KAFIR AND KUFR
Who are Kafirs?
MANY people who do not have much knowledge of Islam have at least heard of the words kafir and kufr. The generally-held view is that those who are not Muslims are kafirs. This notion is a continuing barrier to national unity and global peace.
The literal meaning of kufr is ‘denial’, and so a kafir is a ‘denier’ or ‘one who denies’. The word kafir has never been used in the Quran to mean either an unbeliever or an infidel. It is important to note that the word kafir denotes an individual, rather than a certain race or community. It is in no way an appellation for a group.
The word kafir has never been used in the Quran to mean either an unbeliever or an infidel.
According to Islam, the fact is that those who are not Muslims are simply non-Muslims. We must look at them as such, rather than classify them as kafirs. The right way, according to Islam, is to call each community or group by the name it has adopted for itself. For instance, people from America should be called 'Americans', rather than Kafirs, and America should be called ‘America’, and not the ‘land of Kufr’ or Dar-ul Kufr.
There are a number of examples in the Quran of references to communities or groups in which the names they themselves had adopted were used. Not once was the word kafir used for them. In the Makkan period, certain verses of the Quran were revealed which mention non-Muslims living outside Arabia. For instance, at the beginning of Chapter 30, the Quran mentions the Byzantines, who had then been conquered by the Persians. The Byzantines were at that time Christians, but the verses do not say 'the Byzantine kafirs who have been defeated'. Similarly, Chapter 105 of the Quran mentions the nonMuslim ruler of Yemen, Abraha, and his army, who came mounted on elephants to attack the Kabah in Makkah. It does not refer to them as 'kafirs', but, rather, as the 'People of the elephants'.
The Prophet Muhammad received prophethood in 610 C.E. In the early stages of his prophet-hood, all people other than him and a few others were non-Muslims. Whenever he addressed these non-Muslims to convey his message he never said, 'O kafirs', but, rather, ‘O man,’ or ‘O people’. He continued to use this form of address throughout his life. He addressed groups or communities with words such as ‘O people of Quraysh’, ‘O Children of Abdul Muttalib', etc.
The Prophet of Islam spent the first 13 years of his prophet-hood in Makkah. After this, he migrated to Madinah and remained there till the end. The first period is known as the Makkan period, and the second period as the Madani period. Chapter 109 of the Quran begins with these words. “Say, O you Kafirs (deniers of truth)”. After this address, the chapter goes on to say that ‘You will never worship the one who I worship’.
The act of kufr is related to the question of intention, and only God knows what a person’s intention truly is.
This chapter was revealed during the Makkan period of the Prophet's life. The above address was specifically directed at the people of Makkah of those times. History shows that about eight years after this, Makkah came into the fold of Islam and all the people of Makkah accepted Islam. This is the event that is mentioned in the Quran in these words "When God's help and victory come, and you see people entering God's religion in multitudes." (THE QURAN 110: 1-2)
The question arises that when all the people of Makkah were going to become believers and Muslims, why were they addressed as Kafirs in the Quran and why was it said that ‘You will never worship the one God’, although God the All-Knowing was fully aware of what was to happen?
The reason for this difference was that in this chapter of the Quran, the usage of the words is not in legal terms but, rather, in the language of admonition. This style of expression cannot be taken in a legal or definitive sense. Here, the stress is on the severity and seriousness of the issue. In reality, the words were a warning that if they — the people of Makkah — did not follow the Prophet, they would be deniers of truth in the eyes of God, and the result of such denial will be hell.
It was a call to faith in a very intense language, rather than a declaration of them being kafirs. If it was a declaration of their kufr, then after Makkah came under Islam these people could not have entered the fold of Islam in multitudes.
Another issue to consider is: Is it permissible to call an individual a kafir? From the Islamic view point, there is always a great risk involved in calling anyone a kafir, a sinner or a hypocrite, for hardly anyone but God can claim to know a person well enough to make such a pronouncement. That is why the Hadith gives us stern warning regarding such acts.
The Prophet of Islam said: 'Whenever one person accuses another of being a kafir or fasiq (sinner), then surely, this accusation applies to the accuser if the second person was not so.’ (Musnad Ahmad)
This is a law that God has established in nature. It can be compared to the boomerang — the harder and faster you throw it, the faster and more violently it comes back at you. If somebody speaks ill of another or accuses him of being a fasiq or kafir, he is doing it based on his personal feelings. The accuser considers it as a one-sided matter under the assumption that the whole issue is only about the accused and that it has nothing to do with himself. This is a dangerous misconception because if the other person is not as the former has perceived him to be, his accusation falls back on himself. He will be guilty of what he had been accusing the other person of.
The usage of the word kafir in the Quran is not in legal terms, rather it is in the language of admonition.
Fisq and kufr are matters related to a person's heart, and only God knows what is in a person's heart. The act of kufr is related to the question of intention, and only God knows what a person’s intention truly is. Making a claim about someone being a kafir is trying to enter the domain of God. Every person who fears God will be extremely fearful in using such words for others. If he sees some wrong in another person, he will counsel him with the utmost well wishing manner, but he will definitely not use words of contempt such as fisq and kufr to address him. He will leave this matter to God, realizing that his responsibility is only to the extent of advising others with beauty and wisdom.
According to the teachings of the Quran, the right thing for people to do is to follow God's commands, and as far as other people are concerned, they should never issue edicts against them. Rather, as their well-wishers, they should consider it their responsibility to convey God's message to them peacefully, till their last breath. All else relates to God, not man.
