Al-Kafirun

In this article, we will explore the impact that Al-Kafirun has had on our society. Since its emergence, Al-Kafirun has generated great interest and debate among experts and the general public. Throughout history, Al-Kafirun has played a crucial role in various aspects of our lives, influencing everything from politics to popular culture. Through detailed analysis, we will examine how Al-Kafirun has shaped our perceptions and behaviors, as well as its relevance in the contemporary context. Likewise, we will address the future implications of Al-Kafirun and its likely evolution in the coming years.

This article is about 109th sura of Quran. For the plural form of word "kafir", see Kuffar.
Surah 109 of the Quran
ٱلكَافِرُون‎
Al-Kāfirūn
The Disbelievers
ClassificationMeccan
Other namesThe Unbelievers, The Nonbelievers
PositionJuzʼ 30
Hizb no.60
No. of verses6
No. of words27
No. of letters98
Quran
History
Manuscripts
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Content
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Translations
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Al-Kāfirūn (Arabic: الكافرون, "The Disbelievers") is the 109th chapter (sūrah) of the Quran. It has six ayat or verses as follows:

۝[1] "Say, “O disbelievers,

I do not worship what you worship. Nor are you worshippers of what I worship. Nor will I be a worshipper of what you worship. Nor will you be worshippers of what I worship. For you is your religion, and for me is my religion.”"[2]

Al-Kafirun in mujawwad

Text and meaning

Text and transliteration

بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ ۝‎
Bismi l-lāhi r-raḥmāni r-raḥīm(i)
قُلْ يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلْكَٰفِرُونَ ۝١‎
1 Qul yā’ay-yuha l-kāfirūn(a)
لَآ أَعْبُدُ مَا تَعْبُدُونَ ۝٢‎
2 Lā ’a‘budu mā ta‘budūn(a)
وَلَآ أَنتُمْ عَٰبِدُونَ مَآ أَعْبُدُ ۝٣‎
3 Walā ’antum ‘ābidūna mā ’a‘bud(u)
وَلَآ أَنَا۠ عَابِدٌ مَّا عَبَدتُّمْ ۝٤‎
4 Walā ’ana ‘ābidu m-mā ‘abat-tum
وَلَآ أَنتُمْ عَٰبِدُونَ مَآ أَعْبُدُ ۝٥‎
5 Walā ’antum ‘abidūna mā ’a‘bud(u)
لَكُمْ دِينُكُمْ وَلِىَ دِينِ ۝٦‎
6 Lakum dīnukum waliya dīn(i)

بِسۡمِ اِ۬للَّهِ اِ۬لرَّحۡمَٰنِ اِ۬لرَّحِيمِ ۝‎
Bismi l-lāhi r-raḥmāni r-raḥīm(i)
قُلۡ يَٰٓأَيُّهَا اَ۬لۡكَٰفِرُونَ ۝١‎
1 Qul yā’ay-yuha l-kāfirūn(a)
لَآ أَعۡبُدُ مَا تَعۡبُدُونَ ۝٢‎
2 Lā ’a‘budu mā ta‘budūn(a)
وَلَآ أَنتُمۡ عَٰبِدُونَ مَآ أَعۡبُدُ ۝٣‎
3 Walā ’antum ‘ābidūna mā ’a‘bud(u)
وَلَآ أَنَا۠ عَابِدٌ مَّا عَبَدتُّمۡ ۝٤‎
4 Walā ’ana ‘ābidu m-mā ‘abat-tum
وَلَآ أَنتُمۡ عَٰبِدُونَ مَآ أَعۡبُدُ ۝٥‎
5 Walā ’antum ‘abidūna mā ’a‘bud(u)
لَكُمۡ دِينُكُمۡ وَلِىَ دِينِ ۝٦‎
6 Lakum dīnukum waliya dīn(i)

Translations

1 Say (O Muhammad (Peace be upon him) to these Mushrikun and Kafirun): "O Al-Kafirun (disbelievers in Allah, in His Oneness, in His Angels, in His Books, in His Messengers, in the Day of Resurrection, and in Al-Qadar, etc.)!
2 "I worship not that which you worship,
3 "Nor will you worship that which I worship.
4 "And I shall not worship that which you are worshipping.
5 "Nor will you worship that which I worship.
6 "To you be your religion, and to me my religion (Islamic Monotheism)."

Translation: Noble Quran, 1999


1 Say, "O disbelievers,
2 I do not worship what you worship.
3 Nor are you worshippers of what I worship.
4 Nor will I be a worshipper of what you worship.
5 Nor will you be worshippers of what I worship.
6 For you is your religion, and for me is my religion."

Translation: Saheeh International, 1997


1 Say: O ye that reject Faith!
2 I worship not that which ye worship,
3 Nor will ye worship that which I worship.
4 And I will not worship that which ye have been wont to worship,
5 Nor will ye worship that which I worship.
6 To you be your Way, and to me mine. [3]

Translation: Yusuf Ali, 1934


1 Say: O disbelievers!
2 I worship not that which ye worship;
3 Nor worship ye that which I worship.
4 And I shall not worship that which ye worship.
5 Nor will ye worship that which I worship.
6 Unto you your religion, and unto me my religion.

Translation: Pickthall, 1930


Summary

  • 1-6 Muhammad declines to compromise with idolatry [4]

Like many of the shorter surahs, the surah of the unbelievers takes the form of an invocation, telling the reader something they must ask for or say aloud. Here, the passage declares the separation between belief and unbelief both in the past and the present, ending with a firm rejection of the disbelief in Allah and Muhammad, "to you your religion, and to me mine".[5]

Al-Kafirun is classified as a Meccan surah, meaning it's believed to have been revealed in Mecca. According to tradition, the surah was revealed when some chieftains of Mecca, including Walid ibn al-Mughira, proposed peace to Muhammad that one year the Muslims would worship pagan gods, and the next year Meccans would worship Allah.[6]

Hadith

  • Abdullah ibn Umar has related that on many an occasions he heard Muhammad recite Surahs Qul Ya- ayyuhal- kafirun and Qul Huwu-Allahu ahad in the two rakats before the Fajr obligatory prayer and in the two rakats after Maghrib prayer.[7]
  • Khabbab ibn al-Aratt says: "The Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) said to me: when you lie down in bed to sleep, recite Qul ya-ayyuhal kafirun, and this was the Holy Prophet's own practice also; when he lay down to sleep, he recited this Surah."[8]
  • According to Ibn Abbas, Muhammad said to the people: "Should I tell you the word which will protect you from polytheism? It is that you should recite Qul ya-ayyuhal kafirun when you go to bed."[9]
  • Anas says that Muhammad said to Mu'adh bin Jabal; "Recite Qul ya-ayyuhal-kafirun at the time you go to bed, for this is immunity from polytheism."[10][11]
  • Both Fardah bin Naufal and Abdur Rahman bin Naufal have stated that their father, Naufal bin Muawiyah al-Ashjai, said to Muhammad: "Teach me something which I may recite at the time I go to bed." Muhammad replied: "Recite Qul ya-ayyuhal kafirun to the end and then sleep, for this is immunity from polytheism."[12] A similar request was made by Jabalah bin Harithah, brother of Said bin Harithah, to Muhammad and to him also he gave the same reply.[13]
  • Muhammad recited in the two rakahs before the morning prayer and the two rakahs after the sunset prayer on ten or twenty occasions: Say O' al-Kafirun and say He is God, the One (surah 112: al-Ikhlas).[14]

References

  1. ^ Arabic script in Unicode symbol for a Quran verse, U+06DD, page 3, Proposal for additional Unicode characters
  2. ^ Sahih International translation
  3. ^ "Surah Al-Kafirun". Ulkaa Islam. 2015-07-26. Retrieved 2022-08-19.
  4. ^ Wherry, Elwood Morris (1896). A Complete Index to Sale's Text, Preliminary Discourse, and Notes. London: Kegan Paul, Trench, Trubner, and Co. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  5. ^ Kathir, Ibn. "Tafsir of Chapter 109: Surah Al-Kafirun (The Disbelievers) - SunnahOnline.com". sunnahonline.com. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
  6. ^ "Surah al Kafirun-English translation and complete tafseer". Retrieved 2023-11-01.
  7. ^ Several traditions on this subject with a little variation in wording have been related by Imam Ahmad, Tirmidhi, Al-Nasa'i, Ibn Majah, Ibn Hibban, Ibn Marduyah from ibn Umar.
  8. ^ Abu Bakr Al-Bazzar, Al-Tabarani, Ibn Marduyah
  9. ^ Abu Ya'la, Al-Tabarani
  10. ^ Al-Bayhaqi in Ash-Shu'ab
  11. ^ Abu Dawud: 4396 & Hakim ibn Hizam 1/565
  12. ^ (Musnad Ahmad, Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi, Al-Nasa'i, Ibn Abi Shaibah, Hakim ibn Hizam, Ibn Marduyah, Al-Bayhaqi in Ash-Shuab).
  13. ^ (Musnad Ahmad, Al-Tabarani).
  14. ^ Imam Ahmad recorded from ibn Umar
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