Reciting Surah Al-Kafirun has many benefits. According to prophetic hadith, it is equivalent to a quarter of the Quran, and whoever reads it, becomes innocent of polytheism. Check the top benefits of Surah al-Kafirun:
If you need to identify surah Al-Kafirun, its lessons, and its benefits, check out this blog.
Here we will learn the following:
What is Surah Al-Kafirun?
Surah Al-Kafirun is a short chapter comprised of six verses. The location of its revelation is Makka. Some companions like Abdullah Bin Zubair (RA) said it’s a Madani.
In the Quran, surah Al-Kafirun is the 109th verse, in part (juz) 30. Some scholars mentioned that this surah has other names: worship, debt, and loyalty.
Kafiroun means the disbelievers in Arabic as Allah addressed all the verses of this surah to them.
Surah Al-Kafirun is a chapter directed to disbelievers. Its main theme is faith and disbelief. This theme is one of the crucial topics that the Quran focused on after the prophetic mission, as Monotheism is the fundamental principle of Islam.
Surah Al-Kafirun is a short surah that contains 6 verses. Its name in Arabic means disbelievers.
Benefits and Virtues of Surah Al-Kafirun
Surah al-Kafirun teaches us many benefits that mainly put no middle-ground option between belief and disbelief. Here are the best benefits of surah al-Kafirun:
1. Acquittal of polytheism
If you read surah Al-Kafirun before sleeping, you’ll be innocent of polytheism.
Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) said:”
Recite Qul yaa ayyuha’l-kaafiroon then go to sleep at the end of it, for it is a disavowal of shirk.”
2. Equals quarter of the Quran
Reciting surah Al-Kafirun means reading a quarter of the Quran. Ibn Omar (RA) reported that the prophet Muhammed (PBUH) said:
”The chapter, ‘Say: He is Allah the One is equal to one-third of the Quran. The chapter, ‘Say: O unbelievers, is equal to one-fourth of the Quran”.
3. The Messenger used to recite it
Abdullah Ibn Omar (may Allah be pleased upon him), reported that prophet Muhammed (SAW) used to read Surah Al-Kafirun.
He said:”
The prophet Muhammed (PBUH) recited surah Al-Kafirun in two rak’at before Fajr and two rak’at after Maghrib over twenty or ten times”.
On the other side, there are unproven benefits of the surah from Sunnah, which are:
- Protects from entering hellfire.
- Safeguards from bad dreams.
- Forgiving sins when reciting the chapter after each prayer.
- Reciting the surah before death means dying as a martyr.
- Reciting Al-Kafirun besides Al-Fatiha, Al-Falaq, An-Nasr, and An-Naas brings protection while travelling.
- Reading Al-Kafirun ten times fulfils needs.
Why Was Surah Al-Kafirun Revealed?
According to scholars, the reasons for revelation have multiplied. Here are them:
1. After The Prophet’s Rejection of Quraysh’s Offer:
The companion Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) mentioned that disbelievers of Quraysh offered the messenger of Allah (SAW) money to be the richest and marry their women.
Against this offer, the prophet Muhammed (PBUH) stopped offending their idols.
They told him if he refused their offer, he worship their idol for one year and they worship Allah for the same period.
So, the answer is sending down this surah.
2. Disbelievers’ Invite to Worship Idols along with Allah (SWT)
Ibn Abbas (RA) reported that some Quraysh disbelievers came to the prophet Muhammed (PBUH), to invite him to stop calling them to Islam and be their king.
They wanted him to worship their idols for one day and they worship Allah for a day. So, the messenger (SAW) refused their offer and Allah sent down the surah.
3. After reciting Surah al-Najm For The Disbelievers:
It was reported that Quryash disbelievers mock the prophet Muhammed (PBUH) while reciting surah An-Najm. They asked him to worship their idols, and in turn, they worship his lord. When Allah sent down the surah, the prophet recited it to them to reply to their request.
Lessons from Surah Al-Kafirun
The main lesson of Surah Al-Kafirun is no middle-ground option between faith and disbelief. Neither worshipping Allah nor disbelieving.
The surah proved that the disbelievers lied about believing in Allah {nor do you worship what I worship.}
Confirming that prophet Muhammed’s (PBUH) truthfulness. As he never stopped his calling to Islam and worship idols {I do not worship what you worship}.
Surah Al-Kafirun Transliteration and Translation
If you need to learn how to pronounce the verses of surah Al-Kafirun in Arabic and understand their meaning, check out its transliteration and translation:
Surah Al-Kafirun Transliteration
Qul yaaa-ayyuhal kaafiroon
قُلْ يَا أَيُّهَا الْكَافِرُونَ
Laaa a’budu maa t’abudoon
لَا أَعْبُدُ مَا تَعْبُدُونَ
Wa laaa antum ‘aabidoona maaa a’bud
وَلَا أَنْتُمْ عَابِدُونَ مَا أَعْبُدُ
Wa laaa ana ‘abidum maa ‘abattum
وَلَا أَنَا عَابِدٌ مَا عَبَدْتُمْ
Wa laaa antum ‘aabidoona maaa a’bud
وَلَا أَنْتُمْ عَابِدُونَ مَا أَعْبُدُ
Lakum deenukum wa liya deen
لَكُمْ دِينُكُمْ وَلِيَ دِينِ
Surah Al-Kafirun Translation
Say, ˹O Prophet,˺ “O you disbelievers!
I do not worship what you worship,
Nor do you worship what I worship.
I will never worship what you worship,
Nor will you ever worship what I worship.
You have your way, and I have my Way
How to Memorize Surah Al-Kafirun?
You can memorize surah Al-Kafirun by following these tips:
- Learn the meaning of verses to understand them before memorizing them.
- Recite the verses loudly over and over again, in a free-distraction space.
- Revise the surah by reciting it while performing prayer.
- Pick an available time for memorizing.
- Learn the right pronunciation for each verse by listening to the Quran recitation audio.
You can learn how to memorize surah Al-Kafirun easily and other chapters with tajweed through Quran online classes and with professional instructors who are certified by Al-Azhar University.
Here are the best Quran Courses:
Here are the best Tajweed Courses:
