The Arabic word for *infidel*
Raymond S. Wise
alt.english.usage of the word "infidel." One question which went
unanswered in both groups was the identity of the Arabic word which
"infidel" was intended to translate. Here's the answer:
From the AHD4 at
http://www.bartleby.com/61/roots/S166.html
[quote]
Appendix II
Semitic Roots
ENTRY: kpr 2.
DEFINITION: Common Semitic noun [reconstructed]_kapar-_, village.
[...] 2. _giaour,_ _kaffir,_ _Kaffir,_ from Arabic _ka[with a
macron]fir,_ unbeliever, infidel (<"villager"), from _kafr,_ village,
from Aramaic _kapra[with a macron],_ village.
[end quote]
Forms of this word have been applied to African blacks ("Kaffir" or
"Kafir"), as an offensive term for blacks in the country of South
Africa ("kaffir" or "kafir"), and as a term for the inhabitants of
Nuristan ("Land of Light"), a region in northeast Afghanistan (again,
"Kaffir" or "Kafir")--This region, in fact, formerly had the name
"Kafiristan." In Persian, an adherent to Zoroastrianism living in Iran
was until recently referred to as a "gabr" or "gabar."
--
Raymond S. Wise
Minneapolis, Minnesota USA
Dan Seriff
> [quote]
>
> Appendix II
>
> Semitic Roots
>
> ENTRY: kpr 2.
>
> DEFINITION: Common Semitic noun [reconstructed]_kapar-_, village.
> [...] 2. _giaour,_ _kaffir,_ _Kaffir,_ from Arabic _ka[with a
> macron]fir,_ unbeliever, infidel (<"villager"), from _kafr,_ village,
> from Aramaic _kapra[with a macron],_ village.
>
> [end quote]
I totally forgot about this word. It is, of course, the exact (Arabic) word
that we've been looking for. Thanks, Raymond!
Daniel Seriff
micro...@sericap.com
http://members.tripod.com/microtonal
Honesty means never having to say "Please don't flush me down the toilet!"
- Bob the Dinosaur
When the ratings go up, it's like the whole world is made of donuts.
- Brak
JustmeŽ
article <47dd044c.01111...@posting.google.com>
, and like, I thought that, you know, I had to say
something back:
>
> Forms of this word have been applied to African blacks ("Kaffir" or
> "Kafir"), as an offensive term for blacks in the country of South
> Africa ("kaffir" or "kafir"), and as a term for the inhabitants of
> Nuristan ("Land of Light"), a region in northeast Afghanistan (again,
> "Kaffir" or "Kafir")--This region, in fact, formerly had the name
> "Kafiristan." In Persian, an adherent to Zoroastrianism living in Iran
> was until recently referred to as a "gabr" or "gabar."
>
>
>
faint at heart). I understand this to mean _not_ that
"kafir" is solely the term for "infidel," since it is
describing African blacks in an offensive way; rather,
"Kafir" seems to also be similar to "nigger" in meaning.
Literally speaking then, would "Kafiristan" be the Arabic
equivalent to "Niggertown?"
--
--Ginny
"I like madness. I've discovered a secret. You don't
have to be online everyday. Its true. There _are_
other things to do. Like making salamis out of this
worlds oppressed."
--Herry, Message-ID: <3B1E3BB4...@ftc.gov>
Don Phillipson
news:MPG.16583e725...@news-server.optonline.net...
> Pardon the language I am about to use (warning for the
> faint at heart). I understand this to mean _not_ that
> "kafir" is solely the term for "infidel," since it is
> describing African blacks in an offensive way; rather,
> "Kafir" seems to also be similar to "nigger" in meaning.
> Literally speaking then, would "Kafiristan" be the Arabic
> equivalent to "Niggertown?"
No: the reason being:
1. Kaffir is a word in South African English (and
Afrikaans) with a contemptuous or derogatory
connotation in that context.
2. Al kafr (and cognates as in Kafiristan) is a
word in the Arabic language: so its connotations
are solely those of that language and its context.
Whether or not actually used to mean English/Latin
infidel, this Arabic word has none of the connotations
of South African English.
--
Donald Phillipson
dphil...@trytel.com
Carlsbad Springs (Ottawa, Canada)
613 822 0734
Nick Harby
"Raymond S. Wise" wrote:
> There has recently been a discussion, both in alt.usage.english and
> alt.english.usage of the word "infidel." One question which went
> unanswered in both groups was the identity of the Arabic word which
> "infidel" was intended to translate.
Here is a web page that explains further the Arabic word kafir:
Steve Hayes
In South Africa it was originally applied to the Xhosa-speaking inhabitants of
what is now the Eastern Cape province. A part of that province, when conquered
by the British coloniasl rulers of the Cape Colony, became for a short time
the separate territory of British Kaffraria.
--
Steve Hayes from Tshwane, South Africa
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/7734/steve.htm
E-mail - see web page, or parse: shayes at dunelm full stop org full stop uk
Raymond S. Wise
> Raymond S. Wise <mpl...@my-deja.com> like, said in
> article <47dd044c.01111...@posting.google.com>
> , and like, I thought that, you know, I had to say
> something back:
> >
> > Forms of this word have been applied to African blacks ("Kaffir" or
> > "Kafir"), as an offensive term for blacks in the country of South
> > Africa ("kaffir" or "kafir"), and as a term for the inhabitants of
> > Nuristan ("Land of Light"), a region in northeast Afghanistan (again,
> > "Kaffir" or "Kafir")--This region, in fact, formerly had the name
> > "Kafiristan." In Persian, an adherent to Zoroastrianism living in Iran
> > was until recently referred to as a "gabr" or "gabar."
> >
> >
> >
> Pardon the language I am about to use (warning for the
> faint at heart). I understand this to mean _not_ that
> "kafir" is solely the term for "infidel," since it is
> describing African blacks in an offensive way; rather,
> "Kafir" seems to also be similar to "nigger" in meaning.
> Literally speaking then, would "Kafiristan" be the Arabic
> equivalent to "Niggertown?"
>
>
As meirm...@erols.com said in a thread on "infidel" in
alt.english.usage, "Any word can be used in a derogatory way.[...]
[A]ny word can be used with hostility." The word "nigger" was
originally a neutral term, simply a variation of an etymon which meant
"black," and it was used as a neutral term among some people into the
20th century--I personally know a man eighty years old who said that
his mother used it without intending it as a slur, and I have read the
same about other people. I believe that Kaffir also was used, in
several of the instances I quoted, as a neutral term in English. It
became a slur in South African English and "nigger" became a slur in
American English.
The question I would like answered is whether Kaffir (or the Arabic,
Persian, and Turkish equivalents) were ever used neutrally. I suspect
that they were, as simply terms for "those people" with whom there
were civil--or even cordial--relations, but I can't prove it.
(Here's something kind of odd: I was speaking with a fellow at one of
my French conversation groups who spoke Arabic, although I don't know
if he was an Arab--he might have been an Iranian who had learned
Arabic as a second language.[1] I mentioned that the Jews had had
cordial relations with the Arabs in the past and he utterly denied
it--he said there was hatred from the very beginning of Islam. But I
*know* that that wasn't true, that Jews in the past generally had
better relations with the Arabs than with the Christians of Europe.
That someone from that part of the world should not know that was a
great surprise to me.)
Note:
[1]We were discussing the word "infidel," and the subject of faith
naturally came up, and he couldn't think of an Arabic word for
"faithful."
Polar
wrote:
>Justme? <gi...@takethisout.insurgent.org> wrote in message news:<MPG.16583e725...@news-server.optonline.net>...
>> Raymond S. Wise <mpl...@my-deja.com> like, said in
>> article <47dd044c.01111...@posting.google.com>
>> , and like, I thought that, you know, I had to say
>> something back:
[...kaffir...]
>(Here's something kind of odd: I was speaking with a fellow at one of
>my French conversation groups who spoke Arabic, although I don't know
>if he was an Arab--he might have been an Iranian who had learned
>Arabic as a second language.[1] I mentioned that the Jews had had
>cordial relations with the Arabs in the past and he utterly denied
>it--he said there was hatred from the very beginning of Islam. But I
>*know* that that wasn't true, that Jews in the past generally had
>better relations with the Arabs than with the Christians of Europe.
>That someone from that part of the world should not know that was a
>great surprise to me.)
I'm surprised that you're surprised.
Not knowing your interlocutor's age or socio-economic background,
I can only hazard the obvious guess: That he has been fed the same
biased propaganda in and out of school, that so many Arabs get.
Those without a liberal education or any knowledge of the real world
might well express themselves as he did.
>
>
>Note:
>
>[1]We were discussing the word "infidel," and the subject of faith
>naturally came up, and he couldn't think of an Arabic word for
>"faithful."
Chortle!
I can give you the antonym of "faithful". Yassir Arafat, world's
biggest cheater/liar/manipulator.
--
Polar
Eric Walker
[...]
>I mentioned that the Jews had had cordial relations with the
>Arabs in the past and he utterly denied it--he said there was
>hatred from the very beginning of Islam. But I *know* that that
>wasn't true, that Jews in the past generally had better
>relations with the Arabs than with the Christians of Europe.
Better, assuredly; but it is possible that "better" means "less
bad" rather than "cordial." (I don't say that it does because I
just don't know--I do believe, though, that the Jews in Spain
were pretty unhappy to see the Moors go and the Christians come,
with good cause as it developed.)
>That someone from that part of the world should not know that
>was a great surprise to me.
I daresay that's a part of why we're where we are. (Insert
mandatory Santayana quotation.)
--
Cordially,
Eric Walker, Owlcroft House
Alan Jones
"Raymond S. Wise" <mpl...@my-deja.com> wrote in message
news:47dd044c.01111...@posting.google.com...
> There has recently been a discussion, both in alt.usage.english and
> alt.english.usage of the word "infidel." One question which went
> unanswered in both groups was the identity of the Arabic word which
> "infidel" was intended to translate. Here's the answer:
>
> From the AHD4 at
> http://www.bartleby.com/61/roots/S166.html
>
>
> [quote]
>
> Appendix II
>
> Semitic Roots
>
> ENTRY: kpr 2.
>
> DEFINITION: Common Semitic noun [reconstructed]_kapar-_, village.
> [...] 2. _giaour,_ _kaffir,_ _Kaffir,_ from Arabic _ka[with a
> macron]fir,_ unbeliever, infidel (<"villager"), from _kafr,_ village,
> from Aramaic _kapra[with a macron],_ village.
If this derivation is certain (and OED2 doesn't have it) "Kaffir" seems to
have the sense of "pagan" or "heathen" rather than of "infidel" strictly
interpreted. OED's citations mostly gloss "kaffir"/"Caffre" as "infidel",
though the contexts imply the wide sense of that word as "non-Muslim".
Alan Jones
Steve Hayes
(Shakib Otaqui) wrote:
>In article
> <MPG.16583e725...@news-server.optonline.net>,
> JustmeŽ <gi...@takethisout.insurgent.org> wrote:
> "Kafir" as a reference to blacks is a strictly South African
> white coinage. In Arabic, it simply means infidel with
> absolutely no racial connotations.
But it is probably not unrelated.
One theory is that is was picked up by Europeans (Dutch and Portuguese) from
Arab slave traders in Zanzibar and the northern coast of what is now
Mocambique. The traders captured or bought slaves from the inland peoples of
eastern and central Africa, who were not Muslim, and whom they therefore
called "kaffirs". They sold the slaves to the Dutch, who took them back to the
Cape Colony. When the Dutch, in their eastward migration, encountered black
people, they called them "kaffirs" too. It was not orignally used in a
derogatory way, though it is nowadays.
It entered Zulu as "ikhafula", where it was used for black people under white
rule (in the days when Zululand was independent), and later for those blacks
who were regarded as the servants of white rule. It was frequently used for
black policemen, and especially black members of the Security Police in the
apartheid era.
meirm...@erols.com
Walker" <ewa...@owlcroft.com> posted:
>On 11 Nov 2001 13:22:23 -0800, Raymond S. Wise wrote:
>
>[...]
>
>>I mentioned that the Jews had had cordial relations with the
>>Arabs in the past and he utterly denied it--he said there was
>>hatred from the very beginning of Islam. But I *know* that that
>>wasn't true, that Jews in the past generally had better
>>relations with the Arabs than with the Christians of Europe.
>
>Better, assuredly; but it is possible that "better" means "less
>bad" rather than "cordial." (I don't say that it does because I
>just don't know--
I too have heard that Jews generally better relations with Arabs,
(prior to, say, 100 years ago.) but I think in many places over more
than a 1000 years, one can find examples along a spectrum. Examples
at opposite extremes would be the tens of thousands of Jews who were
massacred by Arabs, I believe they were, in what is now Saudi Arabia,
some time in the first couple years of Islam (I wonder if, in light
of this, Jews are entitled to reclaim their land there.)
OTOH the opposite can be found in Muslim Europe, especially the first
400 years of Muslim Spain. Starting with the Muslim conquest there in
711. Jews and Muslims had a mutually beneficial relationship there.
Many great Jewish scholars wrote in Arabic. But "The Jewish paradise
in Spain ended abruptly when a cruel Muslim Berber Dynasty --
Almohades -- came to power in the 12th century. When Almohades seized
southern Spain, they gave the Jews three choices: convert to Islam,
leave, or die. " Maimonides, Moshe ben Maimon, one of the greatest
Jewish scholars was born in 1135 in Cordoba. He was 13 when his family
was forced out of Spain. They wandered homeless for many years,
during which his father died. They eventually settled in Moslem Egypt,
which was a lot nicer than the Moslem part of Spain. Maimonides
continued to study while his brother David, older I think, supported
the family. When David died in a sea voyage, that duty went to Moshe.
He studied medicine and was so successful he was appointed physician
to the Court of Sultan Saladin in Cairo. Also appointed the chief
rabbi of Cairo.
So there was a lot of, shall we say, variety in Jewish lives in Muslim
countries.
>I do believe, though, that the Jews in Spain
>were pretty unhappy to see the Moors go and the Christians come,
>with good cause as it developed.)
>
>>That someone from that part of the world should not know that
>>was a great surprise to me.
>
>I daresay that's a part of why we're where we are. (Insert
>mandatory Santayana quotation.)
Born west of Pittsburgh Pa. 10 years
Indianapolis, 7 years
Chicago, 6 years
Brooklyn NY 12 years
Baltimore 17 years
Pat Durkin
<meirm...@erols.com> wrote in message
news:n9bvutkk5f9et6oe9...@4ax.com...
> In alt.english.usage on Sun, 11 Nov 2001 18:32:45 -0800 (PST) "Eric
> Walker" <ewa...@owlcroft.com> posted:
>
> >On 11 Nov 2001 13:22:23 -0800, Raymond S. Wise wrote:
> >
> >[...]
> >
> >>I mentioned that the Jews had had cordial relations with the
> >>Arabs in the past and he utterly denied it--he said there was
> >>hatred from the very beginning of Islam. But I *know* that that
> >>wasn't true, that Jews in the past generally had better
> >>relations with the Arabs than with the Christians of Europe.
>
The history of the Moorish occupation of Spain is quite varied, with
domination by Christians in some areas, and by Moors in others, and of
course, with domination trading hands throughout the 700 years of
occupation. The final expulsion of the Jews and Moors in 1492 (I think that
is the normal date cited), did put an end to the waves of self purification
that swept the Moorish world from time to time, causing much unrest within
the Moorish-dominated areas, leaving Jews and Christians to suffer as the
resident (and contaminated) Moors suffered.
At times, and in some areas, Christians, Jews, and Moors were known to have
united against the interlopers, and after either absorbing the newcomers or
repelling them, people of the 3 faiths returned to their customary peace.
One can think of the Reconquest as a continuous state of war, but in the
absence of nation-states, one accepts that local lords could each maintain a
separate peace, in which the arts could thrive.
(I could not cite individual sources on the history of Spain and the
Reconquista, as my studies are far in the past. I will say that one of the
most striking memories of a summer spent in Spain was an early morning walk
through the white streets of Cordoba, and a reverential visit to a tiny
courtyard, where there is a bronze statue of the seated Maimonides.)
Rowan Dingle
[...]
>[1]We were discussing the word "infidel," and the subject of faith
>naturally came up, and he couldn't think of an Arabic word for
>"faithful."
'Muslim'?
--
Rowan Dingle
meirm...@erols.com
<durk...@nothome.com> posted:
>
><meirm...@erols.com> wrote in message
>> the tens of thousands of Jews who were
>> massacred by Arabs, I believe they were, in what is now Saudi Arabia,
>> some time in the first couple years of Islam (I wonder if, in light
couple *hundred* years of Islam. It's known
when this was. It's just that I don't remember.
>> of this, Jews are entitled to reclaim their land there.)
...
>> So there was a lot of, shall we say, variety in Jewish lives in Muslim
>> countries.
>
>The history of the Moorish occupation of Spain is quite varied, with
>domination by Christians in some areas, and by Moors in others, and of
>course, with domination trading hands throughout the 700 years of
>occupation. The final expulsion of the Jews and Moors in 1492 (I think that
>is the normal date cited), did put an end to the waves of self purification
>that swept the Moorish world from time to time, causing much unrest within
>the Moorish-dominated areas, leaving Jews and Christians to suffer as the
>resident (and contaminated) Moors suffered.
>
>At times, and in some areas, Christians, Jews, and Moors were known to have
>united against the interlopers, and after either absorbing the newcomers or
>repelling them, people of the 3 faiths returned to their customary peace.
>One can think of the Reconquest as a continuous state of war, but in the
>absence of nation-states, one accepts that local lords could each maintain a
>separate peace, in which the arts could thrive.
>
>(I could not cite individual sources on the history of Spain and the
>Reconquista, as my studies are far in the past. I will say that one of the
>most striking memories of a summer spent in Spain was an early morning walk
>through the white streets of Cordoba, and a reverential visit to a tiny
>courtyard, where there is a bronze statue of the seated Maimonides.)
Very interesting.
Raymond S. Wise
*Ahem.* Well, if I'm stepping on an attempted joke here, so be it.
No, it's doubtful that "Muslim" was the word being sought. "Muslim"
might be the opposite of the word "infidel," when "infidel" is a stand
in for "Kaffir." But "Muslim" means "one who surrenders," and I am
under the impression that Muslims are well aware of this etymology (or
perhaps we shouldn't call it an etymology, it may very well be that
"Muslim" has the current literal meaning of "one who surrenders" and
that this is obvious to anyone who speaks Arabic). The word for
"faithful"--or actually, the word for "fidèle," since we were speaking
in French--was what was being sought. That the man couldn't think of
it offhand led me to think he wasn't a native speaker of Arabic. It
occurred to me to ask his ethnicity, but about four of us were deep in
a discussion, and a good occasion to ask him didn't come up. If I had
known I was going to quote him, however, I would have forced myself to
ask him. The theory that he is Iranian is based upon my vague
recollection of when I was first introduced to him.
By the way, in Minneapolis there are several lively French-language
conversation groups, composed of people from all over the world.
Within the past year I have spoken with (besides Americans, of course)
people from Australia, Belgium, Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Estonia, France,
Germany, India, Iran, Japan, Morocco, the Netherlands, Palestine,
Taiwan, and the UK. I've no doubt forgotten some countries, including
some of the North African countries. Then there's one fellow who is
ethnic German (and who speaks German) but was born in an eastern
European country whose name escapes me at the moment, and who lived in
France as a boy.
felix
> In South Africa it was originally applied to the Xhosa-speaking inhabitants of
> what is now the Eastern Cape province. A part of that province, when conquered
> by the British coloniasl rulers of the Cape Colony, became for a short time
> the separate territory of British Kaffraria.
Is the term still used in the new South Africa? And was it commonly
preceded by 'cheeky'?
felix
meirm...@erols.com
(Raymond S. Wise) posted:
>Rowan Dingle <use...@nospam.demon.co.uk> wrote in message news:<Gt9DphAy...@wickenden.demon.co.uk>...
>> In alt.usage.english, Raymond S. Wise <mpl...@my-deja.com> wrote:
>>
>> [...]
>>
>> >[1]We were discussing the word "infidel," and the subject of faith
>> >naturally came up, and he couldn't think of an Arabic word for
>> >"faithful."
>>
>> 'Muslim'?
>
>
>*Ahem.* Well, if I'm stepping on an attempted joke here, so be it.
>
>No, it's doubtful that "Muslim" was the word being sought. "Muslim"
>might be the opposite of the word "infidel," when "infidel" is a stand
>in for "Kaffir." But "Muslim" means "one who surrenders," and I am
You're absolutely right, but I'm not sure he was making a joke. If
anyone who is not a Muslim is an infidel to them, then they might need
no other word for "fidel" than Muslim. Now I don't know that this is
true. The more true it is that being faithful to an ideology** is an
all or nothing-at-all affair, the less one needs a special word for
being faithful. Either they're a member or they're an infidel.
Even if it is not all-or-nothing, one could live with only variations
of unfaithfulness. One wouldn't need variations of both to cover the
spectrum.
In practice in the US in English we have all-purpose adjectives,
devout, very devout, observant, usually observant, somewhat observant,
religious, moderately religious, etc. etc.
We might instead have only undevout, unobservant, irreligious, etc.
and adverbs to modify them.
We could say one is either a Keynsian, or he is a moderate or radical
unkeysian. Or we could skip the word unKeynsian, and say that he is a
either a Keynsian versus a moderate or radical infidel. :) See what
I mean?
But this is all mathematical theory. I suspect they do have a word
for faithful or committed or loyal or devout, maybe more than one that
they use at times for this.
**(including nationalism and economic theories etc. as well as
religion)
>under the impression that Muslims are well aware of this etymology (or
>perhaps we shouldn't call it an etymology, it may very well be that
>"Muslim" has the current literal meaning of "one who surrenders" and
>that this is obvious to anyone who speaks Arabic). The word for
>"faithful"--or actually, the word for "fidèle," since we were speaking
>in French--was what was being sought. That the man couldn't think of
>it offhand led me to think he wasn't a native speaker of Arabic. It
>occurred to me to ask his ethnicity, but about four of us were deep in
>a discussion, and a good occasion to ask him didn't come up. If I had
>known I was going to quote him, however, I would have forced myself to
>ask him. The theory that he is Iranian is based upon my vague
>recollection of when I was first introduced to him.
>
>By the way, in Minneapolis there are several lively French-language
>conversation groups, composed of people from all over the world.
>Within the past year I have spoken with (besides Americans, of course)
>people from Australia, Belgium, Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Estonia, France,
>Germany, India, Iran, Japan, Morocco, the Netherlands, Palestine,
>Taiwan, and the UK. I've no doubt forgotten some countries, including
>some of the North African countries. Then there's one fellow who is
>ethnic German (and who speaks German) but was born in an eastern
>European country whose name escapes me at the moment, and who lived in
>France as a boy.
Rowan Dingle
>Rowan Dingle <use...@nospam.demon.co.uk> wrote in message
>> >[1]We were discussing the word "infidel," and the subject of faith
>> >naturally came up, and he couldn't think of an Arabic word for
>> >"faithful."
>>
>> 'Muslim'?
>
>*Ahem.* Well, if I'm stepping on an attempted joke here, so be it.
Half and half, I think. Thanks for the explanation.
--
Rowan Dingle
Rowan Dingle
[...]
>But this is all mathematical theory. I suspect they do have a word
>for faithful or committed or loyal or devout, maybe more than one that
>they use at times for this.
===
In many Muslim countries, religiously tolerant Muslims are popularly
described as "munafaqin", or hypocrites;
===Die Welt, paraphrased in The Week===
--
Rowan Dingle
Raymond S. Wise
[snip]
>
> By the way, in Minneapolis there are several lively French-language
> conversation groups, composed of people from all over the world.
> Within the past year I have spoken with (besides Americans, of course)
> people from Australia, Belgium, Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Estonia, France,
> Germany, India, Iran, Japan, Morocco, the Netherlands, Palestine,
> Taiwan, and the UK. I've no doubt forgotten some countries, including
> some of the North African countries. Then there's one fellow who is
> ethnic German (and who speaks German) but was born in an eastern
> European country whose name escapes me at the moment, and who lived in
> France as a boy.
I did forget one country: Canada. I know a married couple from Canada,
the man being Anglo-Canadian and the woman French-Canadian, who used
to be regulars at one of my French-language conversation groups. They
have since retired to Florida, but they come back for visits, so I
have talked with them within the last year.
Polar
Glass houses...
--
Polar
Odysseus
>
> We were discussing the word "infidel," and the subject of faith
> naturally came up, and he couldn't think of an Arabic word for
> "faithful."
>
Saladin, _Salah al-Din_)?
--Odysseus
Steve Hayes
It is now used in a different sense. It is used (seriously) only by white
racists, and humorously by others mainly when sending up white racists.
Raymond S. Wise
[snip]
Yesterday I took a look at *The Encyclopaedia of Islam,* New Edition,
London: Luzac & Co., (C) 1965. It turns out that Muslims do indeed
recognize several different types of unbeliever. Furthermore, I think
I found the answer to my question of whether "Kaffir" is used today as
a neutral term. After reading the following, I think that it once was
on occasion neutral, but is probably now not neutral but instead
always a slur.
In the following, I have replaced the encyclopedia's transcription of
Arabic with a rough-and-ready transcription of my own--in other words,
I have no particular reason to believe that my transcription closely
follows any other system of transcription. However, I try in the
footnotes to describe the transcription the encyclopedia used. First,
let's look at the word for "faith":
[quote]
*IMAN*[1] (A.), faith (in God), _masdar_[2] of the 4th form of the
root _'mn._ The root has the connotations of "being secure, trusting
in, turning to"; whence: "good faith, sincerity" (_amana_), then
"fidelity, loyalty" (_amana_[3], and thus the idea of "protection
granted" (_aman_[4]). The fourth form (_amana_[5]) has the double
meaning of "to believe, to give one's faith" and (with _bi_) "to
protect, to place in safety". The root _'mn_ is one of those most
frequently found in the vocabulary of the Qur'an[6], where _iman_
means sometimes the act and sometimes the content of faith, sometimes
both together. It may be said that the Qur'an continually teaches the
necessity of faith and proclaims its demands.
[end quote]
Then the word for "unbeliever":
[quote]
*KAFIR*[7] (A.), originally "obliterating, covering", then,
"conceiling benefits received" = "ungrateful"; this meaning is found
even in the old Arab poetry and in the Qu'ran, Sura[8] XXVI, 18.
[...]
[K]afir in theological polemics is a fairly frequent term for the
Muslim protagonist of the opposite view[....]
[end quote]
The encyclopedia then mentions various sorts of unbelievers. Among
them is the hypocrite:
[quote]
_kufr al-nifaq[9] = outwardly acknowledging, but at heart not
recognizing God and thus remaining an unbeliever, that is being a
hypocrite [cf. MUNAFIQ[10]].
[end quote]
Also among the unbelievers are the "Ahl al-Kitab[11]," defined in
another entry:
[quote]
*AHL AL-KITAB,* "possessors of the Scripture" (or "people of the
Book"). This term, in the Qur'an and the resultant Muslim terminology,
denotes the Jews and the Christians[....] The use of this term was
later extended to the Sabeans (_al-Sabi'a_ [_q.v._]--both the genuine
Sabeans, mentioned in the Qu'ran alongside the Jews and the Christians
(= Mandeans), and the spurious Sabeans (star-worshippers of
Harran[12])--to the Zoroastrians (Majus[13] [_q.v._]), and, in India,
even to idolaters.
[end quote]
Back to the entry for "Kafir":
[quote]
Even down to the time of the Crusades there prevailed in Islam a
tolerance towards the unbeliever, especially the _Ahl al-Kitab,_ such
as impossible to imagine in contemporary Christendom. We find for
example Christians in the highest official positions. In this early
period there is no question of any religious fanaticism towards
unbelievers.
[end quote]
The article then states that repeated wars with unbelievers and the
rise of unbelieving nations
[quote]
...led to "the grotesque caricature of the _kafir,_ which has
sometimes been found in the popular imagination at the present day
(see Snouck Hurgronje, _Mekka,_ ii, 48f.) and which is connected with
the ideas of the Arch-Kafir, _Dajjal_[14] [_q.v._] who bears _k-f-r_
on his forehead (cf. I. Goldziher, in _Der Islam,_ xi, 178).
It may also be due to the hatred of the Franks (and to dogmatic
squabbles) that _kafir_ had developed into a term of abuse, so
frequent in the Turkish form _giawr_[5] (the Persian _geber_ [see
JABIR[16]] is said to be the same), although in theory it is (_ZDMG,_
lviii, 562) affirmed that the Muslim commits a punishable offence if
he says to the Christian or Jew: "Thou unbeliever". From the Turkish
the word _kafir_ has entered into most Slavonic languages. The Spanish
_cafre_ and the French _cafard_ also go back to _kafir_ or
_kuffar_[17]. [...] In two cases _kafir_ has actually become a proper
name, the name of a people, the Kaffirs, and the name of a country,
Kafiristan[18] [_q.v._].
[end quote]
I checked on the etymology of the French word "cafard." The consensus
is indeed that it derives ultimately from the Arabic "kaffir," and
interestingly it entered French originally as a word meaning
"hypocrite." The French words "cafard" meaning "cockroach" and
"cafard" meaning "the blues, depression" are the same word. There is
one etymologist who believes "cafard" comes from a Latin root, and his
opinion was important enough to be mentioned in the etymology in the
*Grand Robert,* which nevertheless prefers the derivation from
"kaffir."
Notes:
In the following, [long X] indicates a vowel with a macron,
[underdotted X] indicates a consonant with a dot under it," [dj]
indicates a the consonants d and j with an underline under both of
them to indicate that it is a unit, [superscript i] indicated a small
i elevated above the baseline (used in a Turkish word below).
[1][long i]m[long a]n.
[2]ma[underdotted s]dar.
[3]am[long a]na.
[4]am[long a]n.
[5][long a]mana.
[6][underdotted K]ur'[long a]n.
[7]k[long a]fir.
[8]S[long ur]a
[9]kufr al-nif[long a][underdotted k].
[10]mun[long a]fi[underdotted k].
[11]Ahl al-Kit[long a]b.
[12][underdotted H]arr[long a]n.
[13]Ma[dj][long u]]s.
[14]Da[dj][dj][long a]l.
[15]g[superscript i]awr.
[16][dj][long a]bir.
[17]kuff[long a]r.
[18]K[long a]firist[long a]n.
Nick Harby
>
> > There has recently been a discussion, both in alt.usage.english and
> > alt.english.usage of the word "infidel." One question which went
> > unanswered in both groups was the identity of the Arabic word which
> > "infidel" was intended to translate.
Our trouble here is that a person makes a statement in the Arabic
language, and someone has to translate this statement into English to
make it intelligible to the English speaker. In Arabic the word is
kafir. The translator looks in the dictionary for an English word to use
for it. The standard word that has been used is infidel. It is the word
in the dictionary that comes closest to what the Arabic speaker means by
kafir. Yet this word has just a slightly different nuance of meaning.
The kafir is a person who covers up the truth; that is the truth as
defined by Islamic dogma. Instead of rendering the word, al-kafir, to
infidel when making a translation understandable to English speakers, it
would be better to just leave it as kafir and just hope the reader can
get the meaning out of it. Certainly we all see the word infidel used a
lot, and it usually comes out of this situation.
In a similar vein, the word crusader is giving us trouble. George Bush
makes a speech saying we are on a crusade. Crusader gets translated into
Arabic as salibiyyin. To the Arabic speaker, the salibiyyin are the
worst of enemies. Bush has managed to alienate the entire
Arabic-speaking world, potentially a disastrous effect. This alone ought
to be sufficient cause to call for the resignation of Bush as president
and commander-in-chief. Well maybe he got rid of his old speechwriter.
The Oval Office output has been of a better quality the last few days.
Bin Laden's organization, popularly known to us as Al-Qaeda, has an
official name. It is Al-Jabbah al-Islamiyyah al-'Alamiyyah li-Qital
al-Yahud wal-Salibiyyin. This is being rendered into English as "The
Islamic World Front for the struggle against the Jews and the Crusaders."
Al-Jabhah. The Front. Literally "the forehead."
al-Islamiyyah. Islamic.
al-'Alamiyyah. The Worldwide. As opposed to the iqlimiyyah, that which
concerns a locality. As in the cliche, "Think Globally, Act Locally."
Bin Laden prefers to act globally.
li-Qital. Here we have another failure of word-for-word translation.
Rendering Qital into struggle leads us to believe that Qital is
synonymous with Jihad. Qital is a malevolent form of Jihad. It is the
effort to slay the enemy. For us it would be more enlightening in this
case to translate li-Qital as "for the killing of" rather than "for the
struggle against."
al-Yahud. The Jews.
wal-Salibiyyin. And the Crusaders. Al-Salib means "the cross."
Therefore Salibiyyin is "people of the cross."
Yusuf B Gursey
:> "Raymond S. Wise" wrote:
:>
: li-Qital. Here we have another failure of word-for-word translation.
: Rendering Qital into struggle leads us to believe that Qital is
: synonymous with Jihad. Qital is a malevolent form of Jihad. It is the
: effort to slay the enemy. For us it would be more enlightening in this
: case to translate li-Qital as "for the killing of" rather than "for the
qita:l implies reciprocity or at least potentially so. it is warfare.
arabs originally had various types of warfare, including a form of
inter-tribal warfare with the object of stealing herd animals in which
lethal casualties were deliberately avoided (otherwise a costly blood feud
would result, nullifying any temporary economic gains, or making matters
only worse for the victim tribe). but qita:l is lethal warfare. it could
be, and normally is, used in a secular sense.
: struggle against."
Yusuf B Gursey
: "Raymond S. Wise" <mpl...@my-deja.com> wrote in message
the qur'anic usage generally implies the polytheists. continuous warfare
with the people of othe religions, mainly christian and the sharpening of
religious polemics with them (christians, jews - and gnostics are
accepted as scriptuaries provided they accept muslim authority, this has
been partially extended to zoroastrians) led to this becoming a word
meaning "non-muslim" - and whatever major non-muslim group the muslims
of a particular region encountered. people got so used to the word that I
even found an old turkish text saying "he was a brave and noble "kafir""
(said of a christian lord of noble turkish descent).
: Alan Jones
Yusuf B Gursey
regarded by muslims as pagan, so the region was called "land of the
kafirs (infidels)". when in modern times they were forced to convert the
region was renamed nu:rista:n (land of light).
regarding status of jews: christians and jews (also extended to others
as I mentioned) are protected in islam provided they accept the authority
of islam (this was later interpreted in various ways) and accept certain
other obligations. their beliefs are regarded as distortions of the
original belief when they are at variance with islam. bloody warfare did
occur between judaized arab tribes and muhammad's followers, though at
first relations were not bad. this is justified by muslims by the muslim
assertion that they transgressed against muhammad.
there have been attempts though to make this or that place completely
muslim.
Alan Jones
"Yusuf B Gursey" <y...@shell01.TheWorld.com> wrote in message
news:GMsop...@world.std.com...
> christians, jews - and gnostics are
> accepted as scriptuaries provided they accept muslim authority, this has
> been partially extended to zoroastrians
I don't know the word "scriptuaries". Does this perhaps mean the same as
"Peoples of The Book"?
What does "authority" mean here? Do you imply that Christians have a
different status from pagans if they comply with Muslim law while retaining
their own doctrines? Would they no longer have that status if they were
living in a non-Muslim country and hence were not subject to Muslim
authority? Is the key factor monotheism, or the belief in Divine revelation
embodied in some form of Holy Scripture? Would a Mormon be thought a
scriptuary?
Alan Jones
Polar
<y...@shell01.TheWorld.com> wrote:
[...]
>there have been attempts though to make this or that place completely
>muslim.
[...]
...such as the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, the holiest place in
Judaism, co-opted by the Johnny-come-lately Muslims, who erected a
garish shrine upon our site. It is protected by the Israeli
government -- quite a contrast to what Muslims did when they were in
control -- using the gravestones of Jewish dead for paving latrines.
--
Polar
Yusuf B Gursey
: "Yusuf B Gursey" <y...@shell01.TheWorld.com> wrote in message
: news:GMsop...@world.std.com...
:> christians, jews - and gnostics are
:> accepted as scriptuaries provided they accept muslim authority, this has
:> been partially extended to zoroastrians
: I don't know the word "scriptuaries". Does this perhaps mean the same as
: "Peoples of The Book"?
yes.
: What does "authority" mean here? Do you imply that Christians have a
"I" don't imply, I am merely reporting. authority is meant political
authority, or if christians, jews, leave muslims in peace.
: different status from pagans if they comply with Muslim law while retaining
yes. christian or jewish law applies to their own affairs.
: their own doctrines? Would they no longer have that status if they were
: living in a non-Muslim country and hence were not subject to Muslim
it was extended to christians and jews who leave muslims in peace and
allow muslims to practice their religion.
before muhammad the best thing would have been being a christian, before
christ, a jew. in the opinion of muslims.
: authority? Is the key factor monotheism, or the belief in Divine revelation
monotheism is the key and a revealed book a big plus, putting it
"colloquailly".
: embodied in some form of Holy Scripture? Would a Mormon be thought a
: scriptuary?
mormons as christians would be, and mormon practices are looked upon
favorably by modern muslims who have come in contact with them. muslims
don't look upon kindly upon those who claim prophethood after muhammad
or those that follow them. I am not familiar with mormons myself. muslim
rulers in the past have aided, even with force, in suppressing sectarian
movements that the locally recognized christian or jewish (even
zoroastrian) leaders condemned as heretical in terms of their own
religion.
BTW I am hardly the person to speak on behalf of muslims, I only have a
scholarly interest in the subject.
: Alan Jones
john smith
There is, but "dini" and "mutadayyin" have to do with concepts and
people being religious (referring to any religion), not faithful or
necessarily Muslim.
\\P. Schultz
\\P. Schultz
