English Translation and Commentary of the Holy Quran (2010)
by Maulana Muhammad Ali
Chapter 109: Al-Kafirun — The Disbelievers (Revealed at Makkah: 6 verses)
Introduction:
The Disbelievers — hence the title — are told in this chapter that they shall be recompensed for their misdeeds, while the Holy Prophet and the faithful will reap the reward of their deeds. It belongs to the early period at Makkah.
Translation:
بِسۡمِ اللّٰہِ الرَّحۡمٰنِ الرَّحِیۡمِ
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.
قُلۡ یٰۤاَیُّہَا الۡکٰفِرُوۡنَ ۙ﴿۱﴾
لَاۤ اَعۡبُدُ مَا تَعۡبُدُوۡنَ ۙ﴿۲﴾
109:2 I do not serve what you serve,
وَ لَاۤ اَنۡتُمۡ عٰبِدُوۡنَ مَاۤ اَعۡبُدُ ۚ﴿۳﴾
109:3 nor do you serve Him Whom I serve,
وَ لَاۤ اَنَا عَابِدٌ مَّا عَبَدۡتُّمۡ ۙ﴿۴﴾
109:4 nor shall I serve what you serve,
وَ لَاۤ اَنۡتُمۡ عٰبِدُوۡنَ مَاۤ اَعۡبُدُ ؕ﴿۵﴾
109:5 nor do you serve Him Whom I serve.
لَکُمۡ دِیۡنُکُمۡ وَلِیَ دِیۡنِ ٪﴿۶﴾
109:6 For you is your recompense and for me my recompense.1
Commentary:
- Among the various significances of the word dīn is recompense or reward, and this is what is meant here, rather than religion. It is a prophecy that those who serve Allah will have a goodly reward from Him, while those who serve idols will not obtain any help from their false gods. The next chapter refers to the reward of the truthful, Divine help and victory, and people entering into Islam in companies, while the one following it shows that the recompense of the idol-worshippers is that their wealth and all their efforts will be entirely unavailing. Those who think that these words indicate that the Holy Prophet had despaired of the disbelievers are mistaken. Not for a single moment did he cease to invite the disbelievers to accept Islam and to forsake the worship of idols. ↩