Kadhib is a Form of Great Kufr

Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyyah said:

"The great Kufr is of five kinds:

1) Denying or disbelieving;

2) Arrogance and pride in rejecting submission;

3) Turning away from the truth;

4) Doubting in the message; and

5) Hypocritical disbelief."

The first kind of Kufr is denying or disbelieving in the Messengers. This kind of Kufr is present in a small portion of those who disbelieve that Allah has given His Messengers sufficient proof and signs to establish the truth, leaving no excuse for anyone to disbelieve. Allah said about Pharaoh and his people:

"And they belied them (the signs) wrongfully and arrogantly, though their own selves were convinced thereof..." (Surah An-Naml, 27:14)

And He said to His Messenger Muhammad (Peace be upon him):

"…It is not you that they deny, but it is the Verses (or Signs) of Allah that wrongdoers deny." (Surah Al- An'am, 6:33)

This is also called Kufr of belying because it is denying by the tongue.

The second kind of Kufr is the Kufr of arrogance which implies rejection and pride to submit to Allah, like the Kufr of lblis. lblis not only denied or rejected Allah's Command, but also he was arrogant and had pride. This is also like the people who know about the truthfulness of Allah's Messenger and that his message was the truth from Allah, but they arrogantly rejected to follow the truth. They are disbelievers with this kind of Kufr. This is mostly the Kufr of the enemies of the Messengers. Allah said about Pharaoh and his people:

"They said: Shall we believe in two men like ourselves, and their people are obedient to us with humility." (Surah Al-Mu'minun, 23:47)

He also tells us what the people said to their Messengers:

"…They said: You are no more than human beings like us..." (Surah Ibrahim, 14:10)

And He also said:

"Thamud (people) denied (their Prophet) through their transgression..." (Surah Ash-Shams, 91:11)

And regarding the Kufr of the Jews, Allah has said:

"Then when there came to them that which they had recognized, they disbelieved in it." (Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:89)

Allah also said:

"…They recognize him as they recognize their sons." (Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:146)

The third kind of Kufr is turning away from the truth. People with this kind of Kufr turn away from the Messengers with their hearts and hearing. They don't believe or deny the Messenger. They do not obey or fight him. But they simply would not listen to the Messenger at all. An example is in what a son of Abd-Ya’lil said to the Prophet:

"By Allah, I will tell you one thing: if you were truthful, then you are higher in my eyes for me to argue with you. And if you are lying, then you are lower for me to talk to you."

This is also the kind of Kufr of the heathens today, who have Muslim names but imitate the Jews and Christians who lack all values and virtues and then claim that their way is the road to civilization and development.

The fourth type of Kufr is the Kufr of doubt and suspicion. A person with this kind of Kufr is in doubt as to whether he should believe or disbelieve in the truth-the Message. Such person will not have any doubt if he would contemplate and ponder on the Verses of Allah and the life of the Prophet These Verses and the truthfulness of the Messenger are sufficient signs of the truth just like the sun is the sign of the day.

The fifth kind of Kufr is the Kufr of hypocrisy. A person with this Kufr pronounces faith but in his heart he denies the truth, such is great hypocrisy.