Kuffar
/ˈkʊfɑːr/noun
A term used in Islamic contexts for people regarded as unbelievers or non-Muslims, often carrying a derogatory tone in English.
Did you know?Kuffār is the Arabic plural of kāfir, a word whose oldest Arabic root can mean “to cover” or “conceal,” though its religious meaning developed as “one who rejects or denies.”
Etymological Timeline
Pre-Islamic Arabic
Arabic
k-f-r
“A consonantal root associated with covering, concealing, or denying.”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
kāfir
“A person who disbelieves, rejects, or is ungrateful toward God.”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
kuffār
“The broken plural of kāfir: unbelievers or disbelievers.”
Medieval Islamic texts
Arabic
kuffār
“A collective religious designation for those outside the faith community.”
19th–20th Century
English
kuffar
“An English-transliterated form used in writing about Islam, especially in religious, political, or polemical contexts.”
Modern English
English
Kuffar
“A loanword generally retaining its Arabic religious meaning, often perceived as offensive when applied to people.”