Is Kafir a Faith-Neutral Word?

By Ghulam Mohiyuddin, New Age Islam 7 April 2025 In modern times, no sane person really cares what the word Kafir means. It is used only as a swear word, e.g. by Sunnis and Shias calling each other Kafir, or by ISIS or Taliban calling us Kafir. Its most common connotation is a rejecter of Islam, hence to call it "faith-neutral" is sheer hypocrisy on our part. It may occasionally have been used in a faith-neutral way but, as it is commonly understood, it is not a faith-neutral word. If the word means rejecter, or unjust, or ungrateful, or oppressor, let us use those words because they are clear about their meaning, and stop using the word Kafir which only sows’ confusion. Should a religion fall to the level of using such a derogatory word to describe other human beings? If a word still begs for definition some 1500 years after it was used in the Quran, it means we are uncomfortable with the word, and each generation finds a new reason as to why the word requires a new definition. Some people say that one of the reasons why Hindus hate us is because we call them, or have called them, Kafirs, and that if we clarified the meaning of the word Kafir, it would improve Hindu-Muslim relations. The days when Hindus were hurt by whatever we called them are long gone. Now we have to worry about what they will call us next. Their anger now is not about being called Kafirs but about love-jihad, about Hindu temples being erased to build mosques, about cow-slaughter, about Aurangzeb and about jihadists and Pakistan-sympathizers. We should discard the word Kafir because it does not go well with the religion of peace and love, and not in order to appease anyone. Islam today has many other serious issues to worry about and to discuss, so let us give the word Kafir a decent burial. 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 3 - Why Kufr Is A Relative Concept While Shirk and Idol Worship etc. Have Fixed Meanings Who is a Kafir in the Quran-Part 4 - Defining Kufr Who is a Muslim in the Quran? ----- Ghulam Mohiyuddin is a retired psychiatrist. URL: https://www.newageislam.com/debating-islam/kafir-faith-neutral-word/d/135076 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism