Adapted from Tafsir Ibn Ashur

Themes and purpose:

This Meccan surah is an absolute and definitive declaration of disassociation from polytheism. Its purpose is to deliver the final word to the unbelievers of Quraysh, ending their attempts at compromise by asserting that the monotheistic religion of Islam will never mix with the disbelief of their idols.

Context of Revelation:

Era: Makkan by consensus.

Context: The surah was revealed after a delegation of Quraysh leaders (including Al-Walīd ibn al-Mughīrah and Umayyah ibn Khalaf) approached the Prophet (ﷺ) to offer a compromise whereby both parties would worship each other’s deities in turn.

Chronology: It is counted as the 18th surah in the order of revelation, revealed after Sūrat al-Māʿūn and before al-Fīl.

Name and Ayah Count:

Name: The surah is known by several names: "Sūrat al-Kāfirūn" (The Disbelievers) and "Qul Yā Ayyuhā al-Kāfirūn", based on the opening. It has been called "Sūrat al-ʿIbādah" (The Worship) and "Sūrat al-Dīn" (The Religion), with reference to these themes and words in the surah. Another name for it is "Sūrat al-Ikhlāṣ" (Purity of Faith), though this is more famously the name for Q 112 (Qul huwa Allāhu aḥad).

Verse Count: 6 ayahs.

Surah Overview:

• Delivering a definitive, conclusive statement to the mushrikūn that the Prophet (ﷺ) will never associate partners with Allah in his worship. [2, 4]
• Rejection of Compromise: Establishing an absolute barrier between the monotheistic doctrine of Islam and the polytheistic practices of the polytheists. [2-5]
• Mutual Separation: Concluding with the principle: "For you is your religion, and for me is my religion." [6]