The Debate Over The Word Kafir: Can The Term Kafir Be Removed From Islamic Religious Discourse
Can The
Word Kafir Be Removed From Islamic Religious Discourse
Main
Points:
1. The word is
mentioned in the holy Quran hundreds of times.
2. The word Kafir
generally means one who does not believe in one God.
3. Kufr
includes Shirk.
4. Polytheists
of Makkah are called Kafir.
------
By
New Age Islam Staff Writer
24 October
2022
Since RSS
chief Mohan Bhagwat raised the issue of the use of the word Kafir for
Indian Hindus, a debate has been started on the justification or the lack of it
of its use for them. Mr Bhagwat had said that Hindus are hurt when they are
calked Kafir by Indian Muslims. The delegation of Muslims had reportedly
assured him that they would appealed to the Muslims of India not to use the
word for them. The question is: Can a representative of Muslims or a body of
Muslims be authorised to declare a term or word used in the Quran obsolete and
appeal to the Muslims not to use it?
The Quran
was revealed primarily for the polytheists of Makkah. Though the Quran is a
guiding light for the whole world as no prophet or scripture will be sent after
the revelation of the Quran, the immediate audience of the Quran were the idol
worshippers of Makkah, including the members of the prophet's own clan Quraysh.
The majority of Makkans were polytheists though they believed in a Supreme Lord
Allah. This fact is clearly mentioned in the Quran in a number of verses.
The word Kafir
is mainly used for one who does not believe in one God. Islam preaches
monotheism which is opposite of polytheism. Therefore, the main opponents of
Islam were the polytheists of Makkah and Madina. The Jews were not polytheists
but they opposed Islam or prophet pbuh due to economic and political reasons
and religious bias. Islam had wielded a blow to money lending on Riba,
wine industry, flesh trade and slave trade on which Jews had a monopoly.
Therefore, the Quran means those polytheists of Makkah or of Arab when it
mentions the word Kafir. For example:
"Say,
O you disbelievers (Kafirun), I do not worship what you worship, nor do you
worship what I worship. I will never worship what you worship, nor will you
ever worship what I worship. You have your way and I have my way."(Al Kafirun)
Here Kafir
are those who do not worship what the prophet of Islam worships. And the
prophet of Islam pbuh does not worship (idols) what they worship. Here the word
Kafir clearly refers to polytheism.
Now, Kufr
includes shirk, that is, associating gods with God (Allah, Brahma, Ishwar, Parmatma).
Therefore those among Christians who believe in Trinity are called Kafir.
"Those
who say Allah is one of a Trinity have certainly fallen into disbelief(Kufr).
There is only one God. If they do not stop saying this, those who disbelieve
among them will be afflicted with a painful punishment,"(Maidah:73)
When
Prophet Noah pbuh preached monotheism among his people, the disbelieving chiefs
of his people are called by the Quran Kafir because they worship false
Gods( Wudd, Suwaa, Yawuq, Yaguth and Nasr) .
"The
disbelieving (Kafir) chiefs of his people said, ' we see you only as a human
being like ourselves and we see that no one follows you except the lowliest
among us who do so hastily without thinking. W do not see anything that makes
all of you any better than us. In fact, we think you are liars "(Hud:27)
The polytheists
of Makkah reallocate months of honour for their own benefit. They are said to
be progressing in Kufr.
"Reallocating
the sanctity of these months is an increase in disbelief (Kufr), by
which the disbelievers are led far astray. They adjust the sanctity one year
and uphold it in another, only to maintain the number of months sanctified by
Allah, violating the very months Allah has made sacred. Their evil deeds have
been made appealing to them. And Allah does not guide the disbelieving people (Qaumal
Kafirin)".(Taubah:37)
The
discussion above makes it clear that Kufr and Kafir are ideological
terms that denote belief and practices that go against the monotheistic spirit
of Islam. Even those among the Christians who believe in Trinity are said to be
committing Kufr (disbelief) but not all of the Christians are
stereotyped. This is also said about Jews and can also be said about a section
among all the religious communities including Indian religious communities.
Almost all
the religions have words and terms for those who do not have belief in their
religious doctrine. Nastik is used by Hindus who do not believe in gods.
They even use the word Maleccha for all other lower castes including Muslims.
The Jews use the word gentile for non -Jews. This religious supremacism is a
mark of all religious communities. The word Kafir also means ungrateful.
One who does not belief in the Supreme God is actually ungrateful to him
because he attributes all the favours and bounties to other gods because of his
ignorance.
Therefore,
the word Kafir and Kufr are not used by Muslims to belittle or
denigrate Indian Hindus in particular but only as an ideological term that
denotes disbelief and disbeliever in one Supreme God. The Upanishads preach
monotheism and many Hindus have belief in monotheism. Islam preaches to hate
the sin and not the sinner. It actually enjoins Muslim to engage in dialogue
with the members of the other communities. Therefore, the word Kafir is
not directly aimed at the entire Hindu community of India.
Related Articles:
Who
Is A Kafir In The Quran-Part 1 – Kafir and Mushrik and Idolater Are Not
Synonyms
Who
Is A Kafir In The Quran-Part 2 - Muslim– Non-Muslim Relationship
Who
is a Kafir in the Quran-Part 4 - Defining Kufr
URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-pluralism/kufr-kafir-islamic-religious-discourse/d/128250