Assalamu Alaykum, I havn't had the time to write anything new due to some constraints but the following is a tafseer of Surah Kafiroon I wrote a few years back. It is quite lengthy so I'll split it up in to two parts. I'll post the second part next inshallah. May it be of benefit. Ameen.
بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
This Surah is a Makki Surah
according to the opinions of Ibn Mas’ud, Al-Hassan and Ikramah radiallahu anhum. Qatadah and Ad Dihaak rahimahumullah are of
the opinion that this is a Madani Surah.
Both opinions are narrated from Hazrat Abdullah ibn Abbas radiallahu
anhu (Qurtubi). However, the most accepted opinion according to the
commentators of the Qur’an is that this Surah is Makki.
Connection to the Surah before it:
The
surah prior to Surah Kafiroon is Surah Kauthar. In Surah Kauthar, Allah Ta’ala
speaks of a great bounty (the fountain of Kauthar) and that the religion of
Muhammad salallahu alayhi wa salam will be dominant. However, more importantly,
the previous surah finishes off with the statement “Surely it is your enemy whose
traces are cut off.” This statement however is quite subtle despite its sharp
message. However, in Surah Kafiroon, an open announcement which revolves around
the same topic is being made to those who oppose the religion of Muhammad
salallahu alayhi wa salam. The underlying message is quite simply ‘It is only
my religion which is to be followed and your traces will be cut off.’ While
Surah Kauthar merely introduced this topic, Surah Kafiroon opened it up further
making it clear that there is only one, clear way.
The reasons for revelation:
Rasulullah
salallahu alayhi wa salam was a resident of Makkah when this Surah was
revealed. As time had progressed, the majority of the people of Makkah had
deviated from the monotheistic faith brought by Hazrat Ibrahim alayhis salam
and had turned to the pagan forms of worship in idolatry. It was indeed a time
of great misguidance and deviance. Hazrat Miqdad ibn al Aswad radiallahu anhu
quite emotionally mentions, “I swear by Allah, that Allah sent the
Messenger of Allah (May Peace and Blessings be Upon Him) as Prophet during a
time that was more difficult than any other time in which Allah had sent Ambiya
(prophets). It was a time when the succession of Ambiya had long been paused
and when people were steeped in ignorance. People saw no religion better than
idol worship. Rasulullah (May Peace and Blessings be Upon Him) arrived with a
criterion (the Qur’an) that differentiated between truth and falsehood and even
divided father and son. The situation was so heartbreaking that a Muslim person
whose heart was unlocked to be filled with Imaan had to see his father or his
son or his brother live as a Kaafir knowing well that whoever enters Hell shall
be destroyed. He was therefore unable to experience any coolness or comfort
knowing that his close relative was destined for Jahanam (Hell). It is about
this that Allah says in the Qur’an:
O our Lord! Give us the coolness of our spouses and children [25:74]
(Al Adab al Mufrad)
It was a truly sorry
state as people who were considered to be learned were seen as being staunch
followers of idol worship. When Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam was
bestowed with Prophethood, he became a much needed source of light in a time
which was ravaged by darkness. However, the worship of idolatry was something
that had been inherited by their forefathers and it was deemed to be something
incredibly sentimental. About Hazrat Umar radiallahu anhu it was mentioned, “He
will not become Muslim until his donkey becomes Muslim!” (Umar radiallahu anhu
shaksiyatuhu wa asruhu). However guidance is in the hands of Allah Ta’ala and
He out of His infinite wisdom guides whomsoever He wishes. May He make us from
those who are guided to the Straight Path.
As mentioned above,
the situation was creating much difference between the people. Families were
becoming destroyed and divided in the midst of all this chaos. The differences
were such that the Muslims had to endure great sacrifice in regards to their
dear ones and wealth. There were some who had to leave all of what they had
owned just to live as a Muslim. Recognising this, the leaders of the
disbelievers in Makkah attempted to create a truce with Rasulullah salallahu
alayhi wa salam in order to create peace but their proposals were absurd and
based upon the evil of kufr (disbelief).
Tabrani and Ibn Hatim
relate the statement of Hazrat Abdullah ibn Abbas radiallahu anhu that the
people of the Quraysh came to Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam and
proposed, “We will give you so much wealth that you will become the richest man
in Makkah and we also will marry you to any woman you desire. However, stop
saying ill of our gods; if you cannot stop doing this then at least do this
that you worship our gods for one year and there after we will worship your God
for one year.” (Mazhari)
With regards to who
the people of the Quraysh were, there are some opinions which are brought to
attention through other narrations. One opinions is that Abu Jahal, Abu Lahab,
‘Aas ibn Waa’il and Abbas radiallahu anhu went to Rasulullah salallahu alayhi
wa salam however another narration mentions that only Abbas radiallahu anhu,
the uncle of Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam was sent.
Sometimes, in order to pacify a person, a beloved family member is relied upon
to go and convince another family member. It is perhaps for this reason that
Abbas radiallahu anhu was sent. Along
with the above mentioned, Imam Qurtubi makes the inclusion of Waleed ibn
Mugheera, Al Aswad ibn Abdul Muttalib and Ummayah ibn Khalaf
This type of
proposition was more enticement than creating a solution. However, we still see
the ascetic nature of Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam. Beloved to man is
his love for women. Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam has said in one
hadith, “Made beloved to me from your world
are women and perfume, and the coolness of my eyes is in prayer.” (Ahmad and
An-Nasa ‘i)” and in the Qur’an, Allah Ta’ala says,
إِنَّمَآ أَمۡوَٲلُكُمۡ وَأَوۡلَـٰدُكُمۡ فِتۡنَةٌ۬ۚ
“Indeed,
your wealth and your children are only but a fitnah (trial)...”
In this specific verse, Allah 
refers to even wealth and children as a
fitnah. This is a trial for man because usually he does not exercise their
rights properly and thus falls into sin as a result. Allah says in the Qur’an,
زُيِّنَ لِلنَّاسِ حُبُّ ٱلشَّهَوَٲتِ مِنَ ٱلنِّسَآءِ وَٱلۡبَنِينَ
وَٱلۡقَنَـٰطِيرِ ٱلۡمُقَنطَرَةِ مِنَ ٱلذَّهَبِ وَٱلۡفِضَّةِ وَٱلۡخَيۡلِ
ٱلۡمُسَوَّمَةِ وَٱلۡأَنۡعَـٰمِ وَٱلۡحَرۡثِۗ
“It has been made attractive for people to love the
desired things; that is, women, children, hoarded heaps of gold and silver,
branded horses, cattle and tillage.”
The first thing that
Allah Ta’ala has mentioned here is women and children which can be joined
together to be perceived as family. Thereafter, the remaining things are
categorised as wealth which follow in the trend of being desirous to man. The
pagans of Makkah knew that their offer would be hard to refuse but it would
only have been tempting had the person been anyone else than Rasulullah
salallahu alayhi wa salam. Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam was not
remotely interested in hoarding the worldly pleasures but rather, his heart was
connected to his Lord and he had the Hereafter in his sights. Rasulullah
salallahu alayhi wa salam was offered the hand of any woman in Makkah but Allah
Ta’ala had already gifted him with the women of Jannah in this world. His
motivation was always lied in spreading the message of His Creator and pleasing
Him, thus it was impossible for worldly ornaments to tempt him even in the
slightest. There are many stories related about the ascetic nature of
Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam.
Once Hazrat Umar radiallahu anhu entered
the room of Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam and saw him lying down on the
floor on a mat of reed. The reed was such that it was digging into the skin of
Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam which in effect caused light scarring on
the blessed body of Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam. Hazrat Umar
radiallahu anhu began to cry profusely and Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam
asked, “Why are you crying O Umar?” Hazrat Umar radiallahu anhu pleaded, “Why
shouldn’t I cry when the Emperors of Rome and Persia are taking pleasure in
those things which they take pleasure in from the (possessions) of the world;
and you (salallahu alayhi wa salam) are in the state that I see you in?”
Despite being the Messenger of Allah and more deserved of the riches of this
world than any other man, Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam was not
interested and he consoled Umar radiallahu anhu and said, “O Umar, are you not
content that for them is the (bounties of the) world and for you there is the
(bounties of the) Hereafter?” Umar radiallahu anhu then said, “Yes, I am
content.” Upon which Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam said, “Then that is
that.” (Shama’il ur Rasul)
There are many
narrations with regards to the abstinence of Rasulullah salallah alayhi wa
salam. It was quite simply not in his interest. In one hadith, Rasulullah
salallahu alayhi wa salam said, “Abundance of worldly means does not in itself
constitute what is called ‘richness’. Real ‘richness’ is the richness of the
heart.” (Mishkat) In commenting on this hadith, Hazrat Maulana Shah Hakeem
Akhtar sahib (DB) mentions, “The richness of the heart depends on close
association with Allah. The acquisition of closeness to Allah Ta’ala makes a
man oblivious and disinterested in the worldly pomp and splendour just as the
light of twinkling stars become insignificant by the appearance of the sun.
When the King of Glory, Allah Ta’ala illuminates the heart of His love with
glimpses of His nearness, the universe sinks into non existence when compared with
appearance of its Creator. When the sun is shining brilliantly, no star,
however dazzling it may be can dare to compete against it. Similar is the case
of a drop of water, it has no position against the sea.
This state of mind
which causes the realisation of Allah comes by spending time in the company of
the lovers of Allah and by following the life of Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa
salam meticulously.
Some say, “A rich man
is he who is satisfied with the sustenance he has been awarded. Real richness resides
in the hearts of those who are zealous. Richness is not achieved by worldly
goods.” Others have said that the knowledge of religion and remembrance of
Allah make a man rich like the Messengers and saints. An Arabic couplet
summarises this, “We agree that God may bestow upon us the knowledge of
religion and the enemies be gifted with worldly goods. The worldly goods are
mortal and the riches of knowledge are immortal.” (Dunya ki Haqiqat)
When Rasulullah
salallahu alayhi wa salam refused these worldly possessions, they people of
Quraysh came again later in order to create another deal. They wanted create
unity and so they asked Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam to worship their
lords and in return they (the Quraysh) will also worship Allah Ta’ala. However,
it is a principle that unity should always be on the truth and it was then that
Allah Ta’ala revealed this surah upon Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam.
Allamah Aalusi rahimahullah mentions in his Ruhul Ma’ani that when this surah
was revealed upon Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam, he went to Masjidul
Haram where the leaders of the Quraysh would be. He stood up above them and
recited the surah upon them, as a result they lost their hope in him.
قُلۡ يَـٰٓأَيُّہَا
ٱلۡڪَـٰفِرُونَ (١) لَآ أَعۡبُدُ مَا
تَعۡبُدُونَ (٢) وَلَآ أَنتُمۡ عَـٰبِدُونَ مَآ أَعۡبُدُ (٣) وَلَآ أَنَا۟
عَابِدٌ۬ مَّا عَبَدتُّمۡ (٤) وَلَآ أَنتُمۡ
عَـٰبِدُونَ مَآ أَعۡبُدُ (٥) لَكُمۡ دِينُكُمۡ
وَلِىَ دِينِ (٦)
Say (O Muhammad salallahu alayhi wa salam),
“O disbelievers! (1) I do not worship that which you worship, (2) nor do you
worship the One whom I worship. (3) And neither am I going to worship that
which you have worshipped, (4) nor will you worship the One whom I worship. (5)
For you is your faith and for me, my faith.” (6)
“O disbelievers! (1) I do not worship that which you
worship (2)”
‘Say (O
Muhammad salallahu alayhi wa salam)’ – This is proof that he salallahu alayhi
wa salam was commanded to recite this by Allah Ta’ala.
‘O
disbelievers!’ – This includes every disbeliever on the face of the earth,
however, this statement is particularly directed towards the disbelievers of
the Quraysh who had invited Rasulullah salallahu alayhi wa salam towards their
ways. The
Quraysh have been associated with disbelief and this is because Allah Ta’ala
knows that they severely disliked being linked with disbelief (naturally as
they felt they were upon the truth). This is also proof that Rasulullah
salallahu alayhi wa salam was guarded by Allah Ta’ala, thus he was not bothered
by them and nor by their arrogance. He was protected and stopped from
stretching his hand out and creating an agreement.
‘That
which you worship’ is in relation to the many idols that they worshipped. The
Mushrikeen (polytheists) of Arabia did believe in Allah Ta’ala but they had
created many idols in partnership to Allah Ta’ala. They understood that there
is one Allah, who is greater than all however their beliefs became mixed
especially when attacked by shaytaan. As a result, they started making idols in
the form of angels as they had imagined them to be. They knew that the idols they had were of no
life and power but they were in hope that if they showed respect to it, the
real angels (in whose form the idols were made) would intercede for them due to
them being close, perfect creations of Allah Ta’ala. For example; a
minister has a high rank in the eyes of the king and he is a trusted person. As
a result of this trust, people will recognise the position of that minister as
he is very close to the king. Therefore, if somebody wants to approach the king
for some reason, he would not go directly but rather, he would develop a
friendship with the minister. Then the minister would put in a word for him.
The minister would know the manner of approaching the king better than anybody
else and he would know how to persuade him too. The king would then act
accordingly to what has been requested because the minister (who holds a
position of closeness) is the one who is asking.
Similarly, in our daily life, a student in a
college or a university may want to go and achieve something but needs the
permission of the head teacher. The student will go to his teacher who will
then ask the head teacher or headmaster and in this way, his need will be
fulfilled. Mufti
Muhammad Shafi rahmatullahi alayh mentions, “All these ideas were totally
false, in fact, satanic deception. First of all, who can say whether or not
these idols happen to be on the real form of the angels and, even if they were,
one cannot expect angels close to Allah showing their pleasure over being
worshipped by someone on earth. In fact, they temperamentally hate everything
that Allah Ta’ala does not like. In addition to that, angels cannot intercede
on behalf of anyone before Allah on their own, unless they are allowed to make
their intercession about a particular person. The verse of the Qur’an states,
“And how many angels there are in the heavens whose intercession cannot benefit
(anyone) at all, but after Allah allows (it) for whomsoever He wills and
pleases”
means exactly this.
Thus it was the polytheists who mentioned about these
idols “We worship them for no other reason but because they would bring us near
to Allah closely.”
However, in total disregard of these twisted ideas, Rasulullah salallahu alayhi
wa salam said, “I do not worship
that which you worship,”
Hafiz
Ibn Kathir mentions that this means, ‘you do not follow the commands of Allah
and His legislation in His worship. Rather, you have invented something out of
the promptings of your own souls. This is as Allah says, “They follow but a
guess and that which they themselves desire, whereas there has surely come to
them the guidance from their Lord.” (Surah Qamar). Therefore, the rejection is
from all of what they are involved in.
“nor do you worship the One whom I worship. (3)”
Here
the article ‘maa’ which means ‘what’ is in the meaning of ‘man’ which means
‘who’. It will
not be translated as “nor do you worship what I worship” rather it will be
translated as “nor do you worship the One whom I worship.”
