1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:02,700 In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. 2 00:00:03,399 --> 00:00:08,099 The brief commentary on the book "Identification Cards 3 00:00:08,099 --> 00:00:10,199 for the Surahs of the Noble Qur'an" 4 00:00:11,300 --> 00:00:15,099 by Dr. Muhammad Ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz Ibn 'Umar Nasif, 5 00:00:15,099 --> 00:00:16,300 may Allah preserve him. 6 00:00:17,000 --> 00:00:19,839 Surah al-Kafirun. 7 00:00:20,239 --> 00:00:22,129 In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. 8 00:00:22,129 --> 00:00:24,129 All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of all the worlds, 9 00:00:24,530 --> 00:00:27,929 and may peace and blessings be upon the Seal of the Prophets and Messengers, 10 00:00:27,929 --> 00:00:29,929 and upon his family and all his Companions. 11 00:00:31,170 --> 00:00:32,469 We are still continuing with 12 00:00:33,229 --> 00:00:35,630 the brief commentary on the identification cards, 13 00:00:35,630 --> 00:00:38,229 and we have arrived at Surah al-Kafirun. 14 00:00:39,020 --> 00:00:41,119 I have three points of reflection regarding it. 15 00:00:41,719 --> 00:00:44,020 The first reflection concerns the virtues of the Surah, 16 00:00:44,020 --> 00:00:46,820 as it was mentioned here that among its virtues 17 00:00:47,320 --> 00:00:49,219 is that it is recited in specific instances, 18 00:00:49,219 --> 00:00:51,520 including the first rak'ah of the Sunnah prayer of Fajr. 19 00:00:52,020 --> 00:00:54,920 What I have noticed is that 20 00:00:55,320 --> 00:00:58,820 in these instances where we recite Surah al-Kafirun, 21 00:00:59,609 --> 00:01:01,710 the address in the Surah 22 00:01:02,310 --> 00:01:03,409 is directed to the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, 23 00:01:03,409 --> 00:01:04,810 and the believer follows his lead 24 00:01:05,730 --> 00:01:08,030 in words spoken to the disbelievers. 25 00:01:09,730 --> 00:01:12,629 Yet when you recite it in these instances where 26 00:01:13,030 --> 00:01:15,530 it is prescribed for you to recite this Surah, 27 00:01:16,359 --> 00:01:18,560 the disbelievers do not actually hear you, 28 00:01:19,290 --> 00:01:20,489 nor are they aware of you. 29 00:01:21,670 --> 00:01:23,769 When you recite it in the Sunnah of Fajr, for example, 30 00:01:24,659 --> 00:01:26,560 in the first rak'ah after al-Fatihah, 31 00:01:26,560 --> 00:01:29,459 "Say, 'O disbelievers,'" which of the disbelievers hears you? 32 00:01:30,510 --> 00:01:32,510 In principle, none of them hears you, 33 00:01:32,510 --> 00:01:33,709 and that is indeed the reality. 34 00:01:35,370 --> 00:01:37,469 Why then do you recite this Surah, 35 00:01:38,099 --> 00:01:42,000 addressing the disbelievers when they are not present? 36 00:01:42,700 --> 00:01:43,700 The truth, 37 00:01:44,359 --> 00:01:45,760 as it occurred to me, 38 00:01:46,159 --> 00:01:48,959 is that by doing so you are reminding yourself 39 00:01:48,959 --> 00:01:52,359 of a fundamental reality that must firmly settle in your heart, 40 00:01:52,959 --> 00:01:55,859 which you constantly need to renew 41 00:01:56,159 --> 00:01:58,659 regarding your stance toward the disbelievers: 42 00:01:59,060 --> 00:02:00,400 “I worship not that which ye worship;” (109:2) 43 00:02:00,400 --> 00:02:01,859 "Nor are you worshippers of what I worship. 44 00:02:01,859 --> 00:02:03,140 Nor will I be a worshipper of what you worship. 45 00:02:03,140 --> 00:02:04,140 Nor will you be worshippers of what I worship. 46 00:02:04,959 --> 00:02:06,459 For you is your religion, and for me is my religion." 47 00:02:07,799 --> 00:02:09,319 As for the second reflection, 48 00:02:10,000 --> 00:02:12,419 it is that the Surah begins with a command: 49 00:02:13,270 --> 00:02:14,849 “Say: O disbelievers!” (109:1) 50 00:02:15,659 --> 00:02:19,409 The Surah clarifies the Muslim's stance 51 00:02:19,509 --> 00:02:20,610 toward the disbeliever. 52 00:02:21,199 --> 00:02:23,500 So who defines this stance? 53 00:02:24,400 --> 00:02:27,000 It is Allah, Glorified and Exalted be He. 54 00:02:27,379 --> 00:02:30,419 Thus, this command—"Say, 'O disbelievers'"—reminds you, 55 00:02:30,419 --> 00:02:32,419 O Muslim, 56 00:02:32,419 --> 00:02:36,419 that your stance toward the disbeliever is not something you decide yourself; 57 00:02:36,419 --> 00:02:42,419 rather, you receive it from the revelation sent down to the Prophet, peace be upon him. 58 00:02:42,419 --> 00:02:48,419 As for the third reflection, it relates to the theme of the Surah, as it was mentioned that it clearly speaks 59 00:02:48,419 --> 00:02:52,639 of disavowal of the disbelievers and steadfastness upon this religion. 60 00:02:52,639 --> 00:02:56,639 This draws our attention to an extremely important matter, 61 00:02:56,639 --> 00:03:02,840 for it is often claimed that the issue of disavowal of disbelievers was merely an idea 62 00:03:02,840 --> 00:03:08,840 invented or fabricated by certain Muslim scholars during a particular era 63 00:03:08,840 --> 00:03:12,840 due to specific circumstances—and this is categorically false. 64 00:03:12,840 --> 00:03:16,960 The Qur'an is explicit on this matter; 65 00:03:16,960 --> 00:03:18,960 an example of this is this very Surah, 66 00:03:18,960 --> 00:03:24,000 along with other Surahs and verses that frequently address this. 67 00:03:24,000 --> 00:03:29,090 Disavowal of the disbelievers is an unambiguous principle in this religion, 68 00:03:29,090 --> 00:03:38,120 and it is made clear in this Surah, which we are prescribed to repeat and recite in various places 69 00:03:38,120 --> 00:03:46,379 to reaffirm this stance within ourselves and to live by it in interacting with others, 70 00:03:46,379 --> 00:03:53,379 along with the regulations and details found in other verses, 71 00:03:53,379 --> 00:03:58,379 in the hadiths of the Prophet, peace be upon him, and in the texts of the scholars. 72 00:03:58,379 --> 00:04:02,379 As for the claim that this is an extraneous innovation in the religion, 73 00:04:02,379 --> 00:04:07,379 a Surah like this is a definitive refutation of such an allegation. 74 00:04:07,379 --> 00:04:09,379 And Allah knows best. 75 00:04:09,379 --> 00:04:13,379 May Allah send blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon his family and all his Companions, 76 00:04:13,379 --> 00:04:15,379 and all praise is due to Allah, the Lord of all the worlds.