Surah Al-Kafiroon – Yousef Bin Noah Ahmad

Al-Kafiroon (Al-Kafirun, "The Disbelievers") is the 109th surah of the Quran, in Juz' Amma. Meccan, it has 6 verses and is the 18th surah in the traditional order of revelation, after Al-Maun. It opens with the command: "Say: O disbelievers" (109:1).

According to reports transmitted by Ibn Ishaq and the commentators, leaders of Quraysh proposed that the Prophet ﷺ worship their gods for a year, after which they would worship his God for a year. The surah answers with a firm refusal, repeated for emphasis: "I do not worship what you worship, nor do you worship what I worship" (109:2-5), and concludes: "For you is your religion, and for me is mine" (109:6), drawing a clear line between the worship of the One God and polytheism.

The Prophet ﷺ told Nawfal al-Ashja'i to recite it before sleeping, "for it is a declaration of freedom from polytheism" (Abu Dawud and at-Tirmidhi, graded sahih by al-Albani). He recited it with Al-Ikhlas in the two units of prayer before Fajr and in the two units after circling the Ka'ba (Muslim).