Contents
Surah Kafirun, the 109th surah in the Quran, has six verses, and Allah revealed it to Prophet Muhammad (s) in Mecca. In this article, we will give a brief overview of this surah.
Arabic Text and Translation
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيم
In the Name of Allah, the All-beneficent, the All-merciful
قُلْ يَا أَيُّهَا الْكَافِرُونَ ﴿1﴾
Say, ‘O faithless ones!
لَا أَعْبُدُ مَا تَعْبُدُونَ ﴿2﴾
I do not worship what you worship,
وَلَا أَنتُمْ عَابِدُونَ مَا أَعْبُدُ ﴿3﴾
nor do you worship what I worship;
وَلَا أَنَا عَابِدٌ مَّا عَبَدتُّمْ ﴿4﴾
nor will I worship what you have worshipped,
وَلَا أَنتُمْ عَابِدُونَ مَا أَعْبُدُ ﴿5﴾
nor will you worship what I worship.
لَكُمْ دِينُكُمْ وَلِيَ دِينِ ﴿6﴾
To you your religion, and to me my religion.’ (Translation by Qarai)
Names of Surah Kafirun
Surah Kafirun has three names:
1. Kafirun (disbelievers)
2. ‘Ibadah (worship)
3. Jahd (denial)
It is called ‘Ibadah because the issue of worship has been repeated many times in this surah. For example, Allah commands the Prophet to say, “I will not worship what you worship.” It is called Jahd, meaning denial, because the Prophet repeatedly denies worshipping what they worship and how they will not worship what he worships.
Benefits of Surah Kafirun
The recitation of Surah Kafirun has many benefits. For instance, reciting Surah Kafirun once is equal to reciting one-fourth of the Quran.
Forgiveness
If you recite Surah Kafirun and Surah Ikhlas in your obligatory prayers, Allah will forgive you, your parents, and your children.
Seeing Prophet Muhammad in One’s Dream
One of the Imams has said, “Whoever recites surah Kafirun a hundred times on the eve of Friday (Thursday night), he will see the Prophet (s) in his dream.
Casting Satan Away
The Noble Prophet (s) said, “Whosoever recites Surah Kafirun, Allah will cast Satan away from him and will be easy on him on the Day of Judgment.
Granting Requests
The Noble Prophet (s) has said, “Whoever recites Surah Kafirun ten times at sunrise and asks Allah for something, Allah will grant his request.”
Who Are the Disbelievers?
The first verse of Surah Kafirun reads:
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
In the Name of Allah, the All-beneficent, the All-merciful.
قُلْ يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلْكَٰفِرُونَ
Say, ‘O faithless ones!’
Allah commands the Prophet to say something to a group of disbelievers. First, we must see who the disbelievers are. A disbeliever means anyone who does not believe in Allah. Therefore, the polytheists of Mecca were also disbelievers because they worshipped idols instead of Allah. What does Allah want the Prophet to say to the disbelievers of his time?
I Will Never Worship What You Worship
Allah commands the Prophet to say to the disbelievers, “I do not worship what you worship.” It is important to know the context of the surah’s revelation. Allah revealed Surah Kafirun when the disbelievers of Mecca requested the Prophet (s) that they would worship Allah for some time only if he too worshipped their idols for some time. Allah ordered the Prophet (s) to say that he would never worship their gods and that they would never worship Allah either.
At the end of this surah, the Prophet (s) is ordered to say to the disbelievers, “To you your religion, and to me my religion.” However, this does not mean the Prophet would never preach Islam to them. Allah had commanded him to always invite people to the religion of Islam. However, this group of disbelievers would never accept the invitation to Islam. For this reason, the Prophet (s) tells them, “To you your religion, and to me my religion.”
The Quran Kids Course
If you want your kids to learn everything about Surah Kafirun, we suggest you enroll them in the Quran Kids course. There are six episodes about this surah in which Zainab, the host, tells the story of each of the verses. Download the app now.
Conclusion
Surah Kafirun talks about a group of disbelievers who asked the Prophet (s) to worship their idols for some time so that they would worship Allah for some time. Allah revealed Surah Kafirun to the Prophet (s), in which He commands him to say that he would never worship their idols and that they would never worship Allah. We should also learn not to worship anyone but Allah from our dear Prophet (s). Learning and teaching this surah and having our kids memorize this surah will benefit our children and us greatly, as there are many benefits to reciting this surah.
