SURAH 109 – AL-KAFIROON

THE DISBELIEVERS

&

SURAH 111 – AL-MASAD

THE PALM FIBER

Quran Study Sessions – Session 14

Feb 2, 2020

Overview – Al-Kafiroon

❑ This Surah is Makki. It was revealed after one specific incident:

❑A group of Quraish including Waleed ibn Mugheerah and Ummayah ibn Khalaf and Abu Jahl came and said: "O Muhammad, follow our religion and we will follow your religion. Worship our gods for a year, and we will worship your God for a year." The Prophet said: "I seek refuge in Allah from ever committing Shirk with Allah." And this Surah was revealed.

❑This Surah was a "bara'ah" meaning "a declaration of freedom from responsibility or exemption" from Shirk and other religions.

❑ Because of this, the Prophet (ملسو هيلع هللا ىلص) said:

❑Recite (the Surah) 'Say, O you disbelievers!' and then go to sleep at its end, for it is a declaration of freedom from Shirk. (Sunan Abu Sawud)

Introduction

❑ This Surah was considered one quarter of the Quran along with Surah Zalzalah.

❑This is because of its immense significance with regards to purifying oneself from any corruptions from other religions. It is a surah of becoming sincere and becoming true to tawheed.

Introduction

❑ Why does Allah say "Say" instead of a direct statement?

❑ So that it is clear that it is Allah who ordered His servant to say it, and he isn't saying it out of his own accord.

❑ The Al-Kafiroon here are the people who asked the Prophet (SAW) to worship their idols for a year.

❑ In a general meaning, this refers to anyone who asks Muslims to compromise in their religion.

First Verse

❑This starts Allah's direct response to them asking the Prophet (SAW) to worship their idols.

❑The Prophet (SAW) does not worship their idols in the present.

❑These two verses: 2 and 3, are considered to be about the present.

Second Verse

❑Similarly, Allah says about their present, that they do not worship the God that Muhammad (SAW) worships.

❑These two verses can be considered a buildup to the next two.

❑Allah establishes the present factually before He moves on to deny them any future worship.

Third Verse

❑Why does Allah say they do not worship what Muhammad (SAW) worships when the people of Quraish did believe in Allah?

❑It is because worshiping is not simply believing in Allah nominally.

❑True Ibadah is when you submit yourself to Allah completely and follow his commands.

❑The Kafiroon did not submit themselves to Allah completely and instead made up things about him according to their desires.

Third Verse

❑This Surah itself is a demonstration of what true Ibadah is. It is to say exactly what Allah wants you to say like the Prophet (SAW) did when he recited this Surah.

❑The Mushrikoon and Kafiroonmade up things about Allah and said what they don't know instead of what Allah told them through a prophet.

[…] And do not follow the footsteps of Satan. Indeed, he is to you a clear enemy. He only orders you to evil and immorality and to say about Allah what you do not know. (2:168-169)

Third Verse

❑It is in a future tense form.

❑This is a response to their request for the Prophet (SAW) to worship their idols.

❑"I will not worship whatyou worship."

Fourth Verse

❑Similarly, "You will not worship what I worship."

❑The reason for the repitition may be that Allah is saying:

❑"I do not worship what you worship currently. You do not worship what I worship currently. And I will never worship what you worship in the future. Nor will you worship what I worship in the future." Allah mentions the two presents and two futures together

❑It is also for emphasis. It is such an important thing that Allah thought it needed to be mentioned twice that we are free from their worship.

Fifth Verse

❑For you is your religion, and for me is my religion.

❑This ayah is after the fact that the they have been warned. Only after they rejected him, Allah revealed this.

❑Otherwise it is a Muslim's responsibility to spread the message of Islam. If they reject it, it is their choice. But conveying the message is our responsibility.

Sixth Verse

❑This ayah is also telling disbelievers not to try to mix anything with Islam. Muslims cannot accept it.

❑It is also a statement that the Quraish cannot oppress people for Islam. Let the Muslim's have their religion even if you have your own.

Sixth Verse

❑Another meaning of "deen" is judgement. Like in Fatiha.

❑So, this verse also means "For you is your judgement, and for me is my judgement."

❑Similar to other places in the Quran where Allah says:

And when they hear ill speech, they turn away from it and say, "For us are our deeds, and for you are your deeds. Peace will be upon you; we seek not the ignorant." (28:55)

Sixth Verse

❑This Surah is about complete declaration of freedom from responsibility of any Shirk.

❑First you reject any Shirk in the present, and separate yourself from those who do the Shirk.

❑Then, you reject Shirk in the future, and separate yourself again from those who do the Shirk.

❑And you disavow any part in their religion. And you disavow any part in their judgement.

❑This is why the Prophet called this Surah "Bara'ah" from Shirk.

Overall Explanation

Overview – Al-Masad

❑ This Surah is Makki. It was specifically revealed about one person: Abu Lahab, the uncle of the Prophet (SAW).

❑It was revealed after two incidents. One is the following:

❑When the Verse: 'And warn your tribe of near kindred.' (26.214) was revealed. Allah's Messenger (ملسو هيلع هللا ىلص) went out, and when he had ascended As-Safa mountain, he shouted, "Be warned!" The people said, "Who is that?" "Then they gathered around him, whereupon he said, "What if I inform you that cavalrymen are proceeding up the side of this mountain, will you believe me?" They said, "We have never heard you telling a lie." Then he said, "I am a plain warner to you of a coming severe punishment." Abu Lahab said, "May you perish! You gathered us only for this reason? " Then Abu Lahab went away. So the "Surat-ul-Lahab" 'Perish the hands of Abu Lahab!' (111.1) was revealed. (Sahih Al-Bukhari)

❑Before this incident of Safa, Abu Lahab was also given the message privately with close relatives of the Prophet when he gave a similar response. (Mafaateeh Al-Ghaib)

Introduction

❑With regards to arrangement of the Surah, it comes after Surah Nasr and Surah Kafiroon.

❑In Surah Kafiroon, Allah commands the believers to let go of Shirk and only worship Allah and enter His deen.

❑A logical question from that could be "What will be the benefit of doing it, and the harm of not doing it?"

❑In Surah Nasr, Allah explains the benefit of doing it: Conquest and victory in this world. And forgiveness in the hereafter as well.

❑In Surah Masad, he explains the consequences of rejecting the deen by making an example out of Abu Lahab.

Introduction

❑ What does Tabb mean?

❑ It means to be destroyed or to die.

❑ Also can mean to be in extreme loss.

❑ Why are the hands of Abu Lahab mentioned?

❑ Hands represent his deeds. So, Allah is saying his deeds have been destroyed.

❑ The second Tabb signifies that he himself is destroyed not just his deeds.

First Verse

❑Abu Lahab was recorded saying (jokingly): "If what my nephew says is true, I will ransom my soul with my wealth and children."

❑This ayah says neither his wealth nor what he got in children will help him on the Day of Judgement. ("What he earned" may mean children)

❑Another meaning is that his wealth and his actions to stop the Prophet will not succeed in stopping Islam's spread. ("What he earned" may mean his actions)

Second Verse

❑Allah says the future of Abu Lahab. That he will go to the Fire.

❑There is a play with words here where Allah uses Abu Lahab's nickname itself and uses it in the verse against him. "Lahab" means "blazing". Abu Lahab was named that because his face had a reddish complexion.

Third Verse

❑The wife of Abu Lahab supported him in everything he did, and was as responsible for evil actions as her husband.

❑She used to place thorns on the path of the Prophet (SAW), soAllah mentions her "carrying firewood."

❑She will continue to do this (carry firewood) even in Jahannam, and she will have a rope of fire around her neck.

Fourth and Fifth Verses

❑This Surah is about the punishment for Abu Lahab and his wife. Both of them are responsible for evil things especially concering their treatment of the Prophet (SAW). Abu Lahab went around telling everyong the Prophet was a madman.

❑On the other hand, his wife used to find him to place thorns and sharp branches in his path.

❑Both of them deserved their punishment. Allah mentions their story as an example for everyone. Even the uncle of the Prophet (SAW) wasn't given any special treatment because of his relationship with thw Prophet.

❑This surah emphasizes the effects of rejecting the message of Islam.

Overall Explanation

❑http://www.islamicstudies.info/tafheem.php?sura=110&verse=1&to=3

❑https://archive.org/stream/TafseerIbnKathirenglish114SurahsComplete/110Nasr#page/n1/mode/2up

❑Arabic: https://furqan.co/110/1

References