Takfiri
Encyclopedia
A Takfiri is a Muslim
who practices Takfir
, which is to accuse other Muslims of apostasy
. The term Takfir derives from the word kafir
(impiety) and is described as when "...one who is, or claims to be, a Muslim is declared impure." Those to whom Takfir is applied are considered excommunicated
in the eyes of the Muslim community.
According to Islamic or Sharia
law, they can no longer benefit from the protection of the law, and as such are condemned to death. The severe implications of such punishment have resulted in a rigorous set of rules
being formulated under orthodox Islam
to determine whether an accused party is guilty of apostasy or not.
In principle the only group authorised to declare a Muslim a kafir is the ulema
, and this only once all the prescribed legal precautions have been taken. However a growing number of splinter Salafist groups-–labeled by some scholars as Salafi-Takfiris-–have split from the orthodox method of establishing takfir through the processes of the law, and have reserved the right to declare apostasy themselves.
movement, yet while Salafism is seen as a form of 'fundamentalist Islam', it is not an inherently violent movement and does not condone terrorism. Takfiris, on the other hand, condone acts of violence
as legitimate methods of achieving religious or political goals.
Takfiris believe in Islam strictly according to their interpretation of Muhammad's and his companions' alleged actions and statements, and do not accept any deviation from their path; they reject any form of reform or change from the religion as it was revealed in the time of the prophet. Those who change their religion from Islam to any other way of life, or deny any of the fundamental foundations of Islam, or who worship, follow or obey anything other than Islam, become those upon whom the takfiris declare the "takfir", calling them apostates from Islam and so no longer Muslim.
Takfiris practice a number of beliefs that separate them from the Salafist movement. The most obvious example is the aforementioned labelling of fellow Muslims as kafir
and the practice of declaring takfir/damnation upon them—a legacy from the medieval Islamic writer, Ibn Taymiyyah. This belief allows Takfiris to justify the use of violence against fellow Muslims; a contemporary example being the sectarian violence perpetrated in the Iraqi Insurgency
.
Takfiris also reject the traditional Muslim duty to obey one's legitimate rulers in all manners that do not contradict Sharia
, as sedition is viewed as a great danger to a nation. However Takfiris consider all political authority that does not abide by their interpretation of Islam as illegitimate and apostate; a view which closely mirrors Qutb
's views on jahiliyyah
. As such, violence against such regimes is considered legitimate.
Takfiri views on suicide
also differ significantly from that of orthodox Islam. Takfiris believe that one who deliberately kills themselves whilst attempting to kill enemies is a martyr
(Shahid) and therefore goes straight to heaven. As such all sin is absolved when a person is martyred, allowing carte blanche for the indiscriminate killing of non-combatants, for example.
Opponents of the takfiris, especially anti-takfiri Islamic hardliners often view them as modern-day analogues of the Khawarij, a seventh-century off-shoot Islamic sect which waged war against the Caliph
ate.
Takfiris, on the other hand, exist in every Muslim sect, large or small, and often their fingers point not only to those who supposedly belong to a 'rival' sect
, but also to those within their own; an example to that is the clear enmity between the Sufis and Salafi
. 'Takfir' also occurs within the enmity between some pro-Saudi Salafis and the Jihadis (like Bin Ladin's group, al-Qaeda),with some Jihadis making takfir of the Salafis. Among Shia groups, takfir occurs in regards to the Sahaba
and as is the case toward the followers of the major Shia Ayatollah Fadlallah of Lebanon (whose latest published opinions that review many beliefs deeply characteristic of Shia Islam have caused uproar and fierce opposition on the part of other Arab and Iranian clerics). There also exists the example of Twelver Shia declaring the takfir of the Shaykhi Shia small sect (found mainly in Basra
, Iraq
).
The term Takfiri was brought to a more public prominence by the BBC
investigative journalist Peter Taylor
, in his 2005 BBC television series The New Al Qaeda. However the term was used frequently by proponents of Salafism before this.
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
who practices Takfir
Takfir
In Islamic law, takfir or takfeer refers to the practice of one Muslim declaring another Muslim an unbeliever or kafir...
, which is to accuse other Muslims of apostasy
Apostasy
Apostasy , 'a defection or revolt', from ἀπό, apo, 'away, apart', στάσις, stasis, 'stand, 'standing') is the formal disaffiliation from or abandonment or renunciation of a religion by a person. One who commits apostasy is known as an apostate. These terms have a pejorative implication in everyday...
. The term Takfir derives from the word kafir
Kafir
Kafir is an Arabic term used in a Islamic doctrinal sense, usually translated as "unbeliever" or "disbeliever"...
(impiety) and is described as when "...one who is, or claims to be, a Muslim is declared impure." Those to whom Takfir is applied are considered excommunicated
Excommunication
Excommunication is a religious censure used to deprive, suspend or limit membership in a religious community. The word means putting [someone] out of communion. In some religions, excommunication includes spiritual condemnation of the member or group...
in the eyes of the Muslim community.
According to Islamic or Sharia
Sharia
Sharia law, is the moral code and religious law of Islam. Sharia is derived from two primary sources of Islamic law: the precepts set forth in the Quran, and the example set by the Islamic prophet Muhammad in the Sunnah. Fiqh jurisprudence interprets and extends the application of sharia to...
law, they can no longer benefit from the protection of the law, and as such are condemned to death. The severe implications of such punishment have resulted in a rigorous set of rules
Takfir
In Islamic law, takfir or takfeer refers to the practice of one Muslim declaring another Muslim an unbeliever or kafir...
being formulated under orthodox Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
to determine whether an accused party is guilty of apostasy or not.
In principle the only group authorised to declare a Muslim a kafir is the ulema
Ulema
Ulama , also spelt ulema, refers to the educated class of Muslim legal scholars engaged in the several fields of Islamic studies. They are best known as the arbiters of shari‘a law...
, and this only once all the prescribed legal precautions have been taken. However a growing number of splinter Salafist groups-–labeled by some scholars as Salafi-Takfiris-–have split from the orthodox method of establishing takfir through the processes of the law, and have reserved the right to declare apostasy themselves.
Takfiris and Terrorism
Takfiris have been classified by some commentators as violent offshoots of the SalafiSalafi
A Salafi come from Sunni Islam is a follower of an Islamic movement, Salafiyyah, that is supposed to take the Salaf who lived during the patristic period of early Islam as model examples...
movement, yet while Salafism is seen as a form of 'fundamentalist Islam', it is not an inherently violent movement and does not condone terrorism. Takfiris, on the other hand, condone acts of violence
Jihad
Jihad , an Islamic term, is a religious duty of Muslims. In Arabic, the word jihād translates as a noun meaning "struggle". Jihad appears 41 times in the Quran and frequently in the idiomatic expression "striving in the way of God ". A person engaged in jihad is called a mujahid; the plural is...
as legitimate methods of achieving religious or political goals.
Takfiris believe in Islam strictly according to their interpretation of Muhammad's and his companions' alleged actions and statements, and do not accept any deviation from their path; they reject any form of reform or change from the religion as it was revealed in the time of the prophet. Those who change their religion from Islam to any other way of life, or deny any of the fundamental foundations of Islam, or who worship, follow or obey anything other than Islam, become those upon whom the takfiris declare the "takfir", calling them apostates from Islam and so no longer Muslim.
Takfiris practice a number of beliefs that separate them from the Salafist movement. The most obvious example is the aforementioned labelling of fellow Muslims as kafir
Kafir
Kafir is an Arabic term used in a Islamic doctrinal sense, usually translated as "unbeliever" or "disbeliever"...
and the practice of declaring takfir/damnation upon them—a legacy from the medieval Islamic writer, Ibn Taymiyyah. This belief allows Takfiris to justify the use of violence against fellow Muslims; a contemporary example being the sectarian violence perpetrated in the Iraqi Insurgency
Iraqi insurgency
The Iraqi Resistance is composed of a diverse mix of militias, foreign fighters, all-Iraqi units or mixtures opposing the United States-led multinational force in Iraq and the post-2003 Iraqi government...
.
Takfiris also reject the traditional Muslim duty to obey one's legitimate rulers in all manners that do not contradict Sharia
Sharia
Sharia law, is the moral code and religious law of Islam. Sharia is derived from two primary sources of Islamic law: the precepts set forth in the Quran, and the example set by the Islamic prophet Muhammad in the Sunnah. Fiqh jurisprudence interprets and extends the application of sharia to...
, as sedition is viewed as a great danger to a nation. However Takfiris consider all political authority that does not abide by their interpretation of Islam as illegitimate and apostate; a view which closely mirrors Qutb
Qutbism
Qutbism is a strain of Sunni Islamist ideology and activism, based on the thought and writings of Sayyid Qutb, an Islamist and former leading member of the Muslim Brotherhood who was executed in 1966. It has been described as advancing the ideology of jihadism, i.e...
's views on jahiliyyah
Jahiliyyah
Jahiliyyah is an Islamic concept of "ignorance of divine guidance" or "the state of ignorance of the guidance from God" or "Days of Ignorance" referring to the condition in which Arabs found themselves in pre-Islamic Arabia, i.e. prior to the revelation of the Qur'an to Muhammad...
. As such, violence against such regimes is considered legitimate.
Takfiri views on suicide
Religious views of suicide
-Judaism:Suicide is forbidden by Jewish law. It may be an acceptable alternative if the alternative is the commission of certain cardinal sins for which one must give up one's life rather than sin...
also differ significantly from that of orthodox Islam. Takfiris believe that one who deliberately kills themselves whilst attempting to kill enemies is a martyr
Martyr
A martyr is somebody who suffers persecution and death for refusing to renounce, or accept, a belief or cause, usually religious.-Meaning:...
(Shahid) and therefore goes straight to heaven. As such all sin is absolved when a person is martyred, allowing carte blanche for the indiscriminate killing of non-combatants, for example.
Opponents of the takfiris, especially anti-takfiri Islamic hardliners often view them as modern-day analogues of the Khawarij, a seventh-century off-shoot Islamic sect which waged war against the Caliph
Caliph
The Caliph is the head of state in a Caliphate, and the title for the ruler of the Islamic Ummah, an Islamic community ruled by the Shari'ah. It is a transcribed version of the Arabic word which means "successor" or "representative"...
ate.
Takfiris, on the other hand, exist in every Muslim sect, large or small, and often their fingers point not only to those who supposedly belong to a 'rival' sect
Sect
A sect is a group with distinctive religious, political or philosophical beliefs. Although in past it was mostly used to refer to religious groups, it has since expanded and in modern culture can refer to any organization that breaks away from a larger one to follow a different set of rules and...
, but also to those within their own; an example to that is the clear enmity between the Sufis and Salafi
Salafi
A Salafi come from Sunni Islam is a follower of an Islamic movement, Salafiyyah, that is supposed to take the Salaf who lived during the patristic period of early Islam as model examples...
. 'Takfir' also occurs within the enmity between some pro-Saudi Salafis and the Jihadis (like Bin Ladin's group, al-Qaeda),with some Jihadis making takfir of the Salafis. Among Shia groups, takfir occurs in regards to the Sahaba
Sahaba
In Islam, the ' were the companions, disciples, scribes and family of the Islamic prophet...
and as is the case toward the followers of the major Shia Ayatollah Fadlallah of Lebanon (whose latest published opinions that review many beliefs deeply characteristic of Shia Islam have caused uproar and fierce opposition on the part of other Arab and Iranian clerics). There also exists the example of Twelver Shia declaring the takfir of the Shaykhi Shia small sect (found mainly in Basra
Basra
Basra is the capital of Basra Governorate, in southern Iraq near Kuwait and Iran. It had an estimated population of two million as of 2009...
, Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
).
The term Takfiri was brought to a more public prominence by the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
investigative journalist Peter Taylor
Peter Taylor (Journalist)
Peter Taylor born in Scarborough, North Riding of Yorkshire is a British journalist and documentary-maker who had covered for many years the political and armed conflict in Northern Ireland, widely known as the Troubles...
, in his 2005 BBC television series The New Al Qaeda. However the term was used frequently by proponents of Salafism before this.
See also
- Anwar al-AwlakiAnwar al-AwlakiAnwar al-Awlaki was an American and Yemeni imam who was an engineer and educator by training. According to U.S. government officials, he was a senior talent recruiter and motivator who was involved with planning operations for the Islamist militant group al-Qaeda...
- Takfir wal-HijraTakfir wal-HijraJama'at al-Muslimin , popularly known as Takfir wal-Hijra , was a radical Islamist group led by Shukri Mustafa, which emerged in Egypt in the 1960s as an offshoot of Muslim Brotherhood, inspired by Sayyid Qutb.The group was...
(Egypt) - Khawarij
- TakfirTakfirIn Islamic law, takfir or takfeer refers to the practice of one Muslim declaring another Muslim an unbeliever or kafir...