SURAH AL-KAFIRUN

Interpretation

In the Name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the All-Compassionate,

1. Say “O you unbelievers!
2. I do not, nor ever will, worship that which you worship.
3. Nor are you those who ever worship what I worship.
4. Nor am I one who do ever worship that which you have ever worshipped.
5. And nor are you those who do and will ever worship what I ever worship.
6. You have your religion, and I have my religion.”

 

This surah was revealed in Mecca. It consists of six verses and takes its name from the first verse. It commands that believers must display their determination in unification before the disbelievers, and that they should not force the disbelievers to accept the Islamic faith, but should rather leave it to their own choice. Thus, emphasizing the freedom of religion in Islam.

This surah is also known as the “Surah of Worship” or the “Surah of Sincerity.” This is why surahs al-Kafirun and al-Ikhlas together are sometimes called “Ikhlasayn” (two surahs of sincerity).10 Indeed, we see in traditions narrated by Ibn Umar and the Prophet’s dear wife Aisha, that the Prophet recited Surah al-Kafirun and Surah al-Ikhlas in the two rakats (units) of Prayer before the obligatory Prayers of Fajr (Morning) Prayers, and in the two units of Prayer following the obligatory Prayers of Maghrib (Evening) Prayers, and that these two surahs were called the purity of faith.

Both Abu Ya’la and Tabarani reported the following tradition as an elevated narration:

“Shall I inform you of the word that will protect you from polytheism? Before you go to sleep, recite the Surah al-Kafirun.”11 In another tradition, the noble Prophet said: “Surah al-Kafirun is equivalent to one fourth of the Qur’an.”12

Although many different explanations were given regarding this, the most simplest to understand is as follows: in one perspective, the meaning of Qur’an here can be defined briefly as: Worship, transactions, judgments of the Hereafter and the parables. As for this surah, the reason why it is equivalent to a fourth of the Qur’an is because its declaration of unification and sincerity, the spirit of worship, is mandatory.

The Reason for Its Revelation

Certain leaders of the Quraysh made a proposal to the Messenger of Allah, accept our religion, and we will accept yours, worship our gods for one year and we will worship your Lord for one year. The Prophet said: “I seek refuge in Allah from associating others with Him.” Then they proposed, at least touch some of our gods, if you do this we will accept you and worship your Allah. Then this surah was revealed. The next morning, the Prophet went to the Sacred Mosque where a group of influential members of the Quraysh were sitting. The Prophet stood over them and recited this surah, and finally the Quraysh gave up hope of achieving their objective.13

Initially, the addressees of this surah were the Quraysh, as indeed, the surah was revealed following these proposals from members of the Quraysh. However, this surah was by no means confined to that period or to those individuals alone. This directive conveyed in the Qur’an is valid for Muslims until the Day of Judgment. Irrelevant of the form, polytheism must be avoided both verbally and physically.

Commentary

1.“Say: ‘O you unbelievers!’”

Imam ar-Razi presented around forty possible reasons for this surah beginning with the call “Say,” the detailed explanations are exceedingly long. The first and foremost being to emphasize that the Prophet was assigned by Allah, and these were the direct words of Allah. The Prophet was aware that when he referred to them as disbelievers saying “O you unbelievers,” the Quraysh became angry with him. This is evidence that he was protected by Allah, and therefore paid no attention to the disbelievers or their false gods.

The call “O you unbelievers” was not addressing the disbelievers in general, but was particularly aimed at certain individuals who Allah knew would never accept faith. The word “unbelievers” was not aimed at insulting those who disbelieved, but rather to express a reality. In Arabic, the word “kafir” is use to define the rejecters, those who do not believe. The opposite of this is “mu’min” or believer, in other words, the one who acknowledges and submits. Allah commanding His Messenger to say “O   unbelievers” actually means “O those who reject my Messengership and ignore the directives I conveyed.” In the same way, the objective when using the word “mu’min” is “those who believe in Muhammad.”

In the surah it says “O unbelievers” not “O polytheists.” Therefore the addressees of this surah are not only the polytheists, it is everyone who does not believe that Muhammad is Allah’s Messenger and denies that the order he conveyed was from Allah. These may be the Jews, Christians, Zoroastrians or the polytheists. The addressees of this call were neither the Quraysh, nor the Arab disbelievers or polytheists of Arabia, but rather all the disbelievers and polytheists in the entire world.

Addressing the rejecters as “O unbelievers” is like referring to someone as “O enemies, O adversaries.” In which case, when such an address is made, it is necessary to recognize who is being targeted by the adjective generally, not those who are addressed. Therefore, if the individual bears the attribute of being an “unbeliever,” then he is an addressee of this surah. When a person abandons adversity and hostility, and embraces and safe-guards his faith, then he is no longer an addressee of this surah.

Here, the words “O unbelievers” is not due to their individuality, but due to their disbelief. Those who persist in disbelief until death will be continue to be the addressees of this surah, whereas those who embrace faith are not.

2.“I do not, nor ever will, worship that which you worship.”

In brief, I will never worship the idols you classify as Allah that you expect me to glorify. I never worshipped these idols in the past, and I never will.

3.“Nor are you those who ever worship what I worship.”

You never worshipped the Allah of truth that I worship with unification and sincerity, you never have in the past and never will. He is the One Allah, and I worship the Allah of truth. He is Allah, the Lord of the universe, whereas you worship idols and stone. How can there possibly be any comparison between worshipping the One of Compassion and pursuing desires and worshipping idols!

4. “Nor am I one who do ever worship that which you have ever worshipped.

This verse reiterates the rejection of worshipping idols mentioned previously, and leaves the disbelievers in a state of disappointment. He is virtually saying: I will not worship these idols not now or in the future. I will never worship what you worship for as long as I live.

5.“And nor are you those who do and will ever worship what I ever worship.”

6. “You have your religion, and I have my religion.”

“You have your religion” in other words, you are the only one accountable for the responsibility, punishment and consequences of these actions. “And I have my religion.” Islam, the religion of truth is my religion. Its rewards and favors belong to me. You are responsible for your acts of polytheism, and I am responsible for my faith in the unification of Allah. This clearly proves that the Prophet never practiced the worship of the disbelievers, and confirms that he worshipped the one Allah, the Almighty.

Interpreters of the Qur’an say: In the first two verses, it emphasized that people are totally different in the recognition of Allah. The polytheist’s idols are their deities, and the noble Prophet’s deity is Allah. In the last two verses, it states that they are totally different in their forms of worship. Virtually as if the Prophet is saying “Neither our deity nor our worship is the same.” In other words, my religion and your religion are completely different. I am not one who will worship your idols and you do not worship the Allah I worship. I cannot worship your manmade Idols and you are not prepared to worship my Allah. Therefore our paths will never unite. This statement is not to appear tolerable to the disbelievers, but to declare that all relations between them will remain severed for as long as they persist in idol worshipping. At the same time, this also indicates that neither the Messenger of Allah nor his followers will ever compromise with the disbelievers regarding religion, and they should therefore abandon all hope of them doing so.

Indeed, this surah that was revealed in response to such suggestions from the polytheists, states that every individual has the right to their own opinion, is at liberty to act how they wish, and will be accountable for their own actions.

In fact, the Qur’an brought freedom of conscience and did not command that disbelievers should be forced into accepting the Islamic faith, but states that the Prophet is a guide, an advisor and conveyor rather than an enforcer of religion: “…what rests with you is only to convey the Message fully and clearly.” Many verses such as Al Imran 3:20; an-Nahl 16:82; ash- Shura 42:48 affirm that the duty of the Prophet is to convey the truth, not to force the people to accept the Islamic faith; and verses such as “…you are not one to compel them…” (Qaf 50:45) confirm that the Prophet is not an enforcer of compeller. The verses like: “There is no compulsion in religion” (al-Baqarah 2:256) and “Say: ‘O humankind! Assuredly there has come to you the truth from your Lord. Whoever, therefore, chooses the right way follows it but for his own good; and whoever chooses to go astray, goes astray but to his own harm. I am not one appointed as a guardian over you to assume responsibility for you’” (Yunus 10:108) are the most explicit statements regarding the freedom of conscience.

In view of this verse (al-Kafirun 109:6), Imam Hanifa and Imam Shafi perceive disbelievers as one people irrelevant of the differences between each other’s religions, and say that a Jew can inherit a Christian, and a Christian can inherit a Jew, or a disbeliever of one religion can inherit the disbeliever of another religion.

 

10    Sunan ibn Majah, Iqama, 102

11    Suyuti, Ad-Durru’l-Mansur, 8/657

12    Qurtubi, 20/224; Alusi, Ruhu’l-Ma’ani, XV, 2/319

13    Suyuti, Ad-Durru’l-Mansur, 8/654

 

Akgul, Muhittin. Tafsir: An Introduction to Qur’anic Exegesis. Tughra Books Press, Inc. 2013