takfir

Takfir is the act of declaring a Muslim to be a kafir (infidel) or apostate, thereby asserting that the person has left Islam. The term takfīr comes from the Arabic root kafara, related to disbelief; in Islamic usage it refers to a formal judgment that another Muslim’s beliefs or practices render them outside the faith. The act is distinct from personal disbelief in practice or sin; it is a juridical pronouncement with implications for religious rights and community membership.

Historically, takfir has been used by the early Kharijites to condemn fellow believers or rulers for political or moral reasons. In mainstream Sunni and Shia jurisprudence, blanket or indiscriminate takfir is rejected, and scholars emphasize strict criteria and due process. Most scholarly schools insist that declaring someone a murtad (apostate) or kafir requires clear evidence, knowledge of core tenets of Islam, and careful ruling; errors in judgment are viewed as serious, given the potential for conflict or violence. Some jurisprudential discussions distinguish between individual takfir and broader political or social labeling, with the former requiring particularly stringent conditions.

In contemporary discourse, takfir is often cited in debates about extremist violence, where certain groups claim to declare other Muslims apostates to justify violence or coercive measures. Mainstream Islamic scholars generally reject such usage, stressing that takfir remains a grave and highly conditional judgment that should not be applied casually or for political expedience. The topic remains sensitive within Islamic ethics, law, and intercommunal relations.

See also: apostasy in Islam; kufr; murtad; ahl al-kitab.