an excessive use of the word kafir, which ultimately amounts to a very derogatory form.

Yes..."kafir" is a naturally derogatory word...you can't get any more accusatory than "Unbeliever!!!"

And yes, obviously one who denies God is a Kafir, and there is no issue over calling an absolute disbeliever, idol worshiper, etc, a kafir...but I was concentrating on the term "non-Muslim"  
i.e.: why is there a seemingly excessive use (I have noticed..maybe others have as well) of the term towards Christians, Jews, Governments...every "non-Muslim"?

Think about it.  If we call every non-Muslim a kafir (keeping in mind the Qur'anic definition of believer), aren't we just alienating ourselves more from the people with whom we need to engage open, non-biased, inter-faith dialogues with; so that we can further educate the non-Muslims and kafirs by destroying the horrible Western Islamic stereotypes and by showing them the beauty of Islam?

Jazakallahu khairan
fee amanillah,
~Sabr
NS
Re: Calling the Kafir, Kafir???
Saleema
07/15/01 at 20:15:10
"Those who believe (in the Qur'an) and those who follow the Jewish (scriptures), and the Christians and the Sabians, - Any who believes in God and the Last Day, and work righteousness, shall have their reward with their Lord: on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve"

We need to look at the context that this was revealed in. I don't think that this verse means what has been said on here. The Christans and the Jews are unbelievers.

Af far as the use of the word "kafir," i agree with Kashif.

And not every unbeliever is a kafir. "Kafir" means, "one who hides," "one who covers up, " and covers up deliberatly. (Please don't hesitate to correct me if I'm wrong about the translation.)

Kafir is one, who has realized that Islam is the true relgion and still refuses to believe in it. That is what I was taught.

Dawah tip: Don't use the word kafir when talking to non-Muslims, it's a turn off to them, even if you explain what it means.

wassalam,
Saleema
Re: Calling the Kafir, Kafir???
abdulahad
07/16/01 at 00:45:57
Salaam Alaikum,

I largely agree with the orthodox understanding of the word "kafir". Let me tell you a bit where I am coming from. I am a convert and my mother is Hindu and my father is Christian. Yet you will find that more Hindus have accepted the reality of the prophecy of Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) than Christians. For example I can cite Swami Sivananda, Sri Ramakrishna, Swami Rama Tirtha and Kabir of Benares as examples. There are many more than those. The difference with these Hindus is that while they accept the prophecy of Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) and the veracity of the Qur'an, they continue to follow their own religion because they see all religions as leading to God.

Before any one calls me a kafir, I am not defending that position - if I fully subscribed to that view I would not have become a Muslim. However Christians necessarily reject Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) and believe that he (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) is an imposter (I seek refuge with Allah). This has been the orthodox position among Christians since the advent of Islam. To reject Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) and declare his mission as the works of an imposter (I seek refuge with Allah) is clearly kufr in its very etymological meaning - if kafir means "one who rejects the Truth".

Of course this is hard for converts to accept because "kafir" is a very harsh word and to think one's family are "kuffar" is quite an obstacle for many people in embracing Islam. However, I think the word has been made more harsh by its use by the Christian Boers of South Africa who labelled all Africans "kaffirs". In Christendom, the word "heathen" was in currency until quite recently and even the Jews used the word "goyim" (Gentile) in a derogatory sense as it meant one who was not "chosen".

But I recall the words of Abu Hamid Al-Ghazali when thinking about the word "kafir" and its use. He urges us to watch the tendency of kufr within ourselves. To check the intellect and watch the soul that commands to evil (an-nafs al-ammara bi'l-su) [Yusuf 12:53].
[QUOTE]What is strange about people is that they criticize idol worshippers for worshipping stones. But suppose the covering were lifted from them and the reality of their own situation were unveiled. Suppose they were shown the reality of their situation in images, as the unveilers are shown images in sleep or wakefulness. Then they would sometimes see their own soul bending before a pig, prostrating itself before it. Or they would see themselves bowing before it, awaiting its indication and command. Whenever the pig needed to seek some object of its apetite, they would rise up immediately in its service and bring the object. Or they would see themselves bending before a rapacious dog, worshipping it, obeying it, giving ear to what it requires and requests. They would sharpen their wits to come up with strategems to obey it. Through all thi, they are striving to make their satan happy, for it is he who stirs up the pig and urges on the dog, sending the two out in his service. Hence they are worshipping their satans by worshipping the pig and the dog.

Every servant of Allah should watch carefully over his movement and his rest, his speech and his silence, his standing and his sitting. He should look with the eye of insight. Then, if he is just with himself, he will see that he is striving all day to serve these three. This is the utmost limit of wrongdoing, since he has made the master a slave, the lord a vassal, the commander a servant, and the ruler the ruled. The intellect is worthy of leadership, domination, and authority, but this person has put it under the sway of the dog, the pig and the satan." (Ihya Ulum id-Diyn, trans. Sachiko Murata)[/QUOTE]

Wassalaam,

---------------------------------
"Have you considered the case of such an individual who has made his own desires as his god, and Allah let him go astray, and sealed his hearing and heart and drew a veil over his sight? Who is there to guide him after Allah has withdrawn His guidance? Will you not learn a lesson?" [Al-Jathiya 45:23]
---------------------------------
NS
Re: Calling the Kafir, Kafir???
abc
07/16/01 at 01:55:17
Assalamu alaikum
[quote] a old Christian man who was a friend of Khadijah's, RA, first recognized the signs of Prophethood in the Nabi, SAWS. [/quote]

Just a little factual correction :)
The Christian man was Waraqa bin Nawfal, and he was a [i] cousin [/i] of Khadija (ra). He was well read in the Scriptures, and accepted the prophethood of Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)and also predicted that he (saws) would be fought by his people.

wassalam
It is important to know who is Muslim and who is Kafir
Yusuf
07/16/01 at 06:38:45
As salaamu alaikum,

If you aren't calling them a kafir, then you are calling them a Muslim. This is the danger. We all know that the Muslim gets many more benefits over the Kafir. A Kafir man cannot marry a Muslim woman. He cannot enter Makkah nor Madinah, and most classical scholars say not even the Arabian Peninsula. He also cannot gain access to the secrets of the Islamic State. A Kafir cannot inherit from Muslims. We cannot pray Janaaza over a Kafir, nor burry him in a Muslim graveyard. Under Shariah if a Muslim kills a Kafir he is not killed, but must pay money. We have to know who is Muslim and who is Kafir in order to practice Al-Walaa wal-Baraa, a condition of our Shahadah. That is, loving and hating for the Sake of Allah. During Jihaad we must know who is Muslim and who is Kafir in order to kill the right person. We must know what makes a person a Kafir in order that we topple a leader when he shows clear signs of Kufr.

With this said, there is a difference between a Kafir who knows about Islam and one who doesn't - but both are still Kafirs. I hope and pray to Allah ta'ala that this clears things up. It is very important for us to know who is Muslim and who is Kafir and we should not think of "kafir" as a bad word or anything.

Also, I want to caution all of you as you are my brothers and sisters. Do not be apologetic about this Deen. Our job is to call people to Islam, only Allah makes Muslims. You cannot worry about if we will alienate them, etc. This is why some Muslims are afraid to talk about simple issues such as Muslim men being able to have 4 wives. Also, I caution you from formulating your own opinions and explanations of Qur'an. And the word "kafir" is not derogetory. If you say this, then it implies to me that you are saying Allah has used derogetory words in the Qur'an...

Your Brother,
Yusuf
Kuff-are?
AbuKhaled
07/16/01 at 08:50:38
Bismillah Al-Rahman Al-Raheem.

Dear Brothers & Sisters,

Assalam alaikum wa rahmatullah.

I have only skimmed the thread, so if I miss any points out, or tread over already well-covered ground, please forgive me.

Before proceeding, we might do well to chew over the following wise words:

Shaykh Adhami mentions, "The "best awareness [ma'rifa] is for a man to have self-awareness. And the best knowledge ['ilm] is for a man to stop at the limit of his knowledge.""

He also related, "In this regard, on the authority of az-Zuhri (124AH), the guidance of our beloved Messenger (pbuh) helps to remind us to "speak about that which you have knowledge of. [And to] relegate that which you are ignorant about to the one who knows of it.""

Some time ago, elsewhere, I was involved in a similar discussion, so I have collated some of what I wrote from that, and insha’Allah I hope it proves beneficial. I will list some of the contentions that were raised in that discussion, as I am sure some of the same misconceptions have been aired here too.

1. It had been said in the discussion I was involved in that, “A person is not a kafeer until we do dawah to him and he deliberately and knowingly rejects Islam. Allah knows best.” This was wrong, and will be explained below if Allah ta’ala grants our endeavour tawfeeq, for which we pray earnestly.

2. It had been said that there is a limbo state between being Muslim and non-Muslim, which is different from being a kaffir. The person who claimed this considered there to be a difference between a kaffir and a non-Muslim; in that the forner are those who have *rejected* Islam (a position which pre-supposes familiarity with the truth of Islam), and the latter are those who are not Muslims either due to ignorance, or misonceptions. This too is an unrecognised classification amongst the Ulema, which again we shall examine further below. Indeed I had asked one of the Brother’s who was a proponent of this view about the issue of a Sister marrying such a person. He chose not to answer, which itself was answer enough, because it highlighted the unavoidable problems which arise from holding onto such an incorrect viewpoint, namely: contradictions.

3. There was some confusion due to the fact that kaffir is often translated as *disbeliever*, a term which again suggests rejection, and thus seems not to account for those who are kuffar out of ignorance/misconception of Islam. Possibly a more fitting translation is *unbeliever* for this is more of a comment on *not believing* as opposed to the reason for not doing so. And essentially *this* is the crux of the matter, as we shall see, bi’ithnillah ta’ala.

4. Some were uncomfortable with the usage of the term kaffir, as they mistakenly thought it implied a judgement about that person’s akhira [hereafter]. Yes and no. In *general* if the state of kufr of the kaffir, and the reason for it, is one that does not admit of any possible excuse, then the jurists consider that the final abode is the hellfire, and this is not some controversial matter, except to the unlearned like myself. However, if the reasons for unbelief are excusable (e.g. the message never reaching the person, living in a time/location between revelation, etc.) then the matter is left to Allah ta’ala. This is why we should never point the finger to some non-Muslim and say with surety that they *will* be in the hellfire, for you cannot know whether iman will enter their heart even in the last few moments of life. So care and caution is required. However, the question of the hereafter for kuffar is not the subject of this thread, but I only raised it because the two seem to often go hand in hand, and some of us seem to erroneously overlap both questions, which accounts for why there are certain misnotions floating about.

The word *kaffir* is not - as some Muslims today (maybe not anyone here) seem to think - a derogatory word, in the way, for example *paki* or *gora* might be. Rather, kaffir is simply an adjective used to describe one who is not Muslim. There is no controversy about this. Whosoever is not Muslim is kaffir. It refers to their aqeedah [belief]. The fact that the risala [message] has not reached them, or has reached them in a distorted fashion, is irrelevant. As is whether they have never even considered Islam, or if they reject it knowing it to be the haqq [truth]. There is no disagreement *at all* upon the above assertion of application amongst the Classical Ulema, wallahu ta’ala a’lam, and this is for sure the orthodox position, the evidence for which shall be adduced below, on authority.

Both unbelief and disbelief still qualify one as being kaffir. Nor is it so that a deliberate rejection pre-supposes cognisance of what the truth is - or what the Islamic faith is (which, essentially, is the same thing) - followed by rejection. This is not a pre-condition for being a kaffir. Wallahu ta'ala a'lam

Note, what is *not* being disputed is that there are people who are non-believer's in the sense that they have not rejected but merely don't believe. All that is being said is that nonetheless, from their aqeedah, they are kuffar. Would we not agree that any aqeedah other than the aqeedah of Islam (i.e. Iman) is kufr? So what has this to do with *why* someone has such an aqeedah? It is a separate issue.

The issue is *what do you dis/believe,* NOT the reason for that disbelief, or the cause of it.

The kaffir is the one who does not possess iman (i.e. the articles of faith).

The issue of their status in the akhira is a different question, and Imam Ghazali (ra) for instance did not stop at just saying that they may escape punishment if the da'wah did not reach them, but mora, that even if they came into contact with Islam, but it was in a misrepresentative way then they would be excused. Wallahu ta'ala a'lam.

Nonetheless, for them to be considered kuffar is unrelated to them receiving da'wah and then rejecting whilst knowing it to be the haqq. Rather it merely reflects the reality of their aqeedah being antithetical to the Islamic aqeedah. The classification of kaffir stems from the *constituents* of their aqeedah, not the *reasons* for it, wallahu a'lam. This point cannot be stressed enough, and if we but understood it, then perhaps the contentions raised here might finally be allowed to lay to rest.

We live in times where some of us are even confused as to whether the Ahl al-Kitab are considered kuffar or not, since we think that because they are referred to by this title they are obviously not kuffar. They are.

The categorisation of kaffir is descriptive, not derogatory. We don't go by colloquial vernacular, we go by shari'i mustahalaat [nomenclature].

I quote you what Sheikh Nuh Ha Mim Keller mentioned about this:

"As for today, only Islam is valid or acceptable now that Allah has sent it to all men, for the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) has said,

"By Him in whose hand is the soul of Muhammad, any person of this Community, any Jew, or any Christian who hears of me and dies without believing in what I have been sent with will be an inhabitant of hell" (al-Baghawi: Sharh al-sunna 1.104).

This hadith was also reported by Muslim in his Sahih by `Abd al-Razzaq in his Musannaf, and others. It is a rigorously authenticated (sahih) evidence that clarifies the word of Allah in surat Al 'Imran:

"Whoever seeks a religion other than Islam will never have it accepted from him, and shall be of those who have truly failed in the next life" (Koran 3:85)

and many other verses and hadiths. That Islam is the only remaining valid or acceptable religion is necessarily known as part of our religion, and to believe anything other than this is unbelief (kufr) that places a person outside of Islam, as Imam Nawawi notes:

"Someone who does not believe that whoever follows another religion besides Islam is an unbeliever (like Christians), or doubts that such a person is an unbeliever, or considers their sect to be valid, is himself an unbeliever (kafir) even if he manifests Islam and believes in it" (Rawda al-talibin, 10.70).

This is not only the position of the Shafi'i school of jurisprudence represented by Nawawi, but is also the recorded position of all three other Sunni schools: Hanafi (Ibn 'Abidin: Radd al-muhtar 3.287), Maliki (al-Dardir: al-Sharh al-saghir, 4.435), and Hanbali (al-Bahuti: Kashshaf al-qina', 6.170). Those who know fiqh literature will note that each of these works is the foremost fatwa resource in its school. The scholars of Sacred Law are unanimous about the abrogation of all other religions by Islam because it is the position of Islam itself. It only remains for the sincere Muslim to submit to..."

So insha’Allah ta’ala the matter is clear now, like when something comes into focus.

Kaffir literally means *one who conceals,* and also, in classical arabic kuffar is the words for farmers, which is a usage employed in Al-Qur'an Al-Kareem. However, what we seek is not the lughawi [linguistic] meaning, but the shari'i one.  

The next point is very important, for we see it transgressed all too often. And it is unbecoming.

Our behaviour is unaffected by the orthodox classification into Muslim vs kaffir. For whether one is kaffir by rejection, or ignorance, our attitide is STILL determined towards them by the Shar'iah. That some of us think that the shari'i [legal] classification of them as kuffar, even if they have never been exposed to Islam, is derogatory, is more about us than the Shar'iah. It is a shortcoming we need to redress, in the same way that some of us recoil when a homosexual non-Muslim "friend" asks us what the punishment for homosexuality is in Islam. We become backfooted and apologetic because we don't want our answer to push them away from Islam.

Likewise, Islam is Islam, it has been so for long before we came on the scene, and our stance towards it (e.g. if we are unsettled by certain fiqh positions, or if we have trouble accepting particular aspects of the aqeedah [belief]; and I am not suggesting that anyone does) does not alter the Islamic position. Unlike Al-Fatiha (the Muslim Gay Rights Movement), we are not revisionists. If we find ourselves troubled, then we first suspect ourselves, and we realise that it is never that Islam is “wrong”, but that we have missed something somewhere along the line. We don’t seek to re-interpret the wahy [revelation] to suit our whims, desires, inclinations and shortcomings.

May Allah ta’ala ennoble each and every one of you, keep you safe and protected always, enlighten your faces with the radiance of knowledge, and continue to instill in you the ardent desire to always seek the best fahm [understanding] of this exalted Deen.

I ask Allah ta’ala to forgive me my many excesses. I admit that any mistakes were of my own unlearned doing, and ask that He (awj) deals with me by His (awj) Rahma [Mercy] as opposed to His (awj) Justice,

Abu Khaled

Re: Calling the Kafir, Kafir???
isra
07/16/01 at 13:10:11
[center][img]http://members.nbci.com/isra114/mbm.png[/img][/center]
[center][img]http://members.nbci.com/isra114/hamd1.png[/img][/center]
[img]http://www.jannah.org/board/Images/salam.gif[/img]
I'm  one who dont have good knowledge about Islam, but I have learned so. Muslim,Mushrek and Kafir.
[img]http://www.jannah.org/board/Images/wsalam.gif[/img] and Take Care all...
Re: Calling the Kafir, Kafir???
Anonymous
07/16/01 at 14:41:15
Assalam'alaykum,

Here's a text that clarifies everything: jews and christians ARE
kuffar.  Read...

wassalam

----------------------------------------

6688
Whoever does not believe that the Jews, Christians and kaafirs are
indeed kaafirs is himself a kaafir


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Question: Is it true that anyone who does not accept that kuffaar are
kuffaar is a kaafir himself, even if he prays, believes in the Qur'aan,
and the Prophet Muhammad ( )? If so, what is the proof for this? Can a
person insist on believing that Jews and Christians can be believers
and go to heaven after being shown clear evidence against this, and still
be considered a Muslim?

Praise be to Allaah.

Yes, this is correct. Whoever is not convinced that the person who
disbelieves in the religion of Allaah is a kaafir, does not believe what
Allaah has told us about their being kaafirs, and he does not believe
that the religion of Islam abrogates all previous religions and that all
people must follow this religion no matter what their religion was
before.

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it will never be
accepted of him, and in the Hereafter he will be one of the losers” [Aal
‘Imraan 3:85]

“Say (O Muhammad): “O mankind! Verily, I am sent to you all as the
Messenger of Allaah” [al-A’raaf 7:158]

Al-Qaadi ‘Ayyaad said: hence we regard as a kaafir everyone who follows
a religion other than the religion of the Muslims, or who agrees with
them, or who has doubts, or who says that their way is correct, even if
he appears to be a Muslim and believes in Islam and that every other
way is false, he is a kaafir

(Al-Shifaa’ bi Ta’reef Huqooq al-Mustafaa, 2/1071)

Shaykh Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhaab (may Allaah have mercy on him)
said:

Know that among the greatest things that can nullify Islam are ten
things:

Associating othes in worship of Allaah alone, Who has no partner or
associate. The evidence ofr that is the aayah (interpretation of the
meaning):

“Verily, Allaah forgives not (the sin of) setting up partners (in
worship) with Him, but He forgives whom He wills, sins other than that”
[al-Nisaa’ 4:116].

This also includes offering scarifices to other than Allaah, such as to
the jinn or at graves.

Whoever regards others as intermediaries between him and Allaah and
calls upon them to ask them to intercede for him, is a kaafir according to
scholarly consensus.

Whoever does not regard the Mushrikeen as kaafirs or doubts that they
are kaafirs or regard their way as correct, is a kaafir according to
scholarly consensus.

After enumerating them, he said (may Allaah have mercy on him):

In the case of all these things that nullify Islam, there is no
difference whether a person is joking or is serious or is afraid – except in
cases where he is forced to do something. All of them are among the
things that are very dangerous and which happen very often. The Muslim has
to beware of them and fear them happening to him. We seek refuge with
Allaah from the things that earn His wrath and His painful prunishment,
May Allaah bless Muhammad.

(Mu’allafaat al-Shaykh Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhaab, 212, 213).

Shirk and kufr are the same when it comes to the ruling (hukm)

Ibn Hazm said:

Kufra and shirk are the same; every kaafir is a mushrik and every
mushrik is a kaafir. This is the view of al-Shaafa’ and others.

(al-Fisl, 3/124).

The Jews and Christians are kuffaar and mushrikeen. Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning):

“And the Jews say: ‘Uzair (Ezra) is the son of Allaah, and the
Christians say: Messiah is the son of Allaah. That is their saying with their
mouths, resembling the saying of those who disbelieved aforetime.
Allaah’s Curse be on them, how they are deluded away from the truth! … They
(Jews and Christians) took their rabbis and their monks to be their
lords besides Allaah (by obeying them in things which they made lawful or
unlawful according to their own desires without being ordered by
Allaah), and (they also took as their Lord) Messiah, son of Maryam (Mary),
while they (Jews and Christians) were commanded [in the Tauraat (Torah)
and the Injeel (Gospel)] to worship none but One Ilaah (God — Allaah) Laa
ilaaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He). Praise
and glory be to Him (far above is He) from having the partners they
associate (with Him).” [al-Tawbah 9:30-31].

It was reported from Abu Hurayrag that the Messenger of Allaah  (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “By the One is Whose hand is
the soul of Muhammad, not one of this nation, Jew or Christian, will
hear of me and will die without having believed in that with which I have
been sent, but he will be one of the dwellers of Hell fire.”

(Narrated by Muslim, 153)

Whoever says that the Jews are not kaafirs is disbelieving in the words
of Allaah (interpretation of the meanings):

“And their hearts absorbed (the worship of) the calf because of their
disbelief” [al-Baqarah 2:93]

“Among those who are Jews, there are some who displace words from
(their) right places and say: “We hear your word (O Muhammad) and disobey,”
and “Hear and let you (O Muhammad) hear nothing.” And Raa‘ina [in
Arabic it means “Be careful, listen to us, and we listen to you”, whereas in
Hebrew, it means “an insult”] with a twist of their tongues and as a
mockery of the religion (Islâm). And if only they had said: “We hear and
obey”, and “Do make us understand,” it would have been better for them,
and more proper; but Allaah has cursed them for their disbelief…”
[al-Nisa’ 4:46]

“Because of their breaking the covenant, and of their rejecting the
Ayaat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) of
Allaah, and of their killing the Prophets unjustly, and of their saying:
“Our hearts are wrapped (with coverings, i.e. we do not understand what
the Messengers say)” — nay, Allaah has set a seal upon their hearts
because of their disbelief, so they believe not but a little. And because
of their (Jews) disbelief and uttering against Maryam (Mary) a grave
false charge (that she has committed illegal sexual intercourse);  And
because of their saying (in boast), “We killed Messiah ‘Eesaa (Jesus),
son of Maryam (Mary), the Messenger of Allaah,” — but they killed him
not, nor crucified him, but it appeared so to them the resemblance of
‘Eesaa (Jesus) was put over another man (and they killed that man)]…”
[al-Nisa’ 4:155-157]

“Verily, those who disbelieve in Allaah and His Messengers and wish to
make distinction between Allaah and His Messengers (by believing in
Allaah and disbelieving in His Messengers) saying, “We believe in some but
reject others,” and wish to adopt a way in between.  They are in truth
disbelievers. And We have prepared for the disbelievers a humiliating
torment” [al-Nisa’ 4:150-151]

Whoever says that the Christians are not kuffaar is disbelieving in the
words of Allaah (interpretation of the meanings):

“Surely, in disbelief are they who say that Allaah is the Messiah, son
of Maryam (Mary)…” [al-Maa’idah 5:17]

“Surely, disbelievers are those who said: “Allaah is the third of the
three (in a Trinity).” But there is no Ilaah (god) (none who has the
right to be worshipped) but One Ilaah (God —Allâh). And if they cease not
from what they say, verily, a painful torment will befall on the
disbelievers among them” [al-Maa’idah 5:73]

And he is disbelieving in the words of Allaah concerning the Jews and
Christians who do not believe in our Prophet or follow him:

“Verily, those who disbelieve in Allaah and His Messengers and wish to
make distinction between Allaah and His Messengers (by believing in
Allaah and disbelieving in His Messengers) saying, “We believe in some but
reject others,” and wish to adopt a way in between.  They are in truth
disbelievers. And We have prepared for the disbelievers a humiliating
torment” [al-Nisa’ 4:150-151]

What is there left to say after these clear statements from Allaah, may
He be exalted? We ask Allaah to guide us. May Allaah bless our Prophet
Muhammad.
NS
Re: Calling the Kafir, Kafir???
Saleema
07/16/01 at 21:41:03
Under Shariah if a Muslim kills a Kafir he is not killed, but must pay money.

This is such a general statement. Could you please explain what you mean by this? Isn't this the position of the malaki school of thought only? Please clarify. Thank you.  :)

[wlm]
Saleema
Re: Calling the Kafir, Kafir???
NewJehad
07/17/01 at 09:52:30
I was going to write a reply to this a long time ago,, but then I thought no point, cause it is only going to get deleted as usual.
if I had of done so things would have been clarified, it looks like now people are on the verge of declaring takfir against each other.
I just want state a few facts that will clarify everything. it is not a reply.
words have more then one meaning. we have to take them in to context.
else we could be declaring kufr.
there are two kinds of kaffar. ahlal khatab and mushriks.
ahlal khatab are the Christians and Jews, we can marry their women and eat their meat.
the other kind are the mushriks, every one else(Bahahi, Hindu, Sikh, Qadyani, Nusayri and people who call them selves Muslim but have done or stated major kufr, like the rulers and their supporters).
we can't marry them or eat their meat.
have you noticed that not all the people who are in the class of Mushrik worship more then one God?
words need to be taken in to context.
The other issue is we don't classify people from the context of their hearts, only Allah has that knowledge.
If we did, the use of words like Mushrik and Kaffar, will be almost useless.
If some one does a Major act of Kufr, or labels himself as such that is what we call him.

some thing I found very puzzling in one of the posts. "Ghur Muslim"?
Calling some one a non Muslims is calling him a kaffar.
If you call a Muslim a Christian, a Jew, a Hindu, a cross worshiper, a grave worshiper or even a ghur Muslim, you are calling him a kaffar.

Re: Calling the Kafir, Kafir???
bhaloo
07/17/01 at 11:27:26
slm

[quote]I was going to write a reply to this a long time ago,, but then I thought no point, cause it is only going to get deleted as usual.
if I had of done so things would have been clarified, it looks like now people are on the verge of declaring takfir against each other.
I just want state a few facts that will clarify everything. it is not a reply.
[/quote]

People are not on the verge of declaring takfir against each other.  I don't know why you would say that.  Things were clarified very well with Abu Khaled's post, alhumdullilah, and it will most likely be the response I will pull out when someone asks me this issue.  His post did a good job of addressing all the concerns related to this issue, that we sometimes don't think about addressing.

If your post has been deleted in the past then it is because of a violation of the rules that you agreed to when you joined the board.  And if you have any further concern about this issue then discuss it with one of the moderators/admins in private message.
Re: Calling the Kafir, Kafir???
amatullah
07/17/01 at 14:35:16
Bismillah and salam,

I didn't want to post until me and my husband research this aya in tafseer:

"Those who believe (in the Qur'an) and those who follow the Jewish (scriptures), and the Christians and the Sabians, - Any who believes in God and the Last Day, and work righteousness, shall have their reward with their Lord: on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve"

And my suspicions is true, what the ibn katheer explains is that they are the people who believed (in chirstanity and judiasm) at the time they were revealed in injeel and tawrat.


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