{{short description|Islamic religious term meaning apostate, heretic, or atheist}} {{Expand language|topic=|langcode=De|otherarticle=Mulhid|date=May 2026}} '''Mulhid''' ({{lang|ar|ملحد}} plural {{lang|ar|ملحدون}} ''{{Transliteration|ar|DIN|mulḥidun}}'' and {{lang|ar|ملاحدۃ}} ''{{Transliteration|ar|DIN|malāḥidah}}'')<ref>{{Cite book|author=Hans Wehr, J. Milton Cowan| year=1976 | title=A Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic|publisher=Spoken Language Services|edition=3rd|page=859}}</ref> is an Islamic religious term meaning [[apostate]], [[atheist]], [[infidel]] or [[heretic]].<ref name=EI2>{{Cite encyclopedia|author=W. Madelung| year=1993| title=Mulḥid|encyclopedia=Encyclopaedia of Islam| edition=Second |publisher=Brill |editor=P. Bearman |editor2=Th. Bianquis |editor3=C.E. Bosworth |editor4=E. van Donzel |editor5=W.P. Heinrichs|volume=7|page=546}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Yates |first=William |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qYteAAAAcAAJ&dq=mulhid+infidel&pg=PA246 |title=Introduction to the Hindustani Language: In Three Parts, Viz. Grammar, Vocabulary, and Reading Lessons |date=1855 |publisher=Baptist Mission Press |language=en}}</ref> In pre-Islamic times the term was used in the literal sense of the root ''l-ḥ-d'': "incline, deviate".<ref name=EI2/> Its religious meaning is based on the [[Quranic verse]]s 7:180, 22:25, and 41:40.<ref name=EI2/><ref name=penguin>{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/penguindictionar0000nanj|url-access=registration|page=[https://archive.org/details/penguindictionar0000nanj/page/230 230]|title=The Penguin Dictionary of Islam|author=Azim Nanji|publisher=Penguin UK|year=2008 |isbn=9780141013992 }}</ref> Under the [[Umayyad Caliphate]] it denoted desertion of the [[ummah]] and rebellion against legitimate caliphs.<ref name=EI2/><ref name=penguin/> Early in the [[Abbasid caliphate|Abbasid]] era [[Kalam|rationalistic theologians]] began using it in the sense of "heretic", and it eventually came to refer to rejection of religion as such, to materialistic scepticism and atheism.<ref name=EI2/> In [[Ottoman Empire|Ottoman]] usage the term was commonly used in reference to [[Shia]] and certain [[Sufi]] doctrines that were considered to be subversive.<ref name=EI2/>
==See also== *[[Irreligion]] *[[Zindiq]]
==References== {{reflist}}
{{Religious slurs}}
[[Category:Islam and other religions]] [[Category:Islam-related slurs]] [[Category:Islamic belief and doctrine]] [[Category:Islamic terminology]] [[Category:Heresy]] [[Category:Religion and atheism]]