What does it mean to takfir someone?

What does it mean to takfir someone?

Takfir is a theological declaration that a Muslim has become an apostate or a person is an infidel or an act or idea constitutes a disbelief in Islam. Engaging in takfir is a serious matter in Islam because it is considered a great sin with punishment in the afterlife.

What does takfir mean in Arabic?

Takfir or takfeer (Arabic: تكفير, romanized: takfīr) denotes excommunication from Islam of one Muslim by another, i.e. accusing another Muslim to be an apostate. The word is found neither in the Quran nor in the hadiths.

Do Kharijites still exist?

Although radical Kharijites were eventually defeated by the caliphal forces and virtually disappeared in urban areas, some moderate Kharijite groups survived, particularly in rural and tribal areas, where they continue to exist today.

What do Muslims think about takfir?

There is also agreement among Muslims in the case of takfiring orthodox self-professed Muslims. All Muslims agree takfir is “so serious, and mistakes therein are so grave”, great care is needed, and that if the accused is actually a believing Muslim, then the act of accusing makes the accuser themself guilty of apostasy.

When did takfir start?

Starting in the mid to late 20th-century, some individuals and organizations in the Muslim world began to apply takfir accusations not only against those that they perceived as stray deviant and lapsed Muslims, but Islamic governments and societies as well.

What is the difference between Salafi and takfir?

Takfiris have also been classified by some commentators as violent offshoots of the Salafi movement. Though most Salafis oppose terrorism or violence within the Muslim community (ummah), Takfiris condone acts of violence as legitimate methods of achieving religious or political goals.

Is takfir a prerogative of the Ummah?

Some Muslims consider takfir to be a prerogative only of either Muhammad — who does that through divine revelation and is no longer alive to do it — or of a state which represents the collectivity of the Ummah (the Muslim community).