CHAPTER 109: AL-KAFIRUN (THE DISBELIEVERS)

It was revealed in the Mecca period. It consists of six verses. It takes this name because it begins with an address to the disbelievers. Abu Jahl and some Quraysh pagans made attractive offers to the Messenger of Allah through his uncle, saying, "If he wishes, let us give him leadership. As long as he does not speak against our idols. Let him worship/be respectful to our idols for one year, and we will worship his Allah for one year." With the revelation of this surah, the Messenger of Allah informed them of Allah's rejection. He did not enter into a compromising or concessionary alliance involving respect and worship for idols. He was not given any permission for concession or compromise in things that are contrary to Allah's sovereignty, Lordship (Rububiyyah), and monotheism (Tawhid) in order to avoid falling into shirk. This has also been the practice of the Messenger of Allah. However, after this, the pagans began to become harsher. Indeed, the struggle of all prophets has been more against the members of the religion of shirk—who, while accepting the existence of Allah, worship taghuts and exalt or prioritize intellectual or formal idols—rather than against the irreligious. (H. T. FEYIZLI 1/603)

Hadith: The Prophet (pbuh) recommended to one of his companions: "When you go to your bed to sleep, read the surah 'Qul ya ayyuhel-kafirun.' For if you read this, you will be protected from falling into the belief of shirk." (From Abu Dawud, Adab 97; Tirmidhi, Deavat 22; O. CELIK 5/631)

Hadith: Our Prophet (pbuh) would occasionally read the surahs Al-Kafirun and Al-Ikhlas during the sunnah prayers of the morning and evening prayers. (From Muslim, Musafirin 98; Abu Dawud, Tatavvu 3; O. CELIK, 5/631)

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

109/1-6 YOUR RELIGION IS FOR YOU, AND MY RELIGION IS FOR ME

Translation

1- 3- [O my Prophet!] Say: “O disbelievers! [O opponents of Islam!]” 2- “I do not worship what you worship.” 3- “Nor are you [actually] worshippers/servants of what [the Allah] I worship.”

4- 5- “And I will never be a worshipper of the idols you worship.” 5- “Nor are you [actually] worshippers/servants of what [the Allah] I worship.”

6- “Your [false] religion is for you, and my [true] religion is for me.”

Commentary

(1) ‘[O my Prophet!] Say: “O disbelievers!’

The disbelievers mentioned here are specific certain disbelievers such as Walid b. Mughira, Abu Jahl, As b. Wail, Umayya b. Khalaf, Aswad b. Abd Yaghus, Haris b. Kays, and their likes. As understood from the content of the surah, Allah the Almighty informs that they will never believe. (I. H. BURSEVI 23/649, 650)

The goal of such an address is to completely separate faith (iman) from disbelief (kufr). This is because there is no similarity between the two beliefs. Like two things that are completely opposite to each other, such as light and darkness, day and night, faith and disbelief are opposite to each other and can never exist together. It is not possible to reconcile them and reach a compromise. (O. CELIK, 5/633)

(2) ‘I do not worship what you worship.’

That is, I do not worship the idols you worship and the partners you associate with Allah. Whatever these partners may be—human, stone, sun, or moon. (S. HAWWA, 16/420, 421)

(3) ‘Nor are you worshippers of what (the Allah) I worship.’

That is, you are not among those whose character is to worship my Deity, Allah, whom I continuously worship. You do not worship Him, nor will you worship Him. For, as understood from the previous surahs, the condition of worship is sincerity (ikhlas). One cannot worship Allah without believing in His oneness. He who worships Allah recognizes no god other than Him. To worship by associating others with Allah or by imagining someone other than Allah as Allah is not worshipping Allah, but failing to recognize Him. Therefore, even if pagans think they are serving Allah, they are not; they worship their own imaginations and desires. Because of this, it was commanded: "Say: Is it other than Allah that you order me to worship, O ignorant ones?" (Zumar 39/64). (ELMALILI 10/14)

(4) ‘And I will never be a worshipper of the idols you worship.’

That is, I am not a worshipper of any of them—not only those you are worshipping now but also including those you worshipped in the past before I was sent as a Prophet; neither do I worship, nor have I worshipped. (ELMALILI 10/14)

(5) ‘Nor are you (actually) worshippers/servants of what (the Allah) I worship.’

You are never so; you did not, you do not, and you will not. Or, you did not, do not, and will not worship with the monotheism and sincerity with which I will worship. (ELMALILI 10/15)

(6) ‘Your (false) religion is for you, and my (hak) religion is for me.’

That is, my religion is separate, and your religion is separate. I am not among those who worship your deities, and you do not worship the God I worship. I cannot worship your deities, and you are not ready to worship my Deity. Therefore, my path and your path will never merge. This expression is not to appear pleasant to the disbelievers, but to declare a definitive acquittal (bara'ah) and severance of relations from the disbelievers as long as they continue in their state. At the same time, it includes stating that the disbelievers will never compromise with the Messenger of Allah and those who believe in Him regarding religion, and that they should lose their hope in this matter. This declaration of acquittal was repeated consecutively in the Meccan surahs revealed after this surah (cf. Yunus 10/41, 104; MAWDUDI 7/278, 279).

As long as the invitation (tabligh) of Islam—reaching the people and its implementation—is not prevented or attacked, the principle is like this. Otherwise, it is not to approve of their religions. (H. T. FEYIZLI 1/603)

Undoubtedly, jahiliyyah (ignorance/pre-Islamic state) is jahiliyyah, and Islam is Islam. There are deep differences between them. The only solution is to completely emerge from jahiliyyah and completely enter Islam. The only way is to leave jahiliyyah with all its characteristics and migrate to Islam with all its characteristics. The first step to be taken in this regard is for the caller (da'i) to demonstrate that he is different from the jahiliyyah system and to be conscious that he is completely separate from it. Completely separate in thought, system, and practice. This is a separation that never allows meeting at common points. It is a difference that makes cooperation impossible. It ends only when the supporters of jahiliyyah pass completely from jahiliyyah to Islam. No patching. No seeking solutions in the middle ground. No meeting in the middle of the road. (S. KUTUB, 10/590)