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Surah kafiroon meaning and message
This document provides an analysis and summary of the Quranic chapter "Surah Kafiroon". It begins by discussing the context and timing of revelation, noting differing scholarly opinions but consensus that it is from the early Makkan period. It then summarizes the historical background related to proposals from Quraysh to compromise on religious matters. The main themes and subject matter are explained, emphasizing it was revealed to differentiate Islamic monotheism from pagan polytheism and idolatry. The document also discusses the meaning of key terms and honors given to reciting this Surah, before concluding by noting its similarities in message to other Makkan Surahs.
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Surah kafiroon meaning and message
- 1. U N DE R S T A N D I N G S U R A H K A F I R O O N M E A N I N G A N D M E S S A G E
- 2. 1-Say: "O disbelievers! 2-Ido not worship those whom you worship. 3-Nor are you worshipers of Him Whom I worship. 4-Nor am I a worshiper of those whom you have worshiped. 5-Nor are you worshipers of Him Whom I worship. 6- For you is your religion and for me is mine
- 3. Period of Revelation •Abdullah bin Mas'ud (RA),Hasan Basri(RA) and Ikrimah(RA) say that this Surah, is Makki, while Abdullah bin Zubair(RA) says that it is Madani. • Two different views have been reported from Abdullah bin Abbas (RA) and Qatadah (RA), first that it is Makki and second that it is Madani. • However, according to the majority of commentators, it is a Makki Surah • Subject matter itself points to it being a Makki revelation.
- 4. Historical Background Quraish's compromiseproposal • Abdullah bin Abbas (RA) reported that the Quraish proposed to the Holy Prophet (SAW); • 1- "We shall give you so much of wealth that you will become the richest man of Makkah. • 2-We shall give you whichever woman you like in marriage. • 3-We are prepared to follow and obey you as our leader, only on the condition that you will not speak ill of our gods. • 4-Then they said that if he would worship their gods, Lat and Uzza, for a year, they would worship his God for the same space of time. • 5- "O Muhammad, if you kiss our gods, the idols, we shall worship your God. • The Holy Prophet said: "Wait for my Lord's commands ." • Thereupon the revelation came down: Qul ya-ayyuhal- kafirun... and: Qul afa-ghair Allahi... (Az-Zumar: 64): "Say to them: ignorant people, do you bid me to worship others than Allah?" (Ibn Jarir, Ibn Abi Hatim, Tabarani).
- 5. Theme and SubjectMatter • This Surah was not revealed to preach religious tolerance as some people of today seem to think. • It was revealed to differentiate the Muslims faith in Tauheed from the disbelievers religion and from their worship of false gods. • Allah gave the Muslims the eternal teaching that they should exonerate themselves by word and deed from the creed of kufr wherever and in whatever form it may be. • They should declare without any reservation that they cannot make any compromise with the disbelievers in the matter of Faith.
- 6. Honor of thisSurah • Khabbab (RA) says: "The Holy Prophet (SAW) said to me: when you lie down in bed to sleep, recite Qul ya-ayyuhal kafirun, and this was the Holy Prophet's (SAW) own practice also; when he lay down to sleep, he recited this Surah." (Bazzar, Tabarani, Ibn Marduyah). • According to Ibn Abbas(RA), the Holy Prophet (SAW) 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."(Abu Ya'la, Tabarani). • Anas (RA) says that the Holy Prophet (SAW) said to Mu'adh bin Jabal(RA); "Recite Qul ya-ayyuhal-kafirun at the time you go to bed, for this is immunity from polytheism." (Baihaqi in Ash-Shu'ab).
- 7. Meaning of theword "Kafir" • Word "kafir' implies the one who refuses to believe, or is an unbeliever in the apostleship of Mohammad (SAW) and in Tauhid and other teachings brought by him. • It is opposite in its meaning to the word "mu min" which means a believer. • When a believer uses this word, it implies those who do not believe in the Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW)
- 8. Does this Surahapply only to disbelievers of Makkah? • Some scholars think that the address of "O disbelievers" applied only to a few persons of Quraish, who brought the proposals of compromise regarding religion and about whom Allah had informed His Messenger than they would not believe. They give two reasons: • 1-First, that it is followed by La a `budu ma to `budun: "I do not worship him or those whom you worship" . They say that this does not apply to the Ahlul-Kitab since they worship God. • 2- Second, that this is also followed by: wa la antum `abiduna ma a'bud "Nor are you worshipers of Him Whom I worship". Their reasoning is that this statement does not apply to the people who at the revelation of this Surah were disbelievers but later believed.
- 9. Both these argumentsare incorrect. • 1-Why then does this Surah still continue to be recited when they are dead and gone from the world long ago? • 2-And what was the need of making this Surah a part of the Qur'an permanently?
- 10. One misunderstanding aboutthis Surah Does this Surah encourage perennialism? • Some modernists have misunderstood this chapter and believe it encourages perennialism (the belief that all religions are true). • This is completely false and has no basis. • In fact, it is the complete opposite. • This Surah had nothing to do with perennial philosophy. • It was a declaration of refusal to worship the false deities besides Allah (SWT) • It was pronouncement of never to compromise on the most fundamental principle of Islam: Tauhid or worship of only One God without any partners.
- 11. I do notworship those whom you worship This includes all those deities whom the disbelievers and the polytheists worship anywhere in the world: Angels Jinn, Prophets, Saints, qSpirits of the living or dead men, or qThe sun, qThe moon, qStars, qAnimals, trees, rivers, qIdols qImaginary gods and goddesses.
- 12. Nor are youworshipers of Him Whom I worship •Allah is the Master, Disposer, Administrator and Ruler of the entire universe, •Who has not only set the system of the universe but is running and controlling it by Himself every moment, •Who is above every defect, fault, weakness and error, •Who is free from every similitude, every physical limitation, every likeness, •Who is Self-Sufficient of every companion and
- 13. More attributes ofAllah (SWT) • Who has no partner in His Being, attributes, powers and entitlement to worship, • Who is far too Holy that He should have children, or should take some one for a son, • He is far high to have an exclusive relationship with a community or race, • Who is directly related to each individual creature of His as His Providence, Sustainer and Guardian, • Who hears the prayers and answers them, • Who alone possesses all the powers to give life and death,
- 14. More attributes ofGod Almighty, Allah (SWT) • He is the only one to cause profit and loss, and • He is the only one to make and mar destinies, • Who not only sustains His creatures but also guides each according to its nature and need, • He also enjoins commands and prohibitions through His Prophets and His Books, which we have to obey
- 15. More attributes ofAllah (SWT) • We are accountable for our deeds before Him. • Who will resurrect us after death, call us to account and reward and punish us accordingly. • No one in the world except for Muhammad (SAW) and his followers, are worshiping the God with these attributes. • If at all some others also are worshiping God, they are not worshiping the real and true God but the God who is their self-invented, imaginary God.
- 16. Nor am Ia worshiper of those whom you have worshiped. Nor are you worshipers of Him Whom I worship • One view is that both these sentences are a repetition of the theme of the first two sentences to strengthen it • Another view is that a new theme has been expressed in these which is different • First verse means: "I exonerate myself not only from your gods of today but also from the gods of your forefathers, and I am not a person who would even think of worshiping such gods." • Second verse means, " On account of your aversion to adopting worship of One God, instead of many gods, it cannot be expected that you would desist from this wrong worship and will become worshiper of Him Whom I worship."
- 17. For you isyour religion and for me is mine. • It tells the Prophet(SAW) to declare that you disbelievers and I can never follow and walk one and the same path together." • This is a declaration of immunity, disgust with and dissociation from them as long as they are disbelievers. • Its object is to disappoint them absolutely and finally that in the matter of religion the party of Allah's Messenger (SAW)and his followers would never compromise on the clear concept of Tauhid. • This same declaration of immunity and expression of disgust has been made in the Makki Surahs revealed after this Surah successively.
- 18. Similar message inother Surahs of Quran • نِإ َوََوكُبَّذَكلُقَفيِليِلَمَعَمُكَل َوَمُكُلَمَعَۖمُتنَأََونُئي ِرَبَِماَّمَُلَمعَأَانَأ َوَيء ِرَباَّمِمََونُلَمعَت - 10:41 • "If these people deny you, say to them: 1 am responsible for my deeds and you are responsible for yours: you are not accountable for what I do, and I am not accountable for what you do." (v. 41). • َلُقاَياَهُّيَأَُاسَّنالنِإَمُتنُكيِفََكشنِميِنيِدََلَفَُدُبعَأََّالََينِذََُوندُبعَتنِمَُِوندَِ َّاّللَنِكََٰل َوَُدُبعَأََ َّاّلليِذَّال َمُكاَّف َوَتَيََُۖترِمُأ َوَنَأََونُكَأََنِمََينِنِمؤُمال - 10:104 • "O Prophet, say: O mankind, if you are still in doubt concerning my Faith, know that I do not worship those whom you worship beside Allah, but I worship that Allah alone, Who has the power to cause your death." (v. 104).
- 19. More Ayahs withsame message • َنِإَفََكوَصَعَلُقَفيِنِإَيء ِرَباَّمِمََونُلَمعَت - 26:216 • "If they disobey you, tell them: I am not responsible for what you do." (v. 216) • لُقََّّلََونُلَأسُتاَّمَعَانم َرجَأََّل َوَُلَأسُناَّمَعََونُلَمعَت - 34:25 َلُقَُعَمجَيَانَنيَبَانُّب َرََّمُثَُحَتفَيَانَنيَبَِقَحالِبََوََوُُهَُحاَّتَفالَُميِلَعال - 34:26 Say to them: you will not be questioned for the errors we have committed, nor shall we be answerable for what you are doing. Say, our Lord will gather us together, then He will judge between us rightly.And He is the Knowing Judge." (w. 25-26).
- 20. Kufr and Islamare two separate entities • From these verses lmam Abu Hanifah and Imam Shafi have deduced that kufr (unbelief ), as a whole, is one community, however discordant and different from each other be the religions of the unbelievers. • A Jew can inherit a Christian, and a Christian a Jew, and likewise the unbeliever of one religion can inherit the un-believer of another religion, if there exists between them some connection, which necessitates the passage of inheritance of one to another. • On the contrary, Imam Malik, Imam Auza'i and Imam Ahmad hold the view that the followers of one religion cannot inherit the followers of another religion. • They deduce this from the Hadith which has been related on the authority of Hadrat 'Abdullah bin 'Amr bin al-As, saying that Allah's Messenger (SAW) said: "The people of two different communities cannot inherit each other." (Musnad Ahmad, Abu Da'ud, Ibn Majah, Daraqutni).
- 21. Hanafi Imam; Shamsul-A'immah Sarakhsi •The unbelievers can inherit each other mutually for all those reasons for which the Muslims inherit each other mutually, and they can also inherit each other in certain other cases in which the Muslims do not inherit each other . • Muslims affirm faith in the prephethood of Muhammad (SAW) and in the Qur'an and they refuse to affirm faith. For this very reason they have been declared to be unbelievers and are one community as opposed to the Muslims • Layata-warith ahl millatain, points to the same thing as explained above. • For the Holy Prophet has explained the word millatain (two communities) by his saying: La yarithul Muslim al-kafir wa lal-kafir al- Maslim: "The Muslim cannot inherit the disbeliever, nor the disbeliever can inherit the Muslim." (AIMabsut vol. 30, pp. 30-32).
- 22. Lessons of SurahAl-Kafirun • Never compromise your Muslim Identity. • This Surah purifies our faith and strengthens our Muslim identity. • We must never sacrifice the teachings of Islam for anyone. • We must not allow other people to harm our relationship with Allah. • Islam is guidance from Allah and is not based on human desires. • ََۖۖنِإََونُعِبَّتَيََّّلِإََّنَّالظاَم َوى َوهَتَُسُفنَاْلََۖدَقَل َوََجمُُهَءانِمَُمِهِبَّرََٰىَدُهال - 53:23 • “…They follow but a guess and that which they themselves desire, whereas there has surely come to them the guidance
- 23. Lessons from SurahKafiroon • This Surah is specifically addressed to the Quraish leaders. • This Surah addresses the Quraish leaders who Allah knew were never going to accept Islam. • This Surah does not mean that we should leave non-Muslims and not call them to Islam. • Muslims have a duty to teach and invite people to Islam. • Islam is a serious commitment and should not be viewed lightly. • The ridiculous proposal of the Quraish leaders showed that they did not take religion and the worship of God seriously. • Islam is a lifelong commitment and should be practiced with sincerity and devotion.
- 24. Islam respects theright of freedom of religion • Islam respects the right of people to choose what religion they follow. • Islam does not allow the forcing of religion on others • It also does not allow the compromising its own values, such as the belief that it is the true religion of God: • اَلاَهاَرْكِإيِفاِينِالداۖدَقاَنَّيَبَّتاْدشُّالراَنِماِيَغْلااۖنَمَفاْكَياْرُفاِتواغَّطالِبنِمْؤيَواِ َّاّللِباِدَقَفاَتْسااَََسْم اِةَوْرعْلاِباىَقْثوْلااَلاَماَصُِفاناَهَلاۖاَّاّللَوايعِمَسايمِلَع - 2:256 • “There is no compulsion in religion: true guidance has become distinct from error, so whoever rejects false gods and believes in God has grasped the firmest hand-hold, one that will never break. God is all hearing and all knowing.” (2:256)