Does the word "kaafir" have negative/derogatory connotations?

[BreadPakoda]

What I know is that non-believers are termed as "Kafir" by Muslims. However, I've heard even Muslims who do stuff like drinking alcohol/women who do not dress "conservatively" being called Kafir, which makes it sound like a derogatory word.

Does the term have any derogatory connotations?

 

[DeadBall]

Yes, it has derogatory connotations.

It could mean someone who covers things up, a denier, a non believer etc. But we don't get to decide who is Kafir and who is not as then the lines get blurrier and blurrier.

The thing is the shift in attitude in the way the words are used now by "scholars", "pious and true" Muslims etc. Before they were used for defining but now have been reduced to being used just for insulting.

 

[blackanhyellow]

Sort of.

It literally means non-believer. This in of it self is not derogatory. But in islamic culture one who does not believe in god is certainly looked down upon. So in that sense by adding that cultural context to it, it is a derogatory term.

 

[troodon]

Kafir and infidel means the same?

 

[Musakhel]

Kafir and infidel means the same?

Linguistically no, kafir literal meaning is one who covers, Infidel Is an Christian term which means one of the other faith but as you can see they can be used in each others place when translating from arabic to English or vice versa.

 

[BreadPakoda]

Thanks for the info guys. As a kid I remember listening to Ghulam Ali ghazals and being confused what he meant by kafir.

 

[KingKhanWC]

It just means non-believer. But yes some Muslims use it as derogatory word and much of western propaganda has tried to convince it's people this is a term of hatred, which is nonsense.

 

[PakLFC]

It simply means "denier" as I see it. the word is not supposed to make a person feel subhuman.

 

[Rana]

It’s definitely derogatory against Ahmadis who quite clearly consider themselves devout Muslims. So to term them as mere deniers is a point of debate and offensive.

 

[Justcrazy]

What I know is that non-believers are termed as "Kafir" by Muslims. However, I've heard even Muslims who do stuff like drinking alcohol/women who do not dress "conservatively" being called Kafir, which makes it sound like a derogatory word.

Does the term have any derogatory connotations?

A Muslim cannot be called as kafir , because it means just the opposite. It practically makes no sense.

AS far as drinking / women etc are concerned , those are sins , sins does not make a person kafir . If someone rejects fundamentals of Islam , like believing Quran is not revelation , disbelieve in Judgement day etc , that amounts to kufr.

 

[Justcrazy]

It’s definitely derogatory against Ahmadis who quite clearly consider themselves devout Muslims. So to term them as mere deniers is a point of debate and offensive.

Its not derogatory , because for them we also are disbeliever , because we do not consider there prophet as prophet .

 

[yasir]

Kafir word used in Urdu poetry has interesting meaning. For example when poets say “Kafir Sanam”, they generally saying, she is so mismerising that has turned me into Kafir, because I end up replacing her with God. It’s funny that Muslim culture now a days is far less tolerant of such a thought but they were completely ok 100s even maybe 1000 years ago, not just Urdu but all Muslim literature (Persian, Arabic, Turks etc is full of such analogies when poets try to exaggerate the beauty of women they love)... If such ideas are originated today in literature, poets can be killed for that and blasphemy debate starts. Not just that we will witness mob lynching of poets like Mir, Galib, Iqbal

Another similar word Mushrik, which Allah actually has more problem with than Kafir. Although they are similar but have subtle differences. Mushrik is some one you does Shrik, Shrik literally means share. Basically somebody who shared Allah with another dietary, Allah does not like his properties to be associated to anybody. He is very possessive about. This is sort of same bone of contention many Muslims have with Qadanis, because they share some properties of Mohammad with a new person, muslim in Pakistan went so far to calling them Kafir by constitution

Interesting Athiests and igonastics can be consider Kafir but not Mushrik. Because they to raise any other dietary to Allah’s level but bring Allah level down to nobody level. Technically that is not Mushrik but you still are Kafir.

 

[finalfantasy7]

The Arabs get it from the Latins. Arabs gave it to the Portuguese - who used it derogatory to the black man.

 

[James]

It is harsh phonetically (hard K and F sounds) so it has been adapted into a hate word.