Reference Section
Lexical, Encyclopaedic and Narrative.
This lexical and theological exposition of the term كافر demonstrates the development of how the term itself is linguistically and canonically used in Islamic Jurisprudence – by which I mean how the term كافر forms the core meaning of an idea that gives rise to other Arabic words in Qur’an that carry a doctrinal, or else theological imperative as used in Islamic Jurisprudence. (Robert Chisholm)
INFIDEL. There are several words used for those in a state of infidelity: 1, kāfir (كافر), one who hides or denies the truth; 2, mushrik (مشرك), one who gives companions to God; 3, mulḥid (ملحد), one who has deviated from the truth; 4, zandīq (زنديق), an infidel or a zend-worshipper; 5, munāfiq (منافق), one who secretly disbelieves in the mission of Muḥammad; 6, murtadd (مرتد), an apostate from Islām; 7, dahrī (دهرى), an atheist; 8, was̤anīy (وثنى), a pagan or idolater.
This is a general encyclopaedic presentation, beginning with the term كاف (Infidel or Kafir). It includes several verses from Qur’an.
KĀFIR (كافر), pl. kāfirūn. Lit. “The coverer.” One who hides or covers up the truth.
“The word is generally used by Muḥammadans to define one who is an unbeliever in the ministry of Muḥammad and his Qur’ān, and in this sense it seems to have been used by Muḥammad himself. Sūrah ii. 37: “Those who misbelieve (wa’llaẕīna kafarū), and call our signs lies, they are fellows of the Fire, they shall dwell within for ever.”
“It is also used for those who believe in the Divinity of the Lord Jesus, and the Holy Trinity. Sūrah v. 76: “They indeed are infidels (la-qad kafara ’llaẕīna), who say God is al-Masīḥu ibn Maryam.… Verily him who associates anything with God, hath God forbidden Paradise, and his resort is the Fire.”
Sūrah v. 77: “They are infidels who say Verily God is the third of three.”
“On this passage the Kamālān say it refers to the Nestorians and to the Malakā’īyah, who believe that God is one of three, the other two being the mother and son.”
“According to the Raddu ’l-Muḥtār (vol. iii. p. 442), there are five classes of kāfirs or infidels: (1) Those who do not believe in the Great First Cause; (2) Those who do not believe in the Unity of God, as the S̤anawīyah who believe in the two eternal principles of light and darkness; (3) Those who believe in the Unity of God, but do not believe in a revelation; (4) Those who are idolaters; (5) Those who believe in God and in a revelation, but do not believe in the general mission of Muḥammad to the whole of mankind, as the Christians, a sect of the Jews (sic).”
“Saiyid Sharīf Jurjāni says: “Mankind are divided into two parties, namely, those who acknowledge the mission of Muḥammad, or those who do not believe in it. Those who do not believe in his mission are either those who reject it and yet believe in the inspiration and divine mission of other prophets, as the Jews or Christians, and also the Majūsī (Fire Worshippers); or those who do not believe in any revelation of God’s will. Those who do not believe in any revelation from God, are either those who acknowledge the existence of God, as the Brāhmā (Buddhists?), or those who deny the existence of a Supreme Ruler, as the Dahrī, or Atheists.”
“Those who do not acknowledge Muḥammad as an inspired prophet are either those who do it wilfully and from mere enmity, or those who do not acknowledge it from reflection and due study of the subject. For the former is eternal punishment, and for the latter that punishment which is not eternal. There are also those who, whilst they are Muslims, are not orthodox in their belief; these are heretics, but they are not kāfirs. Those who are orthodox are an-Nājī or the salvationists.”
Sharḥu ’l-Muwāqif, p. 597.
Dictionary of Islam being a cyclopædia of the doctrines, rites, ceremonies, and customs, together with the technical and theological terms, of the muhammadan religion by Thomas Patrick Hughes, B.D., M.R.A.S.
Lexical
This is a straight forward Lexical presentation in which the term كافر is implicitly used in its Islamic Theological and Jurisprudent meaning giving rise to Doctrine that removes opinion and speculation and formally identifies the term as arising from, “Do not thou attribute or impute disbelief or infidelity to any one of the people of thy kibleh” (Robert Chisholm)
“He called him a كَافِر [i. e. a disbeliever, an unbeliever, or an infidel]: (S, Mgh, K he attributed, or imputed to him, charged him with, or accused him of, disbelief, or infidelity: (S, A, Msb or he said to him كَفَرْتَ [Thou hast become an unbeliever, or infidel, or Thou hast blasphemed: in this last sense, “he said to him Thou hast blasphemed,” كفّرهُ, to which alone it is assigned in the Msb, is very commonly used in the present day.”
“(Msb.) Hence the saying, لَا تُكْفِرْ أَحَدًا مِنْ أَهْلِ قِبْلَتِكَ Do not thou attribute or impute disbelief or infidelity to any one of the people of thy kibleh; (S, TA i. e., do not thou call any such a disbeliever, &c.; or do not thou make him such by thine assertion and thy saying. (TA.) لَا تُكَفِّرُوا أَهْلَ قِبْلَتِكُمْ is not authorized by the relation, though it be allowable as a dial. form. (Mgh.) ― -b2- [Also] أَكْفَرْتُهُ, inf. n. اـِكْفَارٌ, I made him a disbeliever, an unbeliever, or an infidel; I compelled him to become a disbeliever, &c. (Msb.) And أَكْفَرَ فُلَانٌ صَاحِبَهُ Such a one compelled his companion by evil treatment to become disobedient after he had been obedient. (Mgh.) And أَكْفَرَ الرَّجُلُ مُطِيعَهُ The man compelled him who had obeyed him to disobey him: (T, TA or he made him to be under a necessity to disobey him. (TA.) -A2- اكفر He (a man, TA) kept, or confined himself, to the كَفْر, (K,) i. e. قَرْيَة [town or village]; (TA as also ↓ اكتفر. (IAar, K.)”
An Arabic-English Lexicon. Edward William Lane