Shaikh Nuh Keller: takfir and the Subcontinental divide

[Jinnzaman recently blogged](http://jinnzaman.blogspot.com/2007/02/iman-kufr-and-takfir-deobandis-and.html) a lengthy article by Shaikh Nuh Ha Mim Keller on the subject of the rulings of *takfeer*, who is entitled to pronounce it, when and why, and how it relates to the infamous Bareilawi-Deobandi fitna:

[Iman, Kufr, And Takfir](http://shadhilitariqa.com/site/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=37&Itemid=20) (updated to point to new [Shadhili Tariqa](http://www.shadhilitariqa.com) site).

Also, Jinnzaman linked a [Deobandi response](http://basair.wordpress.com/2007/02/26/mistaken-takfir/) by br. Hanif at [Basaa’ir](http://basair.wordpress.com/) and [a thread about it](http://www.sunniport.com/masabih/showthread.php?p=7229) on a pro-Bareilawi forum. The common theme is that perhaps Shaikh Nuh is not the most qualified to talk about the issue as he doesn’t speak Urdu but relies on his mureeds to translate things, and that if he did he’d come down on *their* side. However, Hanif’s response is more reasonably-argued; the Bareilawi responses are the usual partisan raving you find whenever such matters find their ways onto online fora, which is why their discussion is banned on some (e.g. Deenport).