The types of Kufr (disbelief)

Outright Rejection (TAKTHEEB)
This occurs when one  disbelieves with his  tongue and his heart and does not accept what the Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) brought. He is a  disbeliever, both outwardly and inwardly, judged so in this life and in Hereafter. As  Allah said (which means):
“And the Day when We shall gather out of every nation a troop of those who  rejected Our aayaat, they shall be driven  until when  they come (before their Lord) and He says; ‘Did you reject My aayaat when you comprehended them not in  knowledge, or what (else) was it that you did?’” (An-Naml 27:83-84)
This is the kufr of the outright rejection.

Denial (JUHOOD)
Sometimes, one’s  heart is certain that (what the Messenger of Allah brought) is  the truth. But  he hides  that and denies it with  his  tongue, and perhaps fights it  at its foundations. This is like Fir’awn’s  disbelief in Moosa and the Jews’ disbelief  in Muhammad (sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam).
About Fir’awn and his people,  Allah said (which means);
“And they denied them (those aayaat) wrongfully and arrogantly ...” (An-Naml 27:14)
Allah said of the Jews (which means);
“When there came to them that which they had recognised, they  disbelieved in it.” (Al-Baqarah 2:89)
And He said (which means);
“A party of the Jews concealed the truth while they knew it.” (Al-Baqarah 2:146)
This is denial, or kufr al-juhood.

Resistance or Obstinance (‘INAAD)
In some cases, one approves of the truth of the message outwardly and inwardly, with both  his tongue and his heart, but he does not  comply with it out of anger, arrogance and resistance to Allah and His Messenger, he  contests judgment and questions the justice of what he  has been commanded with. Even if he trusts this truth (of the message), his denial and resistance for it negates  that trust. This is like the disbelief of the accursed  Iblees. Allah said (which means);
“Except Iblees, he refused and was proud, and he was one of the disbelievers.” (Al-Baqarah 2:34).
And; “Shall I prostrate to what You  have created from clay?” (Al-Israa’ 17:61)
“I am not  one to prostrate to a human  who You created from sounding clay of  altered black smooth mud.” (Al-Hijr 15:33)
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah explained the kufr of denial  (juhood) and the kufr of resistance (‘inaad) by saying;
“When a person commits a sin while believing that Allah forbade him from it, and he believes in complying with whatever Allah prohibits him and obliges him, then he is not  considered a disbeliever.
And as for thinking that Allah did not  prohibit it, or, that He did prohibit it - yet he refrains from accepting  that prohibition, and  turns away from submitting to Allah and complying with the order – then he is either   denying or being resistant.
This is why it is said that  everyone agrees to the disbelief of one who proudly disobeys Allah, like Iblees, but whoever  disobeys as a result of his  passions, only the Khawaaraj consider it disbelief, he has not committed disbelief according to Ahl  as-Sunnah. Whereas the one who is arrogantly disobedient, even if  he attests that Allah is his Lord - his denial  and resistance negate his attestation.

To further clarify this:
Whoever does a prohibited act, believing that it is lawful, then he is a disbeliever according to everyone. By virtue of his belief in permitting what it  prohibits, he does not have  faith in the Qur’an. This is the case even when one  believes a forbidden act to be lawful, but does not commit it. For  the term istihlaal simply means to  believe that Allah did not  prohibit it.
And sometimes, on the other hand, one doesn’t believe  that Allah prohibited something, due to a deficiency in one’s faith in  ruboobiyah, or because his faith in the message (of Islam) is deficient, in this case it is juhud, having no relation to the  above. Sometimes one knows that Allah prohibited it, and he knows that the Messenger only  prohibits what Allah prohibited, yet he does not comply with this prohibition,  and additionally, he opposes it. This case of  kufr is worse than the previous  one, because he is aware that Allah will punish anyone who does not  comply with these  prohibitions.
If this refusal is due to a deficiency in  one’s belief in the wisdom of the command and its  importance, then this is a sign of the absence of some necessary element of trust because it is known that everything he  believes in rejecting or following is  done to satisfy himself only.
This is because  he is aware  of all that Allah and His Messenger informed him and he trusts that all which the believers  accept is true. However, he  dislikes  it and it angers him, and he is dissatisfied, so  he does not act in accordance with it, nor desire to. He says, ‘I do not  endorse, nor honour this.’ Thereby detesting the truth and being disgusted with it, so this is a different type from the first, and labelling such a person as a disbeliever is a well known necessity in the religion of Islam. The  Qur’an cites an example of this  category of takfeer. In fact, (it has been said that) the Prophet  mentioned that this kind of person would receive the severest punishment.
“The most severely punished among people on the Day of Judgment is a knowledgeable one whom Allah did not  allow to gain any benefit by his  knowledge.”
This is the example  of Iblees and whoever follows his path. So  from this the distinction  between the different types of disobedience is clear. If he believes that an act is  obligatory for him, and he wants to do it, but his desires  and weakness prevent him from acting accordingly,  then he comes with faith in the truthfulness and submission and the willingness to comply, yet his saying that does not cause him to  fulfil the act.”
The objective (here) is to clarify the intricacies and subtle elements of resistance or obstinance (kufr al-’inaad), that it does not  apply to the avoidance of an act while admitting the necessity of the act, unless that is accompanied by animosity and hatred for the  truth and arrogance in the face of it.
Kufr al-’inaad can be known  with clarity, leaving  no trace of confusion over it or its subtleties. Here is an explanation  in the form of Shaykh al-Islam’s saying;
“The second  (type): That one does not  deny an obligation (that of the pillars of Islam, etc) yet he desists from adhering to it arrogantly, enviously, or with hatred for Allah and His Messenger. And he says that he knows Allah made  it obligatory for the Muslims and that the Messenger  was  truthful in his conveyance of the Qur’an, yet  he avoids implementing the act out of  arrogance or envy for the  Messenger or allegiance to his religion, or  hatred  for what the Messenger came with. It is agreed that he is  a disbeliever. For when Iblees refrained from  the prostration that was commanded, he did  not deny that  the prostration was obligatory, for  surely Allah had addressed him with the order, but he only turned  away  out of arrogance and he was among the disbelievers. Similarly the case of Abu Taalib; he trusted what  the Messenger told him, he only avoided following him out of zeal for his  own religion, fearing public disgrace if he complied, and out of arrogance.
Hence it is necessary that he has  realised (the truth of) it. Among the sayings of the fuquha’ is that one is not  considered  a kaafr unless he denies an obligation. So according to  such a saying, denial (juhud) includes the presence of the rejection of an obligation and avoiding confirmation (in the heart) and (physical) adherence, as Allah said (which means);
“It is not you that they reject, but the wrongdoers denied the aayaat of Allah.” (Al-An’aam 6:33)
And; “And they denied them (those aayaat) wrongfully and  arrogantly, though they were themselves  convinced of them. So  see what was the end of the evil rebels to Allah.” (An-Naml 27:14)
So whenever one does not accept or necessitate performing an obligatory act, then it  is agreed that he is to be fought and declared a disbeliever.”
Sometimes Allah punishes this opposition by causing his heart to  deviate and to be misguided so that it sees the falsehood as true and the truth to be false. As Allah said (which means);
“And We shall  turn their hearts and their eyes away (from guidance) as they  refused to believe in it the first time, and We  shall leave them in their trespass to wander blindly.” (Al-An’aam 6:110).
Explaining this aayah at-Tabaree said; “The obvious meaning of these words is,
‘And we shall turn their  hearts to deviate from faith, and their  sight from seeing the truth and knowing  the weight of the proof. And even if the signs that they requested came to them, they  would not believe in Allah and His  Messenger, and what  he came with from Allah just as they did not  believe previously. And it is reported  that Ibn ‘Abbaas said, “When the idolaters denied what Allah revealed, their  hearts would not  accept anything, and they rejected  every command.”
Ibn Qayim al-Jawziyah explained the saying of Allah:
“And Allah will never lead  a people astray after He has  guided them until He makes what they should avoid clear to  them...” (at-Tawbah 9:115)
“He gives them clear guidance and proofs but they do not accept the guidance, so  their straying is  their punishment for abandoning the guidance in the first place, since  they were aware of the guidance and  turned away from it, He blinded them from it after they  had seen it.”
His shaykh, Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Tamiyah said:  “Then these people, when they  did not  follow their   attestation of its obligation with acts of the heart, tongue or otherwise, it affected their hearts until  the trust in their hearts ceased, as Allah said (which means),
“And when Moosa said to his people, ‘O my people! Why do you hurt me while you know for sure that  I am the Messenger  of  Allah to you?’ So when they turned away, Allah turned  their hearts.” (as-Saff 61:5)
These people  were knowledgeable, so when they deviated, Allah caused their hearts to deviate ... the point here is that  avoiding an obligatory act with the awareness indicative of both trust and knowledge, implies  a  negation of both the  trust and the knowledge as is said. ‘Knowledge calls out to the deed, it either answers it, or it  leaves’.”

Despondence (I’RAADH)
Some people turn away (from what is true), they  neither trust it nor distrust, they don’t pay attention to it,  nor listen intently, recklessly nor arrogantly, as Allah said (which means) ;
“A Book whose aayaat are explained in detail, an Arabic Qur’an for people who know. Giving good news and warning. But most  of them turn away so that they do not  listen.” (Fusilat 41:3-4)
At-Tabaree said: “They were too arrogant to listen to it and reflect on Allah’s proofs in it.  They did not listen, but turned their hearing proudly away  from it.”
Then Allah said (which means);
“And they say: ‘Our hearts are under coverings from which you invite us and in our ears is deafness and between us and  you is a screen, so work; verily, we are working.” (Fusilat 41:5)
The meaning is, “We are not listening to what you  insist  on inviting us to when you invite to it.” As at-Tabaree said. And this is the  despondence, or kufr al-i’raadh. Ibn Qayim al-Jawziyah explained it saying;
“And as for despondence (i’raadh),   it is to turn one’s hearing and heart away from the Messenger not to trust him, nor  reject  him, not to support him nor show enmity towards him,  not to pay any attention at all to what he  came with.”
Shaykh al-Islam said,
“Kufr is more general than rejection, for everyone who rejects the Messenger is a disbeliever, but not every disbeliever rejects him. Some know of his truthfulness and affirm it, yet he still hates him or is his enemy, so he is a disbeliever. Or, some turn away, not  trusting him nor rejecting him, so they are disbelievers but not  rejectors.”

Hypocrisy (NIFAAQ)
Some people disbelieve it the message inwardly, but submit to it  outwardly  for the sight of people or for some worldly benefit. This is kufr an-nifaaw or  the kufr of hypocrisy.

Doubt (SHAKK)
Some people  are covered with doubt and  hesitation, not sure of anything, and this is kufr ash-shakk, or the kufr of doubt. Shaykh al-Islam said,
“Ahl al-hadith,   the majority of the  fuquhaa’ among the  Maalikiyah, ash-Shaafeeyah and al-Hanbaliyah, most of the Sufees,  parties of Ahl al-Kalaam both those whose kalaam  is according to the Sunnah and  those whose kalaam is not like the Mutazilah and the Khawaarij and others – all agree that anyone who does not  believe  in the message  after the proof is established for him then he is a  kaafir, whether it is because of  denial,  uncertainty, despondence, arrogance, or hesitation, etc.”
Some of the fuquhaa’ mentioned that there is no kufr  except  for the one who denies (juhud). Accordingly,  juhud includes rejection (kufr at-taktheeb)  and resistance (kufr al-’inaad),  as Shaykh al-Islam indicated. Others said  that  kufr is either juhud or ‘inaad, not that they  rejected  the other types  of kufr like kufr  al-i’raadh, and kufr ash-shakk, and among these people is Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah  when he said,
“Kufr is only through rejecting the Messenger in what he informed, or  desisting from following him while knowing his trustworthiness, similar to the kufr of Fir’awn and the Jews and those like them.”
Shaykh al-Hakamee said:
“The bases of kufr is:
1 Al-Juhood (denial)
2 Al-’Inaad (resistance), accompanied by arrogance and disobedience.”
After we have listed the types of kufr, we must explain that kufr may be in creed, or saying, or action:
1 In creed: Like any belief of shirk about Allah, or  attributing HIm with shortcomings, or claiming partners for Him, or  offspring, or permitting fornication or consumption of intoxicants etc.
2 In saying: Like speaking blasphemously about Allah or speaking in a degrading manner about His Messenger, or the angels, or the   religion of Islam. Similarly, ridiculing Allah, His aayaat, and His Messenger, all of which is kufr, whether it is done  seriously or in jest, and  whether it is done in an attempt to validate it or not, as Allah said (which means);
“And if you ask them they say; ‘We were only talking idly  and joking.’ Say: ‘Was it Allah, His aayaat, and His  Messenger that you  were ridiculing?’ Make no  excuse, you have disbelieved after  believing.” (at-Tawbah 9:65-66)
3 In  deed: Like prostration to an idol or a grave, the sun  or the moon, or putting the mushaf  in a filthy place etc.
Most of the Murji’ah  with Ahl as-Sunnah  in that they consider faith  to consist only to trust,
“And  that it either exists entirely as a whole  or not at all, and that is possible that faith  be complete in the heart of one who intentionally, and  without remorse,  utters kufr and speaks in a degrading manner about Allah and His Messenger.”
So these  people confine kufr to the heart’s  rejection, and they claim. “In every case where one has committed kufr according to the shaar,’ the kufr is the rejection  of the heart’s  trust in the Lord.” And  (they say) it  is well  known  that it is not possible to know about or uncover the rejection present in another’s heart, so no human has the right to label another with disbelief, “except with a  specific text about  a person.” Yet the  Righteous Predecessors have labelled those who say this with disbelief. Surely Iblees the accursed was labelled a disbeliever  within the text of the Qur’an, yet  he did not  reject,  rather he arrogantly  defied Allah. The same is the case with Fir’awn and his people, as Allah said about them (which means);
“And they denied them (those aayaat) wrongfully and arrogantly, though they were themselves convinced of them. So see what was the end of the evil rebels to Allah.” (An-Naml 27:14)
“And whoever examines the Qur’an and Sunnah, the biographies of the  prophets in  their  nations and their da’wah to them, and what happened to them as a result, then he will be certain of the error of the people of Kalaam (and among them the  Murji’ah) in what they say, he will  know the kufr  of all of these nations occurred with their  certainty and knowledge, while they had trust in the truthfulness of their   prophets.”
Since most of the Murji’ah say this, the  fuqhuhaa’ have made the  condition for the  correctness of faith that it be made up  of acts of the heart - with trust, and sayings of the tongue.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said; “In short, if one ponders what has been  said,  he will  have no doubt that a person cannot be  believer merely due to trust in the heart while he is angry  with Allah and His Messenger, while he is too proud to worship Allah, and he has enmity for Him and His Messenger. And this is the position of the majority of the Murji’ah, that the  action of the heart is enough to bring one within the realm of  true faith ...”