Taqfeer

This post was a response to a paper on the threats faced by non-Muslims in Iraq.

Interesting articles. In a couple of books I have run across the doctrine of Taqfeer, which is espoused by radical Islamic groups. "That's certainly true, and in fact the most useful way of defining a Muslim extremist is not in his attitude towards the West but in his attitude towards other Muslims. A Muslim extremist is one who believes in the doctrine of taqfeer, that is that he can, as a Muslim, define other Muslims as non-Muslim for failing to do what he thinks that they ought to, and therefore engage, and therefore seek to kill them or overthrow regimes." http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/news/2001/10/mil-011012-2c617c11.htm

Apparently, it stems from an Islamic cleric who wrote the Fatwa of Taqfeer. Here is a paragraph from the Fatwa:

Truly whoever abused the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) or ascribed any fault to him or attributed any defect to his family, religion or his habit, or reproached him, or compared the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) with any defective thing with the objective of degrading his personality and prestige, he is truly an abusive person and deserves to be executed. We make absolutely no exception to this verdict, whether the insult has been committed intentionally or unintentionally. This has been the verdict of all the Ulama of the Umma from the time of the Companions to the present day. (Qadi Iyad, as-Shifa, Vol. 2, pg. 214)

http://www.ahlsunna.ca/archive/alahazrat.htm

Notice how Taqfeer is the antithesis of what we have been discussing in our class. We have been talking about tolerance, acceptance, the worth of each individual. Taqfeer, which is the key belief of groups like Al Qaeda says that we have the right to kill anyone who disagrees with our version of Islam, even other Muslims.

		October 30, 2007 *The Consequences of Taqfeer*
	This post was a response to a paper on the threats faced by non-Muslims in Iraq. WTC Video Interesting articles. In a couple of books I have run across the doctrine of Taqfeer, which is espoused by radical Islamic groups. "That's certainly true, and in fact the most useful way of defining a Muslim extremist is not in his attitude towards the West but in his attitude towards other Muslims. A Muslim extremist is one who believes in the doctrine of taqfeer, that is that he can, as a Muslim, define other Muslims as non-Muslim for failing to do what he thinks that they ought to, and therefore engage, and therefore seek to kill them or overthrow regimes." http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/news/2001/10/mil-011012-2c617c11.htm Apparently, it stems from an Islamic cleric who wrote the Fatwa of Taqfeer. Here is a paragraph from the Fatwa: Truly whoever abused the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) or ascribed any fault to him or attributed any defect to his family, religion or his habit, or reproached him, or compared the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) with any defective thing with the objective of degrading his personality and prestige, he is truly an abusive person and deserves to be executed. We make absolutely no exception to this verdict, whether the insult has been committed intentionally or unintentionally. This has been the verdict of all the Ulama of the Umma from the time of the Companions to the present day. (Qadi Iyad, as-Shifa, Vol. 2, pg. 214) http://www.ahlsunna.ca/archive/alahazrat.htm Notice how Taqfeer is the antithesis of what we have been discussing in our class. We have been talking about tolerance, acceptance, the worth of each individual. Taqfeer, which is the key belief of groups like Al Qaeda says that we have the right to kill anyone who disagrees with our version of Islam, even other Muslims.