Names
This surah is called Surat Al-Kafirun. [595] See: Al-Fayruzabadi: Basa?ir Dhawi At-Tamyiz, 1/584; Tafsir Ibn ?Ashur, 30/579.
It is also called Surat Qul ya ayyaha?l-kafirun (Say, O disbelievers). [596] See: Tafsir ar-Razi, 32/323; Al-Fayruzabadi: Basa?ir Dhawi At-Tamyiz, 1/584; Tafsir Ibn ?Ashur, 30/579.
It was narrated that ?A?ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: ?How good these two surahs are; you recite them in the two rak?ahs before Fajr: Qul ya ayyaha?l-kafirun (Say, O disbelievers) Al-Kafirun 109 and Qul Huwa Allahu ahad (Say, He is Allah, who is One) Al-Ikhlas 112. [597] Narrated by Ibn Majah, 1150; Ahmad, 26022.
It was narrated that ?Abdullah ibn ?Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them) said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to pray Witr with three rak?ahs; in the first he would recite Sabbih isma rabbik Al-a?la (Glorify the name of your Lord, the Most High) Al-A?la 87, in the second he would recite Qul ya ayyaha?l-kafirun (Say, O disbelievers) Al-Kafirun 109, and in the third he would recite Qul Huwa Allahu ahad (Say, He is Allah, who is One) Al-Ikhlas 112. [598] Narrated by An-Nasa?i, 1702; Ahmad, 2720.
Virtues and characteristics
The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to recite it in the second of the two rak?ahs before Witr, as is mentioned in the hadith of ?Abdullah ibn ?Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them) quoted above.
The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to recite it and Qul Huwa Allahu ahad (Say, He is Allah, who is One) Al-Ikhlas 112 in the two rak?ahs of Fajr.
It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) recited in the two rak?ahs of Fajr Qul ya ayyaha?l-kafirun (Say, O disbelievers) Al-Kafirun 109 and Qul Huwa Allahu ahad (Say, He is Allah, who is One) Al-Ikhlas 112. [599] Narrated by Muslim, 726.
The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) heard a man reciting it in the first rak?ah of the two rak?ahs of Fajr, and he praised him.
It was narrated from Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) that a man stood up and prayed the two rak?ahs of Fajr. In the first rak?ah he recited Qul ya ayyaha?l-kafirun (Say, O disbelievers) Al-Kafirun 109 until he finished the surah, and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: ?This is a slave of Allah who knows his Lord.? In the second rak?ah, he recited Qul Huwa Allahu ahad (Say, He is Allah, who is One) Al-Ikhlas 112 until he finished the surah, and the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: ?This is a slave of Allah who believes in his Lord.? [600] Narrated by At-Tahawi: Sharh Ma?ani Al-Athar, 1774; Ibn Hibban, 2460; Al-Bayhaqi: Shu?ab Al-Iman, 2524.
It is recommended to recite it when going to sleep, for it is a disavowal of shirk.
It was narrated from Nawfal Al-Ashja?i (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said to him: Recite Qul ya ayyaha?l-kafirun (Say, O disbelievers) Al-Kafirun 109 when you go to sleep, then sleep straight after finishing it, for it is a disavowal of shirk.? [601] Narrated by Abu Dawud, 5055; At-Tirmidhi, 3403; Ahmad, 23807.
Makki or Madani?
Surat Al-Kafirun is Makki, and it was narrated that there was consensus regarding that. [602] Those who narrated that there was consensus regarding that include Ibn ?Atiyyah. See: Tafsir Ibn ?Atiyyah, 5/497.
Objectives
The most important objectives of this surah include:
Complete disavowal between the monotheists and the polytheists. [603] See: Ibn Al-Qayyim: Bada?i? Al-Fawa?id, 1/138.
Topics?????
The most significant topics addressed in Surat Al-Kafirun include:
Allah?s command to His Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) to declare his disavowal of the disbelievers; to declare that he did not worship their false objects of worship, and that they did not worship the true God Whom he worshipped; and to declare his disavowal of their religion, so for them was their religion and for him was his religion.