Discover the meaning of the term Kufr (كفر) in Islamic vocabulary.
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Updated on 11 April 2026 at 1:05 AM
📖 4 min readCovering what warrants showing. Koufran: veiling the Donor’s favor by leaving thanks’ performance; greatest kufr: denying unity, prophethood or Law; koufran in denying favor more used, kufr in religion more. Al-kafour: both together; night called kafira, veiling things by its dark; he who wore mail and cloth over it: kafir, veiling it. Some scholars say kufr four kinds: denial-kufr; rejection-kufr; obstinacy-kufr; hypocrisy-kufr. These four: whoever meets Allah with one, He forgives not; including favor-kufr: denying it, not thanking, not thanking him who made it or was cause, nor acknowledging its grace.
The man, in kufr and koufran: believing not unity, prophethood, Law, nor the three. Said: he kufr’d Allah believing kufr or showing it without believing; in the noble Quran: « how disbelieve you in Allah when you were dead and He vivified you, then He makes you die, then vivifies you, then to Him you return? » (al-Baqara 28): he is unbeliever; plural kouffar, kouffara; she kafira; he, she kafour. The favor, in ni’ma: denying it; in the mighty Revelation: « believe they in the false and disbelieve Allah’s favor? » (an-Nahl 72). Of the thing: disavowing it. Of the thing, kufr and koufran: veiling it to one’s master in homage: bowing, hand on chest, head lowered, like bowing. So-and-so: charging with kufr or saying: you disbelieved. Of the thing: covering, veiling. Allah of the sin: forgiving. On his oath: giving expiation. Al-kafir: the palm’s spadix and fruit; plural kawafir. The night. The dark cloud. The sea. The great valley. Of earth: what is far from people, scarce inhabited or passed. He hiding in the place. He believing not in Allah. The denier. Among Muslims: he who believed in heart without tongue uttering, save dissimulation, or uttered without heart believing. Among the Ja’farites: denier of ’Ali and the imam generally; not knowing his time’s imam, he dies a Jahiliyya death. Al-kifr: covering. The village; plural koufour. Al-koufr: rejection. Covering, concealment. Faith’s contrary. In the Law: denying what is known of islam’s religion by legal necessity; and denying favors, leaving the Donor’s thanks and performing His due, said al-Qourtoubi. It embraces association among Hanafis, Shafi’ites, Zahirites. Ibn al-Athir: two kinds: kufr by faith’s origin, its contrary; and kufr by a branch of islam, leaving not faith’s origin.
Veiling the true by the false.
Covering what warrants showing.
With damma and sukun: verbal noun of kafara: the veil, its contrary thanks. Atheism, blasphemy. Belying the Prophet in what he brought known of religion by necessity: faith’s contrary.
﴿إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ سَوَآءٌ عَلَيْهِمْ ءَأَنذَرْتَهُمْ أَمْ لَمْ تُنذِرْهُمْ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ﴾
« Indeed, those who disbelieve - it is all the same for them whether you warn them or do not warn them - they will not believe. »
Surah البقرة : 6
﴿أَوْ كَصَيِّبٍۢ مِّنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ فِيهِ ظُلُمَـٰتٌۭ وَرَعْدٌۭ وَبَرْقٌۭ يَجْعَلُونَ أَصَـٰبِعَهُمْ فِىٓ ءَاذَانِهِم مِّنَ ٱلصَّوَٰعِقِ حَذَرَ ٱلْمَوْتِ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ مُحِيطٌۢ بِٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ﴾
« Or [it is] like a rainstorm from the sky within which is darkness, thunder and lightning. They put their fingers in their ears against the thunderclaps in dread of death. But Allah is encompassing of the disbelievers. »
Surah البقرة : 19
﴿۞ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يَسْتَحْىِۦٓ أَن يَضْرِبَ مَثَلًۭا مَّا بَعُوضَةًۭ فَمَا فَوْقَهَا ۚ فَأَمَّا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ فَيَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّهُ ٱلْحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّهِمْ ۖ وَأَمَّا ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ فَيَقُولُونَ مَاذَآ أَرَادَ ٱللَّهُ بِهَـٰذَا مَثَلًۭا ۘ يُضِلُّ بِهِۦ كَثِيرًۭا وَيَهْدِى بِهِۦ كَثِيرًۭا ۚ وَمَا يُضِلُّ بِهِۦٓ إِلَّا ٱلْفَـٰسِقِينَ﴾
« Indeed, Allah is not timid to present an example - that of a mosquito or what is smaller than it. And those who have believed know that it is the truth from their Lord. But as for those who disbelieve, they say, "What did Allah intend by this as an example?" He misleads many thereby and guides many thereby. And He misleads not except the defiantly disobedient, »
Surah البقرة : 26
﴿وَإِذْ قُلْنَا لِلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةِ ٱسْجُدُوا۟ لِـَٔادَمَ فَسَجَدُوٓا۟ إِلَّآ إِبْلِيسَ أَبَىٰ وَٱسْتَكْبَرَ وَكَانَ مِنَ ٱلْكَـٰفِرِينَ﴾
« And [mention] when We said to the angels, "Prostrate before Adam"; so they prostrated, except for Iblees. He refused and was arrogant and became of the disbelievers. »
Surah البقرة : 34
﴿وَٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ وَكَذَّبُوا۟ بِـَٔايَـٰتِنَآ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ أَصْحَـٰبُ ٱلنَّارِ ۖ هُمْ فِيهَا خَـٰلِدُونَ﴾
« And those who disbelieve and deny Our signs - those will be companions of the Fire; they will abide therein eternally." »
Surah البقرة : 39
﴿وَقَالُوا۟ قُلُوبُنَا غُلْفٌۢ ۚ بَل لَّعَنَهُمُ ٱللَّهُ بِكُفْرِهِمْ فَقَلِيلًۭا مَّا يُؤْمِنُونَ﴾
« And they said, "Our hearts are wrapped." But, [in fact], Allah has cursed them for their disbelief, so little is it that they believe. »
Surah البقرة : 88
This term appears in 327 verses of the Quran.