Islam Question and Answer - The misguidance of those who believe that kufr only means disbelief

The misguidance of those who believe that kufr only means disbelief

Is the idea that kufr is only disbelief an idea that came from the Murji’ah sect?

 

Praise be to Allaah. 

Kufr
takes different forms. The Murji’ah and other followers of bid’ah (reprehensible
innovation) say that kufr is only based on disbelief. But this view
is contrary to the evidence and contrary to the truth. It is known that
the Messengers were sent with miracles and proof to which hearts submitted.
It is rare indeed that people believed that what the Prophets brought
was false; most instances of kufr stemmed from arrogance, rejection
and stubbornness. Allaah mentioned that Quraysh did not disbelieve the
Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him), “but it is
the Verses (the Qur’aan) of Allaah that the Zaalimoon (polytheists and
wrongdoers) deny” [al-An’aam 6:33 – interpretation of the meaning].
This happens very often. Hence the scholars divided kufr into various
types: the kufr of negligence and not caring; the kufr of arrogance
and pride; the kufr of disbelief; the kufr of hypocrisy; the kufr of
doubt. There is a great deal of evidence to that effect in the Book
of Allaah and the Sunnah of His Messenger
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). The story of Abu Taalib
and the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) is clear; he believed in him and he used to say,
“Our son does not tell lies,” but he was still a kaafir, because he
never made a statement of faith or followed it up with actions.  

 

Shaykh ‘Abd-Allaah al-Ghunaymaan