What is the ruling on using the terms "infidels" (kuffarah) or "son of a whore" (ibn al-'ahirah) in insults and curses, given that their use in Egypt may not be intended to convey the original, literal, Shar'i meaning of the words?
Source: FtawySummary from Ftawy's records · added here Sep 2, 2026
It is not permissible for a Muslim to say to another Muslim, "O disbeliever," due to the severe warning mentioned concerning this. Nor is it permissible to insult with the phrase "son of a whore," because it is an accusation of unchastity, and unchastity means fornication. Saying "O son of a whore" is like saying "O son of an adulteress," which is an accusation against the mother. If the mother is deceased, the accusation is against the son. The fact that people use it for the purpose of insult does not change its ruling as an accusation, and this differs from the change in custom regarding the use of some words.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/140960
Where this answer came from
- Source platform
- Ftawy
- Original fatwa ID
- 140960
- Added here
- . This is when the answer was added to El Fatwa, not the fatwa's date.
- Text
- Summary from Ftawy's records, reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
- Read the full ruling
- Read the full answer on Ftawy