The Etymological Meanings of “Qasith”, Antonym of “Islam”

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ 

The following is adapted from a paper by Shaykh ‘Abd al-Ghafur ‘Abd ar-Rahim.  One of the factors which stand against change and reform of Islamic law is the current rigid conceptualisation of some basic terms.  The development of fiqh led to the construing of the terms “diyn”, “islam”, and “shari’ah” in concrete fiqhi terms.  The underlying ethical principles which the concrete fiqhi values embodied became insignificant or of secondary importance.  Consciously or not, this in turn led to the equation of forms and principles, thereby making change extremely difficult.  Any proposed change came to be conceived as undermining the principles themselves embodied in the fiqhi forms. 

Now we address antonyms of the term, “islam”.  What is meant by antonyms of “islam” here are terms which the Qur’an or the sunnah put in juxtaposition to the term, “islam”, and have a contrary meaning to that of islam.  Among such antonyms are kufr, jurm, fasad, qasith, and jahiliyyah. 

Qasith literally means declining, or deviating, from the right course, that is, acting unjustly, wrongfully, or injuriously.  The term, “qasith” occurs twice in the Qur’an, and in both these instances, it is in juxtaposition to islam. 

سُوۡرَةُ الجنّ

وَأَنَّا مِنَّا ٱلۡمُسۡلِمُونَ وَمِنَّا ٱلۡقَـٰسِطُونَ‌ۖ فَمَنۡ أَسۡلَمَ فَأُوْلَـٰٓٮِٕكَ تَحَرَّوۡاْ رَشَدً۬ا (١٤) 

Amongst us are muslimun and some that are qasithun.  Now those who submit their wills ― they have sought out (the path) of right conduct: (Surah al-Jinn:14) 

The second instance is an elaboration of the first.  The qasithun, as the Qur’an Elaborates, are those who deviated from the right path by being unmindful of right and wrong, and were thus bound to Hellfire; the muslimun, on the other hand, are those who, being consciousness of what is right, taharraw rashada, acted accordingly and were thus to attain happiness in the Hereafter. 

سُوۡرَةُ الجنّ

وَأَنَّا مِنَّا ٱلۡمُسۡلِمُونَ وَمِنَّا ٱلۡقَـٰسِطُونَ‌ۖ فَمَنۡ أَسۡلَمَ فَأُوْلَـٰٓٮِٕكَ تَحَرَّوۡاْ رَشَدً۬ا (١٤) وَأَمَّا ٱلۡقَـٰسِطُونَ فَكَانُواْ لِجَهَنَّمَ حَطَبً۬ا (١٥) وَأَلَّوِ ٱسۡتَقَـٰمُواْ عَلَى ٱلطَّرِيقَةِ لَأَسۡقَيۡنَـٰهُم مَّآءً غَدَقً۬ا (١٦) 

Amongst us are muslimun and some that are qasithun.  Now those who submit their wills ― they have sought out (the path) of right conduct: But those who swerve ― they are (but) fuel for Hellfire ― (And Allah’s Message is): “If they (the pagans) had (only) remained on the (right) Way, We should certainly have bestowed on them rain in abundance.” (Surah al-Jinn:14-16) 

Apparently, muslimun here refers to those who are mindful of what is right.  When in juxtaposition to qasithun, the term seems to give the additional meaning that by being so they do justice to themselves.