In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful
- Say: "Oh, you who disbelieve!
- I do not worship that which you worship,
- Nor do you worship That Which I worship.
- Nor will I worship that which you have been worshipping,
- Neither will you worship That Which I worship.
- To you your religion and to me mine."
It is narrated by Muslim that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam
used to recite this Soorah with Soorah al-Ikhlaas in two rak`ahs following tawaaf
of the Ka`bah; it is also narrated by Muslim that he used to recite them in the two
rak`ahs of fajr prayer; and Imam Ahmad narrates that the Messenger of Allah
sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam used to recite them in the two rak`ahs before fajr
prayer and in the two rak`ahs of maghrib prayer.
It has also been narrated that Soorah al-Kaafiroon is equivalent to one quarter of the
Qur’aan. The Prophet, sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam, also said: "Read:
, then sleep at the end of it because
it is freedom from shirk (associating partners with Allah)." This Soorah is freedom
from shirk and it is an order to purify our faith (for Allah only) and the Words includes all those who disbelieve in the world
although those specifically addressed are the pagans of the Quraish. It was said that they
proposed that the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam, worship their gods for
a year, then they would worship That Which he worshipped (Allah) for a year, and so on.
And so this Soorah was revealed containing an order to the Prophet, sallallahu `alayhi wa
sallam to declare his rejection of all that which they worship, and to say: , that is, their idols and the partners they
associate with Allah.
, that is, Allah, Alone without
partners.
, that is, I will not follow your mode of worship and
I will worship only Allah in the way which pleases Him.
means, neither will you
follow the Commands of Allah and His prescribed way of worship; indeed you have invented a
thing for yourselves, as in his Words: (Soorah an-Najm 53:23). And so he rejected all of their shirk, for the
Messenger of Allah, sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam, and all those who follow him worship
Allah in the way prescribed by Him; for this reason the testimony of the Muslim is Laa
ilaha ill Allah, Muhammadur-Rasoolullah – None is worthy of worship except Allah
and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah. And there is no way to worship Him except that
which was brought by the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam. The polytheists
worship deities besides Allah in a way not permitted by Allah and so He told the Prophet
sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam to say to them: >,
as in His Words:
(Soorah Yoonus 10:41) and (Soorah
al-Qasas 28:55). According to al-Bukhaari means kufr
(disbelief) and means Islaam. Abu `Abdillah Ash-Shaafi`i says
that the verse shows that the
disbelievers are one people…because disbelief in all its many manifestations has one
thing in common – that is, falsity. This is the end of the tafseer of Soorah
al-Kaafiroon, all praise is due to Allah and from Him proceeds all Grace.
