Collective Takfir Of Today’s Bani Israel
Thanks Dr. Irfan for your explanation. But let me clarify my point. Firstly, doesn’t Ghamidi sb say that a qaum is not punished merely for rejection, but that punishment comes only after the completion of ʾitmām al-ḥujjah? Where I am confused is that there are three occurrences of “kafarū” in the following two verses (3:55–56). إِذْ قَالَ ٱللَّهُ يَـٰعِيسَىٰٓ إِنِّى مُتَوَفِّيكَ وَرَافِعُكَ إِلَىَّ وَمُطَهِّرُكَ مِنَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ وَجَاعِلُ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱتَّبَعُوكَ فَوْقَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوٓا۟ إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ ۖ ثُمَّ إِلَىَّ مَرْجِعُكُمْ فَأَحْكُمُ بَيْنَكُمْ فِيمَا كُنتُمْ فِيهِ تَخْتَلِفُونَ فَأَمَّا ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ فَأُعَذِّبُهُمْ عَذَابًۭا شَدِيدًۭا فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا وَٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ وَمَا لَهُم مِّن نَّـٰصِرِينَ Are you suggesting that all three instances of “kafarū” refer to those (Bani Israel) who blindly follow (or followed) their tradition, irrespective of whether ʾitmām al-ḥujjah has been completed on them or not? The first “kafarū” clearly refers to those Jews (Banī Isrā’īl) at the time of ʿĪsā who rejected him even after ʾitmām al-ḥujjah. Are you then saying that the third “kafarū”, i.e. those who are punished in this world and in the hereafter refers to Jews who simply follow their tradition blindly, regardless of whether ʾitmām al-ḥujjah has been completed on them? My understanding is that the third “kafarū” refers specifically to those upon whom ʾitmām al-ḥujjah has been completed, which is why they are subjected to punishment in both this world and the hereafter. The second “kafarū” seems to include both the Jews (Banī Isrā’īl) at the time of ʿĪsā and the Jews of later generations. In the case of today’s Banī Isrā’īl, we may describe them as following inherited tradition, but we cannot necessarily say that ʾitmām al-ḥujjah has been completed on them. What I am trying to say is that the definition of “kafarū” does not appear consistent across the three instances. In the first and third cases, it refers to those upon whom ʾitmām al-ḥujjah has been completed, whereas in the second instance the meaning seems to shift to those who simply follow tradition blindly, regardless of whether ʾitmām al-ḥujjah has been completed. I acknowledge that “kufr” can carry multiple meanings and is used in the Qur’an in different contexts. However, in this passage it is difficult to understand how the meaning of “kafarū” would shift from X to Y and then back to X within a single connected discourse. I hope you understand my point.