Quran Garden

The word Kafer is used often, but do you really know its meaning?  Not just its religious significance, but its Arabic linguistic roots as well?  Join us for today’s Tafsir as we dive into the meanings behind the word Kafer and explore much more.

Session 30

Chapter 2

Verse 6

Those who willfully persist in unbelief: it is alike to them whether you warn them or do not warn them; they will not believe. (2:6)

After discussing the believers, their characteristics, and the great good that awaits them, God presents the other end of the scale.  The presence of faith brings good, both for individuals and society, but that also means evil must exist in opposition.  If evil did not exist, would there be any necessity for faith?  Thus, it is the believer’s responsibility to shield themselves, their family, and the broader community from the dangers brought by corruption and disbelief.

Islam encountered two kinds of disbelievers.  The first were those who initially rejected belief in God but, after hearing the message, embraced Islam.  The second were the elites whose status and wealth depended on maintaining disbelief and exploiting others.  For them, accepting Islam meant giving up significant worldly advantages and privileges.

The Arabic term for a disbeliever is k?fir.  It comes from the root ka-fa-ra, which means “to cover” or “to conceal.”  This is interesting because a person can only conceal something that already exists.  God created every human with a natural sense that there is a higher power.  No matter the culture, geography, or time, we all tend to wonder why we are here and what our purpose is.  When we get in deep trouble, we instinctively cry towards the heavens for help.  Thus, the disbeliever has to exert effort to suppress his or her natural instinct of belief in the existence of a higher power. 

The word ‘kafer,’ meaning ‘to conceal,’ also suggests that disbelief came after belief.  Think about the beginnings of creation: Adam, whom God created by his own hands, was present when the angels prostrated themselves, and Satan argued with the Lord.  Adam and Eve, peace be upon them, having witnessed all these events firsthand, had no room for disbelief.  Accordingly, after descending to earth, Adam would have taught his children God’s love and worship.  His children also taught faith to their offspring, and so on.  But as time passed, some people came to see faith as a restriction on their freedom and a barrier to fulfilling their desires.  Slowly, they stopped paying attention to their faith and began making excuses to justify acts of disobedience.  Sadly, some rejected faith altogether.  Thus, Allah invites the disbeliever to go back and think about his or her own creation.  He asks:

How can you disbelieve in God, seeing that you were dead, and He gave you life.  Then He causes you to die.  Then He will bring you to life again; and then you will be returned to Him.  It is He who created for you all that is in the earth, then He turned to the heaven, and fashioned it into seven heavens, and He has knowledge of all things. (2:28-29)

None of us can claim to have created ourselves or anyone else.  The act of creation undoubtedly belongs to God, and the abundance of life is the greatest proof of His existence.  Thus, it is important to understand that the term ‘Kafer’ arose after belief, as it refers to concealing something that one deeply knows and acknowledges.

Let’s take a moment to think about a major pitfall that keeps people from connecting with their Creator.  When you look around, you notice that most things are subordinate to serve you.  The earth provides you with crops, energy, and minerals.  Animals obey your commands, and you can mold inanimate objects like rocks to your will.  This can lead you to believe that you possess true autonomy and the ability to control your environment.  It is a false illusion that many of us fall into, especially during our youth, the illusion that we are truly independent and have the power to subjugate the world.  In doing so, we lose sight of the Creator, the One who created all things, gave us strength, and ordained that everything would yield to our will.  God says:

Indeed man becomes rebellious.  In that he sees himself as self-sufficient, independent of his Lord (96:6-7)

And in another chapter,

Can they not see how, among the things made by Our hands, We have created livestock they control, and made them obedient, so that some can be used for riding, some for food, some for other benefits, and some for drink?  Will they not give thanks?  (36:72-74)

When we farm the land and reap crops, we begin to believe in our power to subdue the earth.  When we see an airplane take off, we feel proud of our smarts and achievement.  We forget that the elements that make up every part of that plane and the elements in the atmosphere that carry it are created by Allah.  He is the one who gave us the intellect to design these machines.  We often marvel at the dams we build and the vast fields of green they nourish, forgetting that God is the creator of water and soil.  He subjected all of these things for our service.  People often get confused about what real freedom, autonomy, and control mean, and this confusion can lead them to become arrogant, transgressing, or losing faith.  Let’s take a moment to better understand what this is all about.

True autonomy and power of subjugation should only refer to something that is inherent within yourself; something that can never change or be taken away.  It means that you are self-sufficient and do everything purely through your own power, regardless of the circumstances.  This is clearly not the case.  We do not possess full autonomy, as everything around us, our bodies included, changes against our will.  Think about your life: as a child, you were entirely dependent on your parents for survival.  During youth, there may be moments where it feels like life bends to your will, but does this last indefinitely?  Certainly not.  As you age, you will again need assistance, possibly just to go to the bathroom.  Even during your peak, you may require help if you get sick or get involved in an accident.  If any of us had true autonomy and powers of subjugation, then he or she would prevent such an accident or illness.

God created the changes in your life as a reminder to free yourself from arrogance.  Your possessions can be lost in an instant, and the circumstances in your life can change tomorrow.  Allah is the only constant; He is the only truth.  God is free of need from His entire creation.  He shapes things to his will, but He does not change.  He gives life and takes it away, while He is ever-existing.  He grants power and strips it away, while He is the Ever-powerful.  He is the true sovereign, and the one true anchor you can attach your life to.  Once you have this certainty in your heart, it will be filled with God’s love.