What is an atheist?

Dear brother, peace and the mercy and blessings of Allah be upon you. Lexically, the word atheist means "godless" or one who does not recognize God. In Islamic terminology and jurisprudential literature, this concept corresponds precisely to the terms "zindiq" (heretic), "mulhid" (deviationist), or "dahri" (materialist/naturalist). In classical Islamic sources, such individuals are defined as those who deny the existence and oneness of the Creator, prophecy, and the Day of Judgment. The claims of those holding this view are reported in the Holy Quran as follows: "And they said, 'There is not but our worldly life; we die and we live, and nothing destroys us except time (dahr).'' (Surah Al-Jathiyah, 24) In the foundational jurisprudential sources of the Hanafi madhhab, particularly in al-Sarakhsi's al-Mabsut and Ibn Abidin's Radd al-Muhtar, this subject is addressed within the chapters of Islamic theology (kalam) and creed (aqa'id). According to Hanafi jurisprudence, atheism or absolute denial means rejecting all the fundamental articles of faith, which directly affects a person's legal status regarding Islamic rulings. The common approach of the classical Hanafi, Shafi'i, Maliki, and Hanbali madhhabs is that heartfelt affirmation and verbal declaration of Islamic tenets of faith are fundamentally inseparable. A person who denies the Creator falls outside the creedal pale of Islam as a jurisprudential category. In other schools as well (for instance, in al-Shafi'i's al-Umm), the status of deniers is evaluated similarly within the frameworks of creed and raddah (apostasy or remaining outside of Islam). However, our duty as scholars and believers is to approach people with such views not with anger, but with wisdom, good counsel, and logical arguments. Indeed, our Exalted Lord commands in the Holy Quran: "Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and fair preaching, and argue with them in a way that is best." (Surah An-Nahl, 125) Addressing the matter with scientific and rational proofs, removing doubts, and representing the truth in the best possible manner is the duty of every Muslim. I pray to Allah to bestow upon all of us an unwavering faith and wisdom upon the straight path (sirat al-mustaqim).