In the name of Allah the most Beneficent, the Merciful
Surah Introduction by Abul 'Ala Maududi
Name
The Surah takes its name from the word al-kafirun
occurring in the first verse.
Period of Revelation
Hadrat Abdullah bin Mas'ud, Hadrat Hasan Basri and
Ikrimah, (R.A) say that this Surah, is Makki, while Hadrat
Abdullah bin Zubair (R.A) says that it is Madani. Two different
views have been reported from Hadrat Abdullah bin Abbas (R.A) and
Qatadah, first that it is Makki, and second that it is Madani.
However, according to the majority of commentators, it is a Makki
Surah, and its subject matter itself points to its being a Makki
revelation.
Historical Background
There was a time in Makkah when although a storm of
opposition had arisen in the pagan society of Quraish against the
message of Islam preached by the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace),
yet the Quraish chiefs had not yet lost hope that they would
reach some sort of a compromise with him. Therefore, from time to
time they would visit him with different proposals of compromise
so that he accepted one of them and the dispute between them was
brought to an end. In this connection, different traditions have
heen related in the Hadith.
According to Hadrat Abdullah bin Abbas, (R.A) the Quraish
proposed to the Holy Prophet; "We shall give you so much of
wealth that you will become the richest man of Makkah; we shall
give you whichever woman you like in marriage; we are prepared to
follow and obey you as our leader, only on the condition that you
will not speak ill of our gods. If you do not agree to this, we
present another proposal which is to your as well as to our
advantage." When the Holy Prophet asked what it was, 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. The
Holy Prophet said: "Wait awhile; let me see what my Lord
commands in this regard." 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).
According to another tradition from Ibn Abbas, the Quraish said
to the Holy Prophet: "O Muhammad, if you kiss our gods, the
idols, we shall worship your God." Thereupon, this Surah was
sent down. (Abd bin Humaid).
Said bin Mina (the freed slave of Abul Bakhtari) has related that
Walid bin Mughirah, As bin Wail, Aswad bin al-Muttalib and
Umayyah bin Khalaf met the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) and
said to him: "O Muhammad (upon whom be Allah's peace and
blessings), let us agree that we would worship your God and you
would worship our gods, and we would make you a partner in all
our works. If what you have brought was better than what we
possess, we would be partners in it with You, and have our share
in it, and if what we possess is better than what you have
brought, you would be partner in it with us and have your share
of it." At this Allah sent down: Qul ya-ayyuhal-kafirun (Ibn
Jarir, Ibn Abi Hatim, Ibn Hisham also has related this incident
in the Sirah).
Wahb bin Munabbih has related that the people of Quraish said to
Allah's Messenger: "If you like we would enter your faith
for a year and you would enter our faith for a year."(Abd
bin Humaid, Ibn Abi Hatim).
These traditions show that the Quraish had proposed such things
to the Holy Prophet not once, in one sitting, but at different
times and on different occasions; and there was need that they
should be given a definite, decisive reply so that their hope
that he would come to terms with them on the principle of "give
and take" was frustrated for ever.
Theme and Subject Matter
If the Surah is read with this background in mind, one
finds that it was not revealed to preach religious tolerance as
some people of today seem to think, but it was revealed in order
to exonerate the Muslims from the disbelievers religion, their
rites of worship, and their gods, and to express their total
disgust and unconcern with them and to tell them that Islam and
kufr (unbelief) had nothing in common and there was no
possibility of their being combined and mixed into one entity.
Although it was addressed in the beginning to the disbelieving
Quraish in response to their proposals of compromise, yet it is
not confined to them only, but having made it a part of the
Quran, 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 be, and should declare
without any reservation that they cannot make any compromise with
the disbelievers in the matter of Faith. That is why this Surah
continued to be recited when the people to whom it was addressed
as a rejoinder, had died and been forgotten, and those Muslims
also continued to recite it who were disbelievers at the time it
was revealed, and the Muslims still recite it centuries after
they have passed away, for expression of disgust with and
dissociation from kufr and its rites is a perpetual demand of
Faith.
As for the esteem in which the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace)
held this Surah, it can be judged from the following few ahadith:
Hadrat Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) has
related that on many an occasion he heard the Holy Prophet recite
Surahs Qul Ya-ayyuhal- kafirun and Qul Huwu-Allahu ahad in the
two rakahs before the Fajr obligatory Prayer and in the two
rakahs after the Maghrib obligatory Prayer. Several traditions on
this subject with a little variation in wording have been related
by Imam Ahmad, Tirmidhi, Nasai, Ibn Majah, Ibn Hibban, Ibn
Marduyah from Ibn Umar.
Hadrat Khabbab 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." (Bazzar,
Tabarani, Ibn Marduyah).
According to Ibn Abbas, the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace)
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).
Hadrat Anas says that the Holy Prophet said to Hadrat Mu'adh bin
Jabal; "Recite Qul ya-ayyuhal-kafirun at the time you go to
bed, for this is immunity from polytheism." (Baihaqi in Ash-Shu'ab).
Both Fardah bin Naufal and Abdur Rahman bin Naufal have stated
that their father, Naufal bin Muawiyah al-Ashjai, said to the
Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) :"Teach me something which
I may recite at the time I go to bed." The Holy Prophet
replied: "Recite Qul ya-ayyuhal kafirun to the end and then
sleep, for this is immunity from polytheism." (Musnad Ahmad,
Aba Da'ud, Tirmidhi, Nasai, Ibn Abi Shaibah, Hakim, Ibn Marduyah,
Baihaqi in Ash-Shuab). A similar request was made by Hadrat
Jabalah bin Harithah, (R.A) brother of Hadrat Said bin Harithah,
(R.A) to the Holy Prophet and to him also he gave the same reply.
(Musnad Ahmad, Tabarani).
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.
Qura'nic Recitation: Shaikh Al-Sudays
Maulana Zafar Qasmi Shaikh Khalil Al-Husari
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