109:1
قُلْ يَا أَيُّهَا الْكَافِرُونَ
Qul ya ayyuha alkafiroon
Say, "O disbelievers,
Surah 109 • Chapter of the Holy Qur'an
Surah Al-Kafirun — Arabic, Transliteration, Translation and Meaning
Al-Kafirun (The Disbelievers) — Makkah Revelation (Order: 18) • 6 Verses
سورة الكافرون
Quick Summary
Key Facts & Authentic Summary
- Surah Al-Kafirun is the 109th chapter of the Qur'an, with 6 verses (Quran.com).
- It is a Makki surah, 18th in the order of revelation.
- Its name means "The Disbelievers", from the opening address Qul yā ayyuha'l-kāfirūn.
- It was revealed in response to an offer of religious compromise — that the Prophet ﷺ worship their gods for a year, and they worship his.
- Its answer is a complete refusal of that compromise, ending with "You have your way, and I have my way" (109:6).
- The Prophet ﷺ recited it with Surah Al-Ikhlas in the two sunnah rak'ahs before Fajr — Sahih Muslim 726.
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109:2
لَا أَعْبُدُ مَا تَعْبُدُونَ
La aAAbudu ma taAAbudoon
I do not worship what you worship.
109:3
وَلَا أَنتُمْ عَابِدُونَ مَا أَعْبُدُ
Wala antum AAabidoona maaAAbud
Nor are you worshippers of what I worship.
109:4
وَلَا أَنَا عَابِدٌ مَّا عَبَدتُّمْ
Wala ana AAabidun maAAabadtum
Nor will I be a worshipper of what you worship.
109:5
وَلَا أَنتُمْ عَابِدُونَ مَا أَعْبُدُ
Wala antum AAabidoona maaAAbud
Nor will you be worshippers of what I worship.
109:6
لَكُمْ دِينُكُمْ وَلِيَ دِينِ
Lakum deenukum waliya deen
For you is your religion, and for me is my religion."
✨ Benefits and Virtues of Surah Al-Kafirun
Recited in the sunnah of Fajr — authentic
Abu Hurayrah reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ recited in the two rak'ahs of the dawn prayer: "Say: O disbelievers" (109) and "Say: He is Allah, One" (112). — Sahih Muslim 726, in the chapter on what is recommended to recite in the two rak'ahs of Fajr
This is firmly established. Al-Kafirun and Al-Ikhlas are the pairing for the two sunnah rak'ahs before Fajr.
The pairing is not arbitrary. Al-Kafirun defines tawḥīd by negation — what we do not worship. Al-Ikhlas defines it by affirmation — who Allah is. Together they state the creed from both directions, which is why they are recited together at the start of the day.
🔍 The corresponding practice in the two rak'ahs after Maghrib is also reported. Open and cite it before adding.
"A quarter of the Qur'an" — genuinely contested
You will see this stated flatly on most pages. The position is more nuanced.
Grade: It
The narrations appear in Sunan al-Tirmidhi (2893–2895), and al-Tirmidhi himself graded it hasan.
However, scholars examining the chains have judged them defective and weak.
Grade: Hasan
So this is a case where the collector's own grading and later critical assessment diverge. The fair statement is: it is reported and graded hasan by al-Tirmidhi, while later scholars have found the chains weak. Present it that way rather than as settled fact.
Note also that many scholars accept weak narrations in matters of virtue (faḍāʾil al-aʿmāl), particularly where multiple chains exist — which is part of why classical scholars transmitted these despite the defects.
🔍 That it was recommended before sleeping as a declaration of freedom from shirk — commonly attributed to Abu Dawud/Tirmidhi — remains unverified. Do not publish without checking.
What the surah itself gives
Independent of any narration: this is the clearest statement of tawḥīd by way of negation in the Qur'an — defining belief by stating unambiguously what it is not. There is no famous fabricated virtue attached to it, so the accuracy risk on this page is low.
📖 Themes and Key Lessons
Theme 01
1. Command to declare (verse 1). The surah opens with Qul — "Say" — like Al-Ikhlas, Al-Falaq and An-Nas. It is a scripted declaration.
Theme 02
2. Present denial (verses 2–3). I do not worship what you worship; you do not worship what I worship.
Theme 03
3. Future denial (verses 4–5). And I never will; and you never will.
Theme 04
4. Separation (verse 6). The conclusion.
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❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Q What is Surah Al-Kafirun about?
It is a complete refusal of religious compromise, revealed when the Quraysh proposed that the Prophet ﷺ worship their gods for a time in exchange for them worshipping his. It has 6 verses and is the 109th surah.
Q What does "lakum dinukum wa liya din" mean?
"You have your way, and I have my way" (109:6). It concludes a total rejection of merging religions. It is neither a claim that all religions are equally valid nor a licence for hostility — it establishes clear separation in worship without compulsion.
Q Why is the denial repeated in Surah Kafirun?
Commentators explain it either as emphasis for finality, or as a distinction between the present act of worship and the future settled disposition — I do not, and I never will.
Q When is Surah Al-Kafirun recited?
The Prophet ﷺ recited it with Surah Al-Ikhlas in the two sunnah rak'ahs before Fajr — Sahih Muslim 726. The pairing is also reported for the two rak'ahs after Maghrib, and it is commonly recited before sleeping.
Q Why are Al-Kafirun and Al-Ikhlas recited together?
They state the creed from opposite directions. Al-Kafirun defines tawḥīd by negation — what is not worshipped. Al-Ikhlas defines it by affirmation — who Allah is.
Q Does Surah Al-Kafirun equal a quarter of the Qur'an?
It is reported in Sunan al-Tirmidhi (2893–2895) and al-Tirmidhi himself graded it hasan, but later scholars examining the chains have judged them defective and weak. It is best stated as reported-and-contested rather than as established fact.
Q How many verses does Surah Al-Kafirun have?
Six. It is a short Makki surah in juz 30.
Q Is Surah Kafirun about tolerance?
It is about clarity, not compromise. It refuses to blend beliefs, while containing no command to coerce anyone — a distinction worth keeping in view when the last verse is quoted alone.