Is There a Difference Between Kufr [Disbelief] and Shirk [Polytheism]?
by The Albaani Site
Al-Albaani: The reality is that the case with every beginner student of knowledge, and I was like that and probably still am, I used to read this hadith and it would be problematic, because in some narrations [there occurs], “There is nothing between a man and disbelief except abandoning the prayer. So whoever abandons the prayer has disbelieved,” and in some narrations, “… then he has committed shirk.”
Interjection: Subhaanallaahil-Adheem.
Al-Albaani: I used to ask how can he have committed shirk? Yaa akhi, this person who has left praying, especially the one who does so out of laziness, how has he committed shirk?
I used to think that maybe there was a mistake on behalf of the narrator [of the hadith], I was a student of knowledge, then later our Lord granted me success in understanding, even if it was when I was older alhamdulillaah, [he granted me success in understanding it] such that I recognized that legislatively, as opposed to linguistically, there is no difference between kufr and shirk.
So all kufr is shirk and all shirk is kufr there is no difference between them legislatively, linguistically there is, because in the language kufr means to cover. Shirk is to make something a partner of another, like the polytheists who make equals with Allaah.
But later I came to recognise that every unbeliever, even if he wasn’t a polytheist linguistically, he was in reality. No unbeliever is free from being anything but a polytheist [mushrik], our Lord said, “Have you seen he who has taken as his god his [own] desire?” [Jaathiyah 45:23] He took as his god his own desires, so, everyone who follows his desires has made it a partner with Allaah, thus, any kufr–[for example] if someone were to reject a letter from the Noble Quraan it would mean that he has put his intellect in charge and has taken it as a god and it is from this angle that the shirk has come.
So, the one who said that all disbelief is polytheism and all polytheism is disbelief spoke truthfully, not like the one who says that not all kufr is shirk like you heard from at-Tahawi.
In reality this is knowledge which is very rare and is something through which many, many problems are resolved, from them being the verse, “Indeed, Allaah does not forgive association with Him, but He forgives what is less than that for whom He wills.” [Nisaa 4:48]
I read [a mention of] a problem about this verse in the Al-Manaar magazine which Sayyid Rashid Rida used to publish. An objection came his way which stated that the meaning of the aayah is that these unbelieving Europeans who believe in ‘nature’, they call it nature, i.e., that this universe has a creator and who do not know any more than that, it is possible that Allaah will forgive them because they are not polytheists. And so Sayyid Rashid Rida at that time was not able to give an answer like this one which if he had known then would have been the conclusive judgement, [i.e., that] all kufr is shirk and all shirk is kufr.
Al-Hudaa wan-Noor, 341.
SALAMU ALAIKUM
subhanallah i really love this article. this issue is missunderstood by so many people.
i do want to add that in some cases, like the ahlul fatra, the people did not received the message of the prophets so in this case they did not rejected the message so they dont deserve punishment without testing. so rejecting the message is kufr but if a person never received the message he is not able to reject it with proof. thats why u find in some verses that allah mentiond those who did not know the message as being mushrikeen instead of kufar
.” 6. And if anyone of the Mushrikoon (polytheists, idolaters, pagans, disbelievers in the Oneness of Allah) seeks your protection then grant him protection, so that he may hear the Word of Allah (the Quran), and then escort him to where he can be secure, that is because they are men who know not.” (surah tawba)
however they did reject the messsage(hujja) of the fitra wich is a hujja also but it doesnt count for punishment. this is the reason why there can be diference between mushrik and kafir when its about rejecting the message of the prophet.
ibnul qayyim said there are 2 kinds of hujja
1- hujja of the fitra (does not necessitate punishment if rejected)
2- hujja of the messengers. (necessitate punishment if rejected)
thats why u find those who did not recieve the message of the prophet(who commited shirk and where not muslims) being called mushrikeen. like in the above vers of surah tawba
those who do received the message been called kufar becuz of rejecting it with proof. like in vers :
23. And if you (Arab pagans, Jews, and Christians) are in doubt concerning that which We have sent
down (i.e. the Quran) to Our slave (Muhammad Peace be upon him ), then produce a Soorah (chapter) of
the like thereof and call your witnesses (supporters and helpers) besides Allah, if you are truthful.
24. But if you do it not, and you can never do it, then fear the Fire (Hell) whose fuel is men and stones,
prepared for the disbelievers.(kafireen)
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