What is Takfir?
Takfir means declaring a person to be a disbeliever. In Islam it is obligatory to distinguish between the Muslim and Kafir. Performing Takfir is part of Kufr bi Taghut (rejecting idols).
Unfortunately, many have doubts concerning this concept of Islam, what it means, whether it is mandatory and whether it can damage if used incorrectly. In this article you will come to know everything about Takfir.
Obligation of Takfir
Performing Takfir is obligatory. That is because this is a concept practiced by al Prophets. We can see several sources where this has been done. Judging must therefore be done to practise Islam.
And [mention, O Muḥammad], when Ibrahim said to his father Āzar, "Do you take idols as deities? Indeed, I see you and your people to be in manifest error."
(6:74 Quran)
There has already been for you an excellent pattern1 in Abraham and those with him, when they said to their people, "Indeed, we are disassociated from you and from whatever you worship other than Allah. We have denied you, and there has appeared between us and you animosity and hatred forever until you believe in Allah alone" - except for the saying of Abraham to his father, "I will surely ask forgiveness for you, but I have not [power to do] for you anything against Allah. Our Lord, upon You we have relied, and to You we have returned, and to You is the destination.
(60:4 Quran)
Errors in Takfir
There are groups who engage in Takfir in a way that has no basis in the religion. For example, they declare Takfir on anyone who persists in major sins, like consuming alcohol or illegal sexual intercourse.
The Prophet (ﷺ) has said that the whoever declares Takfir of his brother without having the right to do so, it would return back on him.
De Prophet (ﷺ) said:
"When a man calls his brother an infidel, it returns at least to one of them. Either the accused is allegedly an infidel, or the excommunication returns against the claimant."
[Sahih Bukhari 5753]
Wrongfully declaring a Muslim as kafir is a major sin in Islam. Islamic scholars understood this narration to be a major sin, not that the claimant becomes kafir himself.
'Umar bin Al-Khattab narrated:
"People were judged by revealing a revelation during the lifetime of Allah's Prophet, but now there is no more (new revelation). Now we judge you by the deeds you practice in public, so we will trust and favor those who do good deeds for us, and we will not hold him accountable for what he does in secret, for Allah will judge him on it, but we will not trust or believe anyone who shows us an evil deed, even if he claims that his intentions were good."
(Sahih al-Bukhari, Book 48 Hadith 809)
Correct way of performing Takfir
The way of Ahl Sunnah wal-Jama'ah is to only perform takfir based on valid reasons from the Quran and Sunnah, never on assumption.
Implications of takfir also do not mean that a Muslim can treat the disbeliever disrespectfully or attack him.
A Muslim is to be respectful, no matter who he deals with. Making takfir is an obligation in Islam, as it distinguishes Islam from kufr.
The correct way of performing takfir is to do it based on what is apparent from major shirk and major kufr. Any other act does not neccesitate a person leaving the fold of Islam. So a Muslim should not perform takfir based on major sins.