Back to Emaan wal-Kufr

Al Kufr - Disbelief

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ

Al Kufr - Disbelief

It is important as Muslims we study the topic of Kufr (disbelief) as well as what is iman (belief), as it is Allah (swt) who has classified man as those who believe (mu’min) and those who disbelief (kafir). Each has their status in the eyes of Allah (swt). Regarding the disbelievers Allah (swt) says,

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَاب ِوَالْمُشْرِكِينَ فِي نَارِ جَهَنَّمَ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا أُوْلَئِكَ هُمْ شَرُّ الْبَرِيَّةِ

Verily, those who disbelieve from among the people of the Scripture and Al-Mushrikoun will abide in the Fire of Hell. They are the worst of creatures. [Qur’an 98:6]

And in the verses that follow Allah (swt) says regarding the believers,

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ أُوْلَئِكَهُمْ خَيْرُ الْبَرِيَّةِ - جَزَاؤُهُمْ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ جَنَّاتُ عَدْنٍ

Verily, those who believe and do righteous good deeds, they are the best of creatures. Their reward with their Lord is ‘Adn (Eden) Paradise

[Qur’an 98:7-8]

The abode for the one who dies a disbeliever is hellfire for ever, whilst the one who believes is paradise.  The ulema have therefore classified the topic into what is called greater kufr and what is called lesser kufr.

kufr akbar (greater disbelief)

Any one who does an act which is kufr akbar will leave the fold of Islam and will be considered a kafir. Such acts could be to lie on Allah (swt), as the following verse says,

وَمَنْ أَظْلَمُ مِمَّنْ افْتَرَى عَلَى اللَّهِ كَذِباً أَوْ كَذَّبَ بِالْحَقِّ لَمَّا جَآءَهُ أَلَيْسَ فِى جَهَنَّمَ مَثْوًى لِّلْكَـفِرِينَ

“And who does more wrong than he who invents a lie against Allah or denies the truth, when it comes to him is there not a dwelling in Hell for the disbelievers” [Qur’an 29:68]

This could be to lie and say that Allah (swt) has chosen so and so as a prophet. Many false prophets claim Allah (swt) has sent them revelation.  The Prophet (saw) warned us about such people and in one hadith said “after me there will come thirty dajjals (imposters)”.

The Shaytan (Satan) is a disbeliever because he refused to obey Allah (swt) out of pride and arrogance. Allah (swt) says,

وَإِذْ قُلْنَا لِلْمَلَـئِكَةِ اسْجُدُواْ لاًّدَمَ فَسَجَدُواْ إِلاَّ إِبْلِيسَ أَبَى وَاسْتَكْبَرَ وَكَانَ مِنَ الْكَـفِرِينَ

“And (remember) when We said to the angels: “Prostrate yourselves before Adam.’’ And they prostrated except Iblis (Shaytan), he refused and was proud and was one of the disbelievers” [Qur’an 2:34]

The majority of the people are disbelievers today because they deny the blessing that Allah (swt) has bestowed upon them.

يَعْرِفُونَ نِعْمَتَ اللَّهِ ثُمَّ يُنكِرُونَهَا وَأَكْثَرُهُمُ الْكَـفِرُونَ

“They recognize the favours of Allah, yet they deny them. Most of them are disbelievers.” [Qur’an 16:83]

Meaning the disbelievers know that Allah (swt) created the universe and all that it contains yet they deny or chose to worship others beside him.

Kufr Asghar (Lesser Disbelief)

Some acts are called kufr of a lesser degree. This is because even though the act has been mentioned as kufr, there is evidence elsewhere supporting that the punishment is not the hellfire for ever i.e. it could be for specified time or Allah (swt) may chose to forgive it.

An example of an act that is kufr asghar is the ungrateful wife. The Messenger (saw) said “Allah (swt) showed me the hellfire and I found most of it inhabitants were women” when asked why that was so, he (saw) said “because they were ungrateful to their husbands”.  Other examples are for the slave to run away from his master, or to pray without purity, fighting a Muslim and to wail for the dead.

The command to die as a Muslim

Allah (swt) He warns us that the minimum we should achieve in the dunya (world) is that we die as a Muslim.

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ اتَّقُواْ اللّهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِ وَلاَ تَمُوتُنَّ إِلاَّ وَأَنتُم مُّسْلِمُونَ

O you who believe! Fear Allah as He should be feared, and die not except as Muslims [Qur’an 3:102]

This will ensure we are saved from the permanent punishment of the hellfire. However the promise of paradise is only for the believers, hence why Allah (swt) will put whomever He wishes from amongst the Muslims in the hellfire to purify them from their sins.  The main thing is to avoid dying on kufr, as there is none that can help a person who dies as a kafir i.e. disbelieving in Islam and the Messenger Muhammad (saw).

Abu Hurairah narrated the Messenger (saw) said:

‏ وَالَّذِي نَفْسُ مُحَمَّدٍ بِيَدِهِ لاَ يَسْمَعُ بِي أَحَدٌ مِنْ هَذِهِ الأُمَّةِ يَهُودِيٌّ وَلاَ نَصْرَانِيٌّ

ثُمَّ يَمُوتُ وَلَمْ يُؤْمِنْ بِالَّذِي أُرْسِلْتُ بِهِ إِلاَّ كَانَ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ النَّارِ ‏

By Him in Whose hand is the life of Muhammad, he who amongst the community of Jews or Christians hears about me, but does not affirm his belief in that with which I have been sent and dies in this state (of disbelief), he shall be but one of the citizens of Hell-Fire.

From islambase.tk