Surah al-Kafirun is the 109th Surah of the Quran. It was revealed in Mecca, when the Muslims were being persecuted by the polytheists of Mecca.
This article provides full Arabic text, English translation and Tafsir of Surah al-Kafirun.
First, here is the full Arabic text of Surah al-Kafirun:
Translation
- Say: “O ye that reject Faith!
- “I worship not that which you worship,
- “Nor will you worship That Which I worship.
- “And I will not worship that which you have been wont to worship,
- “Nor will you worship That Which I worship.
- “For you is your religion, and for me is my religion.”
Tafsir
During his prayers, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) often used to recite Surah al-Kafirun along with Surah al-Ikhlas. As such, both Surah al-Kafirun and Surah al-Ikhlas are collectively known as al-Ikhlasayn.
The first Ayah, “Say: O ye that reject Faith!” can refer to all disbelievers around the world, though it was specifically revealed to the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) when the pagans of Quraysh asked him to worship their idols for one year, and in return they would worship Allah the next year. At that point, Surah al-Kafirun was revealed to reject those fake idols and polytheism. This Surah, therefore, is a declaration of freedom from Shirk and a purification of the hearts of all believers.
The second to fifth Ayahs of this Surah tell us that to inform the disbelievers that we do not worship any entity other than Allah, the One Supreme Being. As Muslims, we worship only Allah and do not associate partners or demi-gods with Allah.
Finally, the sixth Ayah of Surah al-Kafirun is, according to Imam ash-Shafi’i (RA), a confirmation of Islamic Monotheism. In essence, Islam is the ultimate monotheistic faith as it equated no parallels with Allah. Furthermore, the final Ayah affirms once again the difference between belief and disbelief — “For you is your religion, and for me is my religion.”
Featured Image: Quranic inscriptions on the wall of Bara Gumbad Masjid, Delhi (India) | Photo by wikimediaCommons
