Surat Al-Kāfirūn (The Disbelievers) - سورة الكافرون

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

قُلْ يَا أَيُّهَا الْكَافِرُونَ ۝

لَا أَعْبُدُ مَا تَعْبُدُونَ۝

وَلَا أَنتُمْ عَابِدُونَ مَا أَعْبُدُ ۝

وَلَا أَنَا عَابِدٌ مَّا عَبَدتُّمْ ۝

وَلَا أَنتُمْ عَابِدُونَ مَا أَعْبُدُ ۝

لَكُمْ دِينُكُمْ وَلِيَ دِينِ ۝

[Shakir 109:1] Say: O unbelievers!

[Pooya/Ali Commentary 109:1]

 

Some of the leading disbelievers of Makka had proposed to the Holy Prophet a compromise between Islam and their ancient faith such as they conceived it, so that their idols might also have an honourable mention in the adoration of the worshippers. The Holy Prophet resisted all appeals to worldly motives, and stood firm to his message of eternal unity of Allah. This surah breathes a spirit of uncompromising abhorrence to idolatry. There can be no common ground between the worship of "the one" and the many- monotheism and polytheism. Refer to Baqarah: 256;Yunus: 41.

[Shakir 109:2] I do not serve that which you serve,

[Pooya/Ali Commentary 109:2] (see commentary for verse 1)

[Shakir 109:3] Nor do you serve Him Whom I serve:

[Pooya/Ali Commentary 109:3] (see commentary for verse 1)

[Shakir 109:4] Nor am I going to serve that which you serve,

[Pooya/Ali Commentary 109:4] (see commentary for verse 1)

[Shakir 109:5] Nor are you going to serve Him Whom I serve:

[Pooya/Ali Commentary 109:5] (see commentary for verse 1)

[Shakir 109:6] You shall have your religion and I shall have my religion.

[Pooya/Ali Commentary 109:6] (see commentary for verse 1)

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For further study:

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

لَا إِكْرَاهَ فِي الدِّينِ ۖ قَد تَّبَيَّنَ الرُّشْدُ مِنَ الْغَيِّ ۚ فَمَن يَكْفُرْ بِالطَّاغُوتِ وَيُؤْمِن بِاللَّهِ فَقَدِ اسْتَمْسَكَ بِالْعُرْوَةِ الْوُثْقَىٰ لَا انفِصَامَ لَهَا ۗ وَاللَّهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ ۝

[Shakir 2:256] There is no compulsion in religion; truly the right way has become clearly distinct from error; therefore, whoever disbelieves in the Shaitan and believes in Allah he indeed has laid hold on the firmest handle, which shall not break off, and Allah is Hearing, Knowing.

[Pooya/Ali Commentary 2:256]

 

Aqa Mahdi Puya says: 

This verse states a psychological fact that the submissive attitude of the mind and heart towards any sacred object cannot be obtained by force or compulsion, therefore, only a clear view of the sacred generates the spontaneous conviction to adopt the right and reject the wrong. It is not an imperative but an indicative statement. There is no room for considering this verse as having been abrogated by any other verse dealing with jihad. This verse also asserts that after the right way has become clearly distinct from error, man must reject the false gods and believe in Allah. 

 

This verse confirms that which has been said, in detail, in the commentary of verses 190 to 193 of this surah, about the false accusation by the European historians that the Holy Prophet used the sword to preach Islam. 

Sir Edward Dennison Ross says:

"For many centuries the acquaintance which the majority of Europeans possessed of Muhammadanism was based almost entirely on distorted reports of fanatical Christians which led to the dissemination of a multitude of gross calumnies. What was good in Muhammadanism was entirely ignored, and what was not good, in the eyes of Europe, was exaggerated or misinterpreted. It must not, however, be forgotten that the central doctrine preached by Muhammad to his contemporaries in Arabia, who worshipped the stars; to the Persians who acknowledged Ormuz and Ahriman; the lndians, who worshipped idols; and the Turks, who had no particular worship, was the unity of God, and that the simplicity of his creed was probably a more potent factor in the spread of Islam than the sword of the ghazis".

Even William Muir, the worst enemy of Islam, in the following passage, admits that:

It is strongly corroborative of Muhammad's sincerity that the earliest converts to Islam were not only of upright character, but his own bosom friends and people of his household; intimately acquainted with his private life, who could not fail otherwise to have detected those discrepancies which ever more or less exist between the professions of the hypocritical deceiver abroad and his actions at home."

Through this verse peace, love and mutual understanding have been prescribed for the Muslims. Also refer to verse 125 of Bani Israil. There is no need for compulsion in religion because verse 2 of al Dahr says: "Verily, we have shown him (man) the (right) way; (whether) he be grateful or disbelieving (ungrateful)!"

Taghut (the devil) means the inordinate, the rebel, the wrongdoer, the strayer, like Shaytan. The word taghut, in this verse, implies all the devilish tendencies and activities which mislead the people. The first step towards genuine belief in Allah is the rejection (in the sense to separate oneself from him, his associates, his progeny among humans and jinns etc.(added by me*)) of the devil. 

In other words hatred of the wicked (tabarra) takes precedence over the love of Allah and His chosen friends (tawalla). It is essential to clean the heart and the mind from the disturbing influence of falsehood and then expose them to the reflection of truth, otherwise conflicting impressions will create confusion and distort the beauty of the beloved. See verse 6 of al Ma-idah. 

Urwatil wuthqa means a strong rope - the firmest handhold. According to Imam Muhammad bin Ali al Baqir, a true faithful, in order to remain attached with Allah and enjoy genuine godliness, must seek attachment with the thoroughly purified Ahlul Bayt (Allah's chosen friends) and love them (as ordained in verse 23 of al Shura). Imam Jafar bin Muhammad al Sadiq has said that the firmest handhold means having complete faith (trust) in Allah. The Holy Prophet has declared that every faithful must hold fast the rope of Allah, Ali, because he, who remains attached with Ali, will never go astray. Ali is the ideal of the true faith in Allah. The true mode and manner of the faith is perfectly integrated in the divinely commissioned successors to the Holy Prophet - Ali and the holy Imams of the Ahlul Bayt, therefore, tawalla (love of Allah and Muhammad and Ali Muhammad) has been prescribed as one of the articles of the furu ud din. 

 

Aqa Mahdi Puya says: 

It is clearly indicated that faith consists of two fundamental factors: 

(1) The negation of what is against the legislative will of Allah - tabarra. 

 

(2) Belief in Allah and whatever He wills and commands - tawalla. 

 

Be averse to the wicked and be good to the virtuous. Be with the flowers as a flower and be far away from the thorns.