Question:

Does Al-Mufid consider the Jews and Christians to be disbelievers (kuffar)?

Answer:

Abu Abdillah Al-Mufid writes: “It is not permissible that he who knows God should be disbelieving in Him (kafir) and no one is ignorant of Him who believes in Him (mu’min). According to our principles (Usul), every disbeliever (Kafir) is ignorant about God, and whoever of those who pray in the direction of Islam, opposes the principles of faith (Usul-ul-Iman), is ignorant about God, even if they confess that there is only one God, just like the one who does not believe in the Prophet Muhammad (s.), is ignorant about God, even if someone among them confesses that there is only one God and shows outwardly what the weak falsely assume to be the knowledge of God.The Exalted One says: “He who believes in his Lord fears no reduction of reward and no use of force.” (72:13) whereby the believer (Mu’min) is excluded from the judgments for the disbelievers, and the Exalted One says: “No, by your Lord, they do not believe (really) until they take you as a judge over what is disputed between them, and then, because of your decision, they do not feel any distress within them, but submit themselves in complete surrender.” (4:65) By which the faith (Iman) of the one who does not believe in the Prophet (s.) has been denied, and certainly this is not confirmed to him with doubts about it as the knowledge of God. The Exalted One says: “Fight against those who do not believe in God and the Last Day, and do not forbid what God and His Messenger have forbidden and who do not belong to the religion of truth, of those to whom the Book has been given, until they pay tribute by what their hands possess while being humiliated.” (9:29) As a result of which the Jews and Nazarenes were denied faith (Iman) and declared to be disbelievers and apostates.” [Tashih I’tiqadat Al-Imamiyyah, page 119]

قال أبو عبد الله المفيد: وليس يجوز أن يعرف الله تعالى من هو كافر به، ولا يجهله من هو به مؤمن، وكل كافر على أصولنا فهو جاهل بالله، ومن خالف أصول الإيمان من المصلين إلى قبلة الاسلام فهو عندنا جاهل بالله سبحانه وإن أظهر القول بتوحيده تعالى، كما أن الكافر برسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم جاهل بالله وإن كان فيهم من يعترف بتوحيد الله تعالى ويتظاهر بما يوهم المستضعفين أنه معرفة بالله تعالى وقد قال الله تعالى فمن يؤمن بربه فلا يخاف بخسا ولا رهقا فأخرج بذلك المؤمن عن أحكام الكافرين، وقال تعالى فلا وربك لا يؤمنون حتى يحكموك فيما شجر بينهم الآية، فنفى عمن كفر بنبي الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم الإيمان، ولم يثبت له مع الشك فيه المعرفة بالله على حال وقال سبحانه وتعالى قاتلوا الذين لا يؤمنون بالله ولا باليوم الآخر إلى قوله وهم صاغرون فنفى الإيمان عن اليهود والنصارى، وحكم عليهم بالكفر والضلال