If I have read the Quran, and I am unsure about the truth (Confused) am I a kafir?

Question

Let's say I am unsure about the truth / confused about it, so I basically cannot grasp it fully, am I kafir?

Answer 1

First of all kufr (disbelieve) in Arabic means denial and rejection.

This is also the meaning in which kufr appears in the qur'an the kufar (disbelievers) might have been in doubt about the truth, but this doubt ended in denial and rejection either because they couldn't leave the belief of their forefathers (or followed others etc.) or because they ignored these doubts and remained inactive about them or simply because they rejected using their minds to see the truth etc..

In fact the qur'an invites us to think, to search for the truth, to check the facts or information given. So it appeals our minds and ask as to use it to discover and verify the truth of its information.

Therefore if Descartes is known for his statement.

Cogite ergo sum
I think so I am

Imam al-Ghazaly centuries before him came to the conclusion (there are scholars saying that Descartes plagiarized from al-Ghazaly's work as he had some copies of his books in his bibliothek):

Dubito ergo sum
I doubt so I am

This means as long as our intention is to search for the truth doubt and questioning is allowed. Note that in Islam we are asked to clarify things so staying inactive -while having doubts- is sinful.

Answer 2

No. According to the Ayatollah Khomeni only prophets have no doubt as they have a direct inspiration from Allah. For lesser mortals, doubt is natural. In fact, he wrote:

To allow other-than-Allah to enter the heart is considered concealed shirk, and sincerity of intention (ikhlas- niyyat) is expulsion of other-than-Allah from his sacred abode, the heart.

Similarly, there are various degrees of doubt (shakk), some of which should be reckoned manifest and some as concealed, which are caused by weakness of conviction and faith.

And

Anyone who has any doubt is advised to examine his own self and other human beings belonging to the classes of poor, rich and powerful. It is obvious that man is always allured by something that he does not own. This is human nature as concieved by the great Islamic thinkers.

However, one should distinguish between understanding what the pillars of Islam are, this is not accessible to doubt as they are acknowledged everywhere; where doubt creeps in is in believing them.

Many have said that it is the language of the Qu'ran that convinced them to belief.