Understanding the Interchangeable Use of Kufr, Shirk, and Dhulm in Shari’ah

Exploring the Relationship Between Kufr, Shirk, and Dhulm in Islamic Teachings

There are other terms that have been used in the Shari’ah in place of kufr and they take the place of kufr.

‎● Shirk is used as kufr, like in the story of saahibul jannatayn: 

وَأُحِيطَ بِثَمَرِهِۦ فَأَصۡبَحَ يُقَلِّبُ كَفَّيۡهِ عَلَىٰ مَآ أَنفَقَ فِيهَا وَهِيَ خَاوِيَةٌ عَلَىٰ عُرُوشِهَا وَيَقُولُ يَٰلَيۡتَنِي لَمۡ أُشۡرِكۡ بِرَبِّيٓ أَحَدًا

"And his fruits were encompassed [by ruin], so he began to turn his hands about [in dismay] over what he had spent on it, while it had collapsed upon its trellises, and said, "Oh, I wish I had not associated with my Lord anyone."

(Al-Kahf 18:42)

Shirk is part of kufr, here the person did kufr and not shirk. Both words can be used interchangeably sometimes. 

‎● Sometimes kufr is used but it means dhulm (ظلم) like in the ayah: 

وَيَوۡمَ يَعَضُّ ٱلظَّالِمُ عَلَىٰ يَدَيۡهِ يَقُولُ يَٰلَيۡتَنِي ٱتَّخَذۡتُ مَعَ ٱلرَّسُولِ سَبِيلًا

“And the Day the wrongdoer will bite on his hands [in regret] he will say, “Oh, I wish I had taken with the Messenger a way.”

(Furqaan 25:27)

The dhalim(wrongdoer) here means Kaafir. Ibn Taymiyyah said: “The dhaalim here is the Kaafir who never believed/followed the messenger ﷺ and also the believer who partly followed the messenger ﷺ (minor kufr).”

نَّحۡنُ أَعۡلَمُ بِمَا يَسۡتَمِعُونَ بِهِۦٓ إِذۡ يَسۡتَمِعُونَ إِلَيۡكَ وَإِذۡ هُمۡ نَجۡوَىٰٓ إِذۡ يَقُولُ ٱلظَّٰلِمُونَ إِن تَتَّبِعُونَ إِلَّا رَجُلًا مَّسۡحُورًا

"We are most knowing of how they listen to it when they listen to you and [of] when they are in private conversation, when the wrongdoers say, "You follow not but a man affected by magic.""

( Al-Israa 17:47)

The dhalimoon here is the kuffaar because this came down on the kuffar of quraish.

[Taken from the lessons of Ustaadh Abdur Rahman Hassan حفظه الله]