Understanding Kufr: Major and Minor Disbelief in Islam

Types of Kufr: Major and Minor Disbelief Explained

1) When the Shari’ah uses the word ‘kufr’ unrestrictedly;

The ‘ulama divided it into two: 

(i)Kufr Al Akbar(Major Kufr): anything that opposes the asl of eeman.

Allah said:

تِلْكَ الرُّسُلُ فَضَّلْنَا بَعْضَهُمْ عَلٰى بَعْضٍ ۘ مِنْهُمْ مَّنْ كَلَّمَ اللّٰهُ وَرَفَعَ بَعْضَهُمْ دَرَجٰتٍ ۗ وَاٰ تَيْنَا عِيْسَى ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ الْبَيِّنٰتِ وَاَ يَّدْنٰهُ بِرُوْحِ الْقُدُسِ ۗ وَلَوْ شَآءَ اللّٰهُ مَا اقْتَتَلَ الَّذِيْنَ مِنْۢ بَعْدِهِمْ مِّنْۢ بَعْدِ مَا جَآءَتْهُمُ الْبَيِّنٰتُ وَلٰـكِنِ اخْتَلَفُوْا فَمِنْهُمْ مَّنْ اٰمَنَ وَمِنْهُمْ مَّنْ كَفَرَ ۗ وَلَوْ شَآءَ اللّٰهُ مَا اقْتَتَلُوْا ۗ وَلٰـكِنَّ اللّٰهَ يَفْعَلُ مَا يُرِيْدُ

“…..If Allah had willed, those [generations] succeeding them would not have fought each other after the clear proofs had come to them. But they differed, and some of them believed and some of them disbelieved. And if Allah had willed, they would not have fought each other, but Allah does what He intends.”

[Surah Baqarah: 253]

(ii) Kufr Al Asghar (Minor Kufr): That which opposes kamaalul waajib;

like the statement of Allaah:

ومن لم يحكم بما أنزل الله فأولائك هم الكافرون

“And whoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed – then it is those who are the disbelievers”

[Maaidah:44] 

Ibn Abbas said, here ‘kufr’ means minor kufr and not major kufr, the same was said by Tawuus. 

Ibn Taymiyyah said:

“Ibn Abbas and many others from the salaf said that this is kufr dūna kufr[kufr before major kufr] and [in the latter aayaat the fisq mentioned means] fisq dūna fisq [fisq before major fisq] and dhulm dūna dhulm [dhulm before major dhulm].”

Imaam Ahmad and Imaam Bukhari said the same.

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