From Fatawa Mustafawiyyah, chapter of Iman, Fatwa 27, pages 86 & 87

Question 

Zaid claims that we should not refer to even a kafir as a kafir. What does he mean? Should Muslims not refer to a kafir as a kafir when discussing among themselves or should they not refer to him as a kafir in front of him? Please enlighten us with the ruling. Also, which sects do we consider to be kafirs? Answer and be rewarded.

Answer

Zaid’s claim is incorrect and futile. It is necessary for him to repent. A kafir shall be considered a kafir and referred to as a kafir; and Muslims shall be referred to as Muslims. There is an erroneous saying on the tongues of the ignoramuses: “A kafir should not be referred to as a kafir because we are unaware of his final state - what do we know? He may become a Muslim in the end.” These fools do not understand that a kafir is referred to as a kafir because of his kufr [infidelity]. When he becomes a Muslim, we will no longer refer to him as a kafir. If that is the case, we should not refer to a Muslim as a Muslim because we are unaware of his final state, what if – Allah forbid – he dies upon kufr? Allah forbid! Only those who are Sulh-kul [1] utter such statements. They eat the meat of cows, have names like those of Muslims, do everything Muslims do, they act like Muslims superficially, but utter remarks of kufr like those of a disguised hypocrite: “Consider them to be Muslims, label them as Muslims, even the kafirs, consider them as Muslims too.”

لا حَوْلَ وَ لا قُوَّةَ اِلَّا بِاللّهِ 

This is their [so called] new Shari’at. The pristine Shari’at rules that a kafir shall be referred to as a kafir. The hypocrites who were with the Messenger of Allah sallAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, not only did they pray and fast, they fought in the battles alongside the Messenger of Allah, they would kill kafirs, however, Allah unveiled their hypocrisy. The Qur’an referred to those evildoers as kafirs. The Messenger of Allah removed them one by one from the Masjid, saying: ‘leave, you are a hypocrite.’ One hypocrite uttered that Muhammad informs us that the lost she-camel of so and so is in a particular valley, what does he know about the unseen? Allah informed the Messenger of it and also said, “And if you ask them, they will say, ‘We were just joking and playing.’” [2] In reply to these hypocrites, Allah says in the Qur’an, “Do not make excuses, you have disbelieved after your belief.” [3]

All religions apart from the religion of Islam are infidels, and those who claim to be Muslims but then reject the fundamentals of the religion, they too are infidels. Such as: the Qadyani, the Deobandi, the Wahhabi, the Rafdi etc. 

And Allah Knows best 

Mufti e A’zam ‘Allamah Mufti Mustafa Raza Khan Qadiri Noori [son of A’la Hazrat] 

Footnotes:  

[1] Sulh-Kulli refers to those who show displeasure in refuting the deviants and apostates. They consider all sects to be truthful and strive for unity with them. They remark that time refuting and disproving the deviant could rather be exerted in doing ‘useful’ things. These thoughts and views are extreme deviance; in fact they are the roots of apostasy.

[2] Qur’an 9:65

[3] Qur’an 9:66