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Collective Takfir Of Today’s Bani Israel
As salaamu alaikum
إِذْ قَالَ ٱللَّهُ يَـٰعِيسَىٰٓ إِنِّى مُتَوَفِّيكَ وَرَافِعُكَ إِلَىَّ وَمُطَهِّرُكَ مِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ وَجَاعِلُ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱتَّبَعُوكَ فَوْقَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوٓا۟ إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ ۖ ثُمَّ إِلَىَّ مَرْجِعُكُمْ فَأَحْكُمُ بَيْنَكُمْ فِيمَا كُنتُمْ فِيهِ تَخْتَلِفُونَ
فَأَمَّا ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ فَأُعَذِّبُهُمْ عَذَابًۭا شَدِيدًۭا فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا وَٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ وَمَا لَهُم مِّن نَّـٰصِرِينَ
In 3:55–56, the term kafaru appears three times.
The first instance seems to refer to Bani Israel who rejected Prophet Isa after itmam al-hujjah. The third instance also appears to describe those upon whom itmam al-hujjah has been completed, and who are then subjected to punishment both in this world and the Hereafter.
My question is about the second instance of kafaru. According to Ghamidi sb, this refers to the Bani Israel of our times. Ghamidi sb also explain how Bani Israel of today are under dominance of Catholics. However, isn’t the verse suggesting that those from Bani Israel who are being punished today are all kafirs? Isn’t this collective takfir and how can we be sure that itmam hujjat took place for today’s Bani Israel who are being punished today? How should this second occurrence be properly understood in its context?
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6 Replies
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Collective Takfir Of Today’s Bani Israel
updated 1 month ago
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6
Replies
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Kafir means the one who denies something. Jews still deny that Jesus and Muhammad were the prophets of God. In this sense, they confess that they are kafir, which is why they are called kafir. Kafir is a statement of fact.
They are being punished for following their tradition blindly and not analyzing the truth of Jesus and the Prophet Muhammad.
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Thanks Dr. Irfan for your explanation. But let me clarify my point.
Firstly, doesn’t Ghamidi sb say that a qaum is not punished merely for rejection, but that punishment comes only after the completion of ʾitmām al-ḥujjah?
Where I am confused is that there are three occurrences of “kafarū” in the following two verses (3:55–56).
إِذْ قَالَ ٱللَّهُ يَـٰعِيسَىٰٓ إِنِّى مُتَوَفِّيكَ وَرَافِعُكَ إِلَىَّ وَمُطَهِّرُكَ مِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ وَجَاعِلُ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱتَّبَعُوكَ فَوْقَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوٓا۟ إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ ۖ ثُمَّ إِلَىَّ مَرْجِعُكُمْ فَأَحْكُمُ بَيْنَكُمْ فِيمَا كُنتُمْ فِيهِ تَخْتَلِفُونَ
فَأَمَّا ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ فَأُعَذِّبُهُمْ عَذَابًۭا شَدِيدًۭا فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا وَٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ وَمَا لَهُم مِّن نَّـٰصِرِينَ
Are you suggesting that all three instances of “kafarū” refer to those (Bani Israel) who blindly follow (or followed) their tradition, irrespective of whether ʾitmām al-ḥujjah has been completed on them or not?
The first “kafarū” clearly refers to those Jews (Banī Isrā’īl) at the time of ʿĪsā who rejected him even after ʾitmām al-ḥujjah.
Are you then saying that the third “kafarū”, i.e. those who are punished in this world and in the hereafter refers to Jews who simply follow their tradition blindly, regardless of whether ʾitmām al-ḥujjah has been completed on them?
My understanding is that the third “kafarū” refers specifically to those upon whom ʾitmām al-ḥujjah has been completed, which is why they are subjected to punishment in both this world and the hereafter.
The second “kafarū” seems to include both the Jews (Banī Isrā’īl) at the time of ʿĪsā and the Jews of later generations. In the case of today’s Banī Isrā’īl, we may describe them as following inherited tradition, but we cannot necessarily say that ʾitmām al-ḥujjah has been completed on them.
What I am trying to say is that the definition of “kafarū” does not appear consistent across the three instances. In the first and third cases, it refers to those upon whom ʾitmām al-ḥujjah has been completed, whereas in the second instance the meaning seems to shift to those who simply follow tradition blindly, regardless of whether ʾitmām al-ḥujjah has been completed.
I acknowledge that “kufr” can carry multiple meanings and is used in the Qur’an in different contexts. However, in this passage it is difficult to understand how the meaning of “kafarū” would shift from X to Y and then back to X within a single connected discourse. I hope you understand my point.
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The first and the third”‘Kafaru” refer to the immediate deniers of Jesus; the second refers to their generations until the day of judgement. The Quran does not use qualifiers to distinguish between two different groups when the context is sufficient to make sense.
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Adding to my last post:
Also, this does not seem to align with the punishment framework. In other words, someone who is described as “kafir” in sense Y (i.e., a present-day blind follower on whom ʾitmām al-ḥujjah is not necessarily completed) appears to receive the same type of punishment (maḥkūm) as a “kafir” in sense X (i.e., one on whom ʾitmām al-ḥujjah has been completed).
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Both kinds of Kafirs have different kinds of punishments. The immediate Kafir upon whom Hujjah was completed, they were given Azab, as far as their generations are concerned, they are made subject to the Christians.
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There is another point, in the case of Bani Israel or Jews, Hujjah is supposed to be completed upon them, no matter it is completed through a Rasool or a tradition the prophets carry with them as national heritage. Therefore, they deserve Azab. That is why God has announced that time to time, some power will keep punishing them, till the day of judgment.
وَإِذْ تَأَذَّنَ رَبُّكَ لَيَبْعَثَنَّ عَلَيْهِمْ إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ مَن يَسُومُهُمْ سُوءَ الْعَذَابِ ۗ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ لَسَرِيعُ الْعِقَابِ ۖ وَإِنَّهُ لَغَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ
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