Mulhid (ملحد pluralملحدونmulḥidun andملاحدۃmalāḥidah)[1] is an Islamic religious term meaningapostate,atheist,infidel orheretic.[2][3] In pre-Islamic times the term was used in the literal sense of the rootl-ḥ-d: "incline, deviate".[2] Its religious meaning is based on theQuranic verses 7:180, 22:25, and 41:40.[2][4] Under theUmayyad Caliphate it denoted desertion of theummah and rebellion against legitimate caliphs.[2][4] Early in theAbbasid erarationalistic 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.[2] InOttoman usage the term was commonly used in reference toShia and certainSufi doctrines that were considered to be subversive.[2]