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Can kufr be committed exclusively through imagination?

Q:

I know we are not accountable for waswas but an individual can imagine a bad thing about Allah and his messenger with his free will, just like he can imagine a mountain, a forest and other things with his free will. With ‘free will’ I mean you are certain that Islam is true and you don’t believe those imaginations but just like the painter that imagines before painting something you imagine something bad about Allah. Can kufr be committed exclusively through imagination? I mean only imagination and nothing else because I am certain that Islam is true. I am not talking about waswas , I am talking about voluntarily bringing them to mind just like you voluntarily move your legs and arms.

A:

Salamun Alaykum

Thank you for your query.

No, kufr doesn’t come into existence just by waswas rather kufr(disbelief) means that a person knows what is right(حق) and what is wrong(باطل), but he insists on falsehood and expresses that falsehood in normal conditions. Expression can be through speaking or not but it is often by saying it out.

The Meaning Of Kufr And Kafir

The original sense of Kufr is that of concealing, and a person who concealing something, or a thing which conceals something else, is termed a Kafir. Concealment is of two kinds literal and metaphorical putting a seed in the ground is an example of the first kind and hiding the truth by means of falsehood or vice versa, is an example of the second kind.

So if a person states something which is contrary to his knowledge and belief his action is a form of Kufr and he himself is termed a Kafir..

Someone who knows the truth and claims not to know it, is a Kafir, and so is someone who does not know the truth, but claims to do so. since the first person is concealing his knowledge and the second his ignorance: whereas someone who does not know the truth and admits that he does not, is not a Kafir but merely ignorant.but merely ignorant.

www.al-islam.org/are-you-free-or-slave-muhammadi-reyshahri/chapter-3-research-ideology

The Five Levels Of Kufr: www.al-islam.org/media/labels-five-levels-kufr>

Before we conclude this write up, we find it wise to mention that it is healthy to become a good and productive thinker. Thinking is a great blessing by Allah (az) on us. And it is important that we use it in a way that brings progress and growth and not the kind that brings us doubt and or worry.

May Allah(swt) grant you success

Wassalam,
AAA under the guidance of
Syed Haider