Lecter

Nope.

Though I know people use it as such sometimes.

The word comes from the root Kafara, which ironically has a similar meaning to the English word to cover. (kafar=cover ?)

A kafir was a word referring to a farmer. Because farmers throw seeds and then cover them, so a kafir is one who covers.

So it's used to describe people who cover up their faith so to speak. Like it's not a matter of disbelieve, it's about disbelieving even after seeing the signs.

You know that saying, you can bring a horse to a lake, but you can't make him drink? (Or something to that affect)

So to say a kafir means a disbeliever is a bit inaccurate. After all in one verse Satan is described as a Kafir, and he's not someone that disbelieves in God (at leaast according to the Qur'an)

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romansh

Thanks Lecter ... I spent six years at the other end of Africa.... and kafir was used unpleasantly to 'name' the locals... I knew the origin was Arabic and I was lead to think it meant 'unbeliever'.

Any thoughts on how I should interpret the passages from the Qur'an, that you found for me.

thanks

all the best

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Lecter

Oh I didn't know that, where in Africa did you live? That doesn't sound very nice.

hmm in a nut shell, they are wrong, The Qur'an is right! hehe

Well one way to look at it is that the Qur'an is telling Muhammad, and Muslims in general what the non believers are saying about him. On one hand the Qur'an later talks about other prophets and how they also had enemies that didn't believe them and faught them, but ended up losing in the end. Like the story of Moses and Pharaoh for example.

On the other hand you have verses telling us how to respond to them, and how to argue with someone that would tell us such a thing.

__________________
I'm only laughing on the outside / My smile is just skin deep / If you could see inside I'm really crying / You might join me for a weep.

romansh

80 to 86 .... Johannesburg..... Like everywhere there are good and bad aspects.... I think in another post I said peope see what they wanted to see... for example, the company I worked was liberal, powerful and supported black emancipation (this is what I saw).

Other people saw the company's stance as patronizing or at the other end of the scale.... meddling with natural order of things.

hmmm.... thanks ....let me ponder....

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There is a theory which states that if ever anybody discovers exactly what the Universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable. There is another theory which states that this has already happened. ........... Douglas Adams