The Meaning of Kufr and It's Types

Source: Tafseer al-Baghawee: "Ma'aalim at-Tanzeel" of al-Imaam, the Reviver of the Sunnah, Aboo Muhammad al-Husayn bin Mas'ood al-Baghawee, died 516 AH.


Imaam al-Baghawee (rahimahUllaah) states in his Tafseer of Ayaah 6 of Soorah al-Baqarah:


His Saying: "Verily, those who disbelieve" (al-Baqarah:6), meaning: the Arab Polytheists. Al-Kalbee said: "Meaning: the Jews." And Al-Kufr (unbelief) is al-Juhood (rejection), and its origin is from al-Kufr, and that means to conceal. And the night is referred to as kaafir, because it conceals things with its darkness. 


The farmer is also referred to as a Kaafir because he conceals the seed in the soil. And so the Kaafir (the unbeliever) conceals the Truth with his Juhood (rejection).


Kufr is of four types: 


1. Kufr of Inkaar
2. Kufr of Juhood
3. Kufr of 'Inaad
4. Kufr of Nifaaq


The Kufr of Inkaar refers to the one who does not know Allaah from the outset and does not acknowledge Him. 


The Kufr of Juhood refers to the one who knows Allaah, the Most High, in his heart, but does not confess it with his tongue. This is like the unbelief of Iblees, and the unbelief of the Jews. Allaah, the Most High, stated: "Then when there came to them that which they had recognized, they disbelieved in it." (al-Baqarah:89).


The Kufr of 'Inaad refers to the one who knows Allaah in his heart, and he acknowledges that with his tongue, but he does not embrace the Religion. This is like the unbelief of Abu Taalib wherein he said:


"Indeed I know that the Religion of Muhammad,
Religiously is from the best of Religions of the creation,
Were it not for the reproaches or warnings of revilement,
Then verily you would have found me granting and sanctioning that manifestly."


The Kufr of Nifaaq is the one who affirms with the tongue yet does not believe with the heart. 


And with respect to all of these categories, then they are the same in that whoever meets Allaah, the Most High, with any one from them, then He will not forgive him.


Other scholars such as Ibnul-Qayyim (rahimahUllaah) mention further categories of kufr, so this is merely an extract from Imaam al-Baghawee.


Abu Khadeejah Abdul-Waahid Alam