I Ask You am I a Kafir?

The word Kufr or one of its derivatives appears in the Qur’an 482 times. Ibn Kathir refers to ten different types of kufr, but basically the Qur’an uses this word to identify those individuals who deny Allah’s favors by disbelief, which is the opposite of iman; or by acting with ingratitude to Allah’s gifts. A kafir is a non-believer or an ingrate. The Qur’an states: “They recognize the favors of Allah, yet they deny them. Most of them are disbelievers.” [16:83]

If the Kafirs “recognize the favors of Allah, yet they deny them.” how can the Qur’an also state that most but not all of them are disbelievers?

Because non-Muslims like the Peoples of the Book can be believers, and Muslims can be kafirs if they reject some accepted norms of Islam such as salat and zakat. Allah says, “They denied them (the signs) even though their hearts believed in them, out of spite and arrogance.” [27:14]

And Muslims can be guilty of Kufr ul-Nifaq: Disbelief out of hypocrisy which applies to someone who seems to be a believer in Islam but conceals his disbelief. Such a person is called a munafiq or a hypocrite. And Allah says, “Verily the hypocrites will be in the lowest depths of Hell. You will find no one to help them.” [4:145]

Muslims can also be guilty of Kufr ul-Istihal: Disbelief by making haram into halal. This applies to someone who accepts as lawful (halal) that which Allah has made unlawful (haram) like alcohol or adultery. Only Allah has the prerogative to make things halal and haram and those who seek to interfere with His right are like rivals to Him and therefore fall outside the boundaries of faith.

Moreover, the Qur’an has declares more than once: “Indeed, the (Muslim) believers, Jews, Christians, and Sabians—whoever truly believes in God and the Last Day and does good, will have their reward with their Lord. And there will be no fear for them, nor will they grieve.” [2:62 and 5:69]

Indeed, the Qur’an even includes within the boundaries of faithful believers; Zoroastrians and some types of polytheists: “Indeed, the (Muslim) believers, Jews, Sabians, Christians, Magi, and (some of) the polytheists—God will judge between them all on Judgment Day. Surely God is a Witness over all things.” [Quran 22:17]

If the Qur’an does support this open mindedness to religious pluralism, why do some Muslims claim that everyone on planet Earth must become a member of the Muslim Ummah when the Qur’an states: “They are not all alike. Some of the People of the Book are firmly committed to the truth. They recite the Verses of God during the hours of night, and remain in the state of [prayer] prostration before their Lord.” (Qur’an 3:113)

And: “O you who believe, stand persistently firm for Allah as witnesses in justice, and do not let the hatred of a people prevent you from being just. Be just, for that is nearer to righteousness. Fear Allah, for verily, Allah is aware of what you do” [Qur’an 5:8]

Many Muslims wonder why Christians do not follow Prophet Muhammad? Christians do believe that Prophet Muhammad existed, wrote the Qur’an and founded Islam. But they do not believe that he was a prophet, or that his writings are scripture. Nor do they believe that he is mentioned in the Bible.

Prophet Muhammad’s actual name, like Jesus’ actual name, doesn’t appear in the Bible. Many Muslims believe verses like the following are prophecies referring to him: John 14:16 Jesus said “And I will pray the father, he shall send another comforter, that he may abide with you”

John 15:26 Jesus said “And when the comforter comes, whom I will send unto you from the father, even the spirit of truth, who proceeds from the father, he shall testify me”.

John 16:12–14 Again Jesus said ” I have many things to say unto you but you cannot bear them now. How be it, when he the spirit of truth is come, he will guide you unto all truth, he shall not speak of himself, but whatsoever he shall hear, that he shall speak, he shall show you things to come. He shall glorify me.”

To a Christian, each of these refers to the Holy Spirit (The Comforter) who lives within us, but I as a Reform Rabbi think it is a reference to Prophet Muhammad because the Messiah is a human who was born to human parents.

Indeed, “For every one of you did We appoint a law and a way. If Allah had wanted, He could have made you one people, but (He didn’t) that He might test you in what He gave you. Therefore compete with one another to hasten to do virtuous deeds; for all return to Allah (for judgement), so He will let you know [about] that in which you differed.” [Qur’an 5:48]

As the Qur’an [30:22] also says: “And among His signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth and the diversity of your languages and your colors. Indeed in that are signs for those of knowledge.”

The problem was that Greek philosophy greatly influenced early Christianity that universalism must lead to just one religious truth; and that the tribal pluralism of the Hebrew Bible should be replaced by a zero sum game concept. The resulting goal became not to modestly try to harmonize various religious perspectives regarding the one and only God, but to self-righteously exaggerate religious differences, well beyond any reasonable understanding of the other sides.

This Greek influence even entered into Jewish thinking; and when the Qur’an revealed different perspectives of Biblical events, some Jews denied and disbelieved, refusing to accommodate the Qur’an verses, although they knew that the rabbis also offered different glosses of Biblical texts.

In a zero sum game any value or true spiritual insight I grant to another scripture somehow diminishes my own. Something is either true or it is false. There is no other option. If two propositions contradict one another, one or both of them must be false. They cannot both be true.

Yet if one believes that there is only one God, who is revealed by many different inspired prophets, then we should be able to learn more about God’s will by gaining insights into our own unique revelation, from other revelations of that one God.

Since all monotheistic scriptures come from the one and only God, we should view other scriptures as potentially enriching our understanding and appreciation of our own scripture.

If everyone accepted the Qur’an’s support of open mindedness to religious pluralism as the above verses indicate: the whole world would benefit, starting with the Middle East as Prophet Isaiah predicted 2500 years ago:

“In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria. The Assyrians will go to Egypt, and the Egyptians to Assyria. The Egyptians and Assyrians will worship together. In that day Israel will join a three-party alliance with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing upon the heart. The LORD of Hosts will bless them saying, “Blessed be Egypt My people, Assyria My handiwork, and Israel My inheritance.”….[Isaiah 19:23-5]