The principle that kufr (disbelief) is divided into greater (akbar) and lesser (asghar) is well established through the statements of the Salaf and leading imams. Their words stay firmly within the boundaries of the Quran and Sunnah.
Evidence from the Companions
Ibn Masʿud said: “Insulting a Muslim is fusūq (defiance), and fighting him is kufr.” This narration, though it calls fighting a believer “kufr”, does not refer to major kufr, as Allah described both fighting groups as believers (al-Ḥujurāt: 9). This shows that some kufr is minor, not the type that removes one from Islam.
Ibn ʿAbbās used to recite a verse that said: “Turning away from your fathers is kufr”, referring to denying lineage, which is a major sin but not major kufr. Similarly, the Prophet ﷺ said about someone claiming a false lineage: “He has committed kufr in Allah”. This is understood as a severe warning, not literal kufr, unless he believes it is allowed.
Kufr Less Than Kufr (Kufr Duna Kufr)
in Judgement
Ibn ʿAbbās explained the verse “Whoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed, then they are the disbelievers” (al-Māʾidah: 44) as meaning “kufr less than kufr.” This tafsīr was accepted by major scholars such as Imām Aḥmad, al-Bukhārī, and others. It was also reported by Abū ʿUbayd and al-Ḥākim with a sound chain.
Ibn Taymiyyah confirmed that this was the understanding of many early scholars. Ibn al-Qayyim said it was the view of the majority of the Companions, and he explained that it does not mean literal apostasy. Atāʾ ibn Abī Rabāḥ and Ṭāwūs also said “kufr less than kufr.”
Statements from the Imams of the Salaf
- Abū ʿUbayd said that the term kufr and shirk used in some hadiths about sins do not always mean disbelief that removes faith.
- Imām Aḥmad agreed that there is kufr which does not expel a person from Islam and compared it to varying levels of īmān.
- Al-Marwazī, representing the people of ḥadīth, said kufr, like injustice and defiance, is of two types – one that removes from Islam, and one that does not.
- Ibn Mandah said that fighting a Muslim is kufr, but not the type that equals shirk or leaves Islam.
- Al-Bukhārī titled a chapter in his Ṣaḥīḥ: “Kufr less than kufr”, supporting this principle clearly.
Conclusion
The statements of the Companions and imams confirm that kufr is of two kinds:
- Major kufr (kufr akbar) – which removes a person from Islam.
- Minor kufr (kufr asghar) – which is a serious sin described as kufr but does not expel someone from the religion.
This division is based on clear texts from the Quran, Sunnah, and consistent understanding of the early generations. It is a fundamental principle of Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jamāʿah.
المطلب الأول: أقوال سلف الأمة وأئمتها في تقرير قاعدة الكفر كفران أكبر وأصغر
This principle is an important one, and the statements of the Salaf of the Ummah and its leading imams support it. In what they affirm, they never depart from what the scriptural texts have established. What follows is a presentation of their statements:
1296 – Abu ʿAbd Allah narrated to us, he said: Ismaʿil narrated to us, he said: Sulayman al-Taymi narrated to us, from Abu ʿAmr al-Shaybani, who said: Ibn Masʿud said: “Insulting (or he said: reviling) a Muslim (or he said: a believer) is fusuq (defiance), and fighting him is kufr.”
Footenote: Its chain is authentic. It is a mawquf narration from Ibn Masʿud, and it will appear later under number 1442.
(Reported by al-Khallal in al-Sunnah, 4/114).
So, this noble sahabi described fighting as kufr, even though killing is one of the major sins, not something that expels from the religion. This is because Allah called those fighting one another “believers,” as in His words: “And if two groups from among the believers fight each other, then make peace between them” (al-Hujurat: 9). This shows that some types of kufr are minor kufr.
And it is reported from Ibn Abbas, from ʿUmar ibn ʿAbdullah, that he said: “We used to recite among what we read from the Book of Allah, ‘Do not turn away from your fathers, for turning away from your fathers is kufr from you,’ or: ‘It is kufr from you to turn away from your fathers’ (Reported by al-Bukhari in his Sahih, Book of Legal Punishments, Chapter: Stoning the pregnant woman for zina if she has been previously married (hadith 6830)).
And in this meaning is also what is reported from Abu Dharr, that the Prophet said: “There is no man who claims someone other than his father while knowing it, except that he has committed kufr in Allah.” Reported by al-Bukhari in the Book of Virtues, Chapter 590 (hadith 3508).
Ibn Hajar said in Fath al-Bari (6/540): His statement, “claimed someone other than his father while knowing it, except that he has committed kufr in Allah” — the phrase “in Allah” appears only in the narration of Abu Dharr, and it does not appear in the narration of Muslim nor that of al-Ismaʿili, and the latter is stronger.
And if the version containing that phrase is authentic, then what is meant is the one who considers it permissible while knowing it is forbidden. And according to the more well-known narration, the meaning is kufr of ingratitude. The apparent meaning of the wording is not what is intended. Rather, it was said as a severe warning and deterrent to the one who does such a thing. Or what is meant by describing it as kufr is that the doer did an action similar to the actions of the disbelievers.
The noble sahabi made it clear that he used to recite that turning away from one’s forefathers is kufr, and turning away from one’s forefathers is not major kufr. This shows that the term kufr is used for some actions that are less than major kufr. Therefore, it proves that kufr is of two types: some of it is major and some is minor.
And Ibn Abbas (d. 68 AH) said regarding the words of Allah, “And whoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed, then they are the disbelievers” (al-Maida: 44): “It is not kufr that takes one out of the religion” (This was mentioned by Abu Ubayd (d. 224 AH) in his book al-Iman (101), and was narrated by al-Hakim (d. 405 AH) in al-Mustadrak (2/342, hadith 3219), who said: This hadith has a sound chain of narration and was not included by the two shaykhs. Its wording is: ‘kufr less than kufr’).
Some people have declared this report weak, being unaware that it has been accepted by the scholars, who transmitted it in their books and used it as evidence, as was done by Abu Ubayd (d. 224 AH) and others. This acceptance removes the need to investigate its chain of narration.
Ibn Taymiyyah (d. 728 AH) said: “Ibn Abbas (d. 68 AH) and others from the Salaf said about the verse, ‘And whoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed, then they are the disbelievers, the wrongdoers, the defiantly disobedient’ — it is kufr less than kufr, wrongdoing less than wrongdoing, and defiance less than defiance. This was mentioned by Ahmad (d. 241 AH), al-Bukhari (d. 256 AH), and others” (Sharh Hadith Jibril, p. 402).
Ibn al-Qayyim (d. 751 AH) attributed this interpretation to the majority of the Companions, where he said: “This is the interpretation of Ibn Abbas (d. 68 AH) and the majority of the Companions” (Madarij al-Salikin, 1/588). He also said: “It is not the kufr they mean” (Reported by al-Marwazi (d. 294 AH) in Taʿdhim Qadr al-Salah, p. 339, and by al-Hakim (d. 405 AH) in al-Mustadrak, 2/342. He said: This hadith has a sound chain and was not included by the two shaykhs).
Ata ibn Abi Rabah (d. 114 AH) said: “Kufr less than kufr” (Reported by al-Tabari in his Tafsir, 4/331).
Tawus (d. 106 AH) said: “It is not kufr that takes one out of the religion” (Reported by al-Marwazi (d. 294 AH) in Taʿdhim Qadr al-Salah, p. 340).
They made it clear that some types of kufr do not remove a person from the religion. This is minor kufr, and this confirms the principle.
Abu Ubayd (d. 224 AH) said: “As for the reports which include the mention of kufr and shirk and the obligation connected to them in sins, their meaning according to us is that they do not establish kufr or shirk upon those who commit them in a way that removes faith from the person” (Kitab al-Iman, p. 86).
He made it clear that using the word kufr for sins does not mean major kufr that removes faith entirely. This shows that he affirmed that some kufr is minor.
Imam Ahmad (d. 241 AH) was asked about the verse, “And whoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed, then they are the disbelievers” and he quoted the tafsir of Ibn Abbas and said: “This is kufr that does not expel a person from the religion. Just as parts of faith vary in degree, one above another, so too does kufr, until it reaches a matter about which there is no disagreement among the people.”
Isma’il Ibn Saee’d said to him: “What if he fears his persistence in this sin, intends to repent, seeks forgiveness for it, yet continues to fall into it?”
Imam Ahmad replied: “The one who fears is in a better condition.” (Ahkam al-Nisa by Imam Ahmad, p. 57, and mentioned by Ibn Taymiyyah (d. 728 AH) in Majmuʿ al-Fatawa, 7/253).
Imam Ahmad (d. 241 AH) mentioned that there is kufr which does not take a person out of the religion. This shows that he affirmed that some kufr removes a person from the religion, and some does not.
Muhammad al-Marwazi (d. 294 AH) said on behalf of a group of the people of hadith: “Just as wrongdoing is of two kinds, and defiance is of two kinds, so too is kufr of two kinds. One kind takes a person out of the religion, and the other does not” (Taʿdhim Qadr al-Salah, p. 343).
He mentioned that kufr is of two types. One type removes a person from the religion, and that is major kufr. The other type does not remove a person from the religion, and that is minor kufr which is used for some sins. This clearly reflects what the principle states.
Ibn Mandah (d. 395 AH) said: “He mentioned what proves that when a Muslim faces his brother in fighting, this is kufr which does not reach the level of shirk or lead to exiting from Islam” (Kitab al-Iman, 2/565).
Al-Bukhari (d. 256 AH) said: “Chapter on Kufran al-Ashir (ingratitude toward one’s spouse), and kufr less than kufr” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Book 2 Chapter 29).
The imams made it clear that there is a type of kufr which does not remove a person from the religion. They clarified that it is kufr less than major kufr. This confirms that kufr is of two types: major and minor.
