WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.700 In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. 00:00:03.399 --> 00:00:08.099 The brief commentary on the book "Identification Cards 00:00:08.099 --> 00:00:10.199 for the Surahs of the Noble Qur'an" 00:00:11.300 --> 00:00:15.099 by Dr. Muhammad Ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz Ibn 'Umar Nasif, 00:00:15.099 --> 00:00:16.300 may Allah preserve him. 00:00:17.000 --> 00:00:19.839 Surah al-Kafirun. 00:00:20.239 --> 00:00:22.129 In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. 00:00:22.129 --> 00:00:24.129 All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of all the worlds, 00:00:24.530 --> 00:00:27.929 and may peace and blessings be upon the Seal of the Prophets and Messengers, 00:00:27.929 --> 00:00:29.929 and upon his family and all his Companions. 00:00:31.170 --> 00:00:32.469 We are still continuing with 00:00:33.229 --> 00:00:35.630 the brief commentary on the identification cards, 00:00:35.630 --> 00:00:38.229 and we have arrived at Surah al-Kafirun. 00:00:39.020 --> 00:00:41.119 I have three points of reflection regarding it. 00:00:41.719 --> 00:00:44.020 The first reflection concerns the virtues of the Surah, 00:00:44.020 --> 00:00:46.820 as it was mentioned here that among its virtues 00:00:47.320 --> 00:00:49.219 is that it is recited in specific instances, 00:00:49.219 --> 00:00:51.520 including the first rak'ah of the Sunnah prayer of Fajr. 00:00:52.020 --> 00:00:54.920 What I have noticed is that 00:00:55.320 --> 00:00:58.820 in these instances where we recite Surah al-Kafirun, 00:00:59.609 --> 00:01:01.710 the address in the Surah 00:01:02.310 --> 00:01:03.409 is directed to the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, 00:01:03.409 --> 00:01:04.810 and the believer follows his lead 00:01:05.730 --> 00:01:08.030 in words spoken to the disbelievers. 00:01:09.730 --> 00:01:12.629 Yet when you recite it in these instances where 00:01:13.030 --> 00:01:15.530 it is prescribed for you to recite this Surah, 00:01:16.359 --> 00:01:18.560 the disbelievers do not actually hear you, 00:01:19.290 --> 00:01:20.489 nor are they aware of you. 00:01:21.670 --> 00:01:23.769 When you recite it in the Sunnah of Fajr, for example, 00:01:24.659 --> 00:01:26.560 in the first rak'ah after al-Fatihah, 00:01:26.560 --> 00:01:29.459 "Say, 'O disbelievers,'" which of the disbelievers hears you? 00:01:30.510 --> 00:01:32.510 In principle, none of them hears you, 00:01:32.510 --> 00:01:33.709 and that is indeed the reality. 00:01:35.370 --> 00:01:37.469 Why then do you recite this Surah, 00:01:38.099 --> 00:01:42.000 addressing the disbelievers when they are not present? 00:01:42.700 --> 00:01:43.700 The truth, 00:01:44.359 --> 00:01:45.760 as it occurred to me, 00:01:46.159 --> 00:01:48.959 is that by doing so you are reminding yourself 00:01:48.959 --> 00:01:52.359 of a fundamental reality that must firmly settle in your heart, 00:01:52.959 --> 00:01:55.859 which you constantly need to renew 00:01:56.159 --> 00:01:58.659 regarding your stance toward the disbelievers: 00:01:59.060 --> 00:02:00.400 “I worship not that which ye worship;” (109:2) 00:02:00.400 --> 00:02:01.859 "Nor are you worshippers of what I worship. 00:02:01.859 --> 00:02:03.140 Nor will I be a worshipper of what you worship. 00:02:03.140 --> 00:02:04.140 Nor will you be worshippers of what I worship. 00:02:04.959 --> 00:02:06.459 For you is your religion, and for me is my religion." 00:02:07.799 --> 00:02:09.319 As for the second reflection, 00:02:10.000 --> 00:02:12.419 it is that the Surah begins with a command: 00:02:13.270 --> 00:02:14.849 “Say: O disbelievers!” (109:1) 00:02:15.659 --> 00:02:19.409 The Surah clarifies the Muslim's stance 00:02:19.509 --> 00:02:20.610 toward the disbeliever. 00:02:21.199 --> 00:02:23.500 So who defines this stance? 00:02:24.400 --> 00:02:27.000 It is Allah, Glorified and Exalted be He. 00:02:27.379 --> 00:02:30.419 Thus, this command—"Say, 'O disbelievers'"—reminds you, 00:02:30.419 --> 00:02:32.419 O Muslim, 00:02:32.419 --> 00:02:36.419 that your stance toward the disbeliever is not something you decide yourself; 00:02:36.419 --> 00:02:42.419 rather, you receive it from the revelation sent down to the Prophet, peace be upon him. 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 00:02:48.419 --> 00:02:52.639 of disavowal of the disbelievers and steadfastness upon this religion. 00:02:52.639 --> 00:02:56.639 This draws our attention to an extremely important matter, 00:02:56.639 --> 00:03:02.840 for it is often claimed that the issue of disavowal of disbelievers was merely an idea 00:03:02.840 --> 00:03:08.840 invented or fabricated by certain Muslim scholars during a particular era 00:03:08.840 --> 00:03:12.840 due to specific circumstances—and this is categorically false. 00:03:12.840 --> 00:03:16.960 The Qur'an is explicit on this matter; 00:03:16.960 --> 00:03:18.960 an example of this is this very Surah, 00:03:18.960 --> 00:03:24.000 along with other Surahs and verses that frequently address this. 00:03:24.000 --> 00:03:29.090 Disavowal of the disbelievers is an unambiguous principle in this religion, 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 00:03:38.120 --> 00:03:46.379 to reaffirm this stance within ourselves and to live by it in interacting with others, 00:03:46.379 --> 00:03:53.379 along with the regulations and details found in other verses, 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. 00:03:58.379 --> 00:04:02.379 As for the claim that this is an extraneous innovation in the religion, 00:04:02.379 --> 00:04:07.379 a Surah like this is a definitive refutation of such an allegation. 00:04:07.379 --> 00:04:09.379 And Allah knows best. 00:04:09.379 --> 00:04:13.379 May Allah send blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon his family and all his Companions, 00:04:13.379 --> 00:04:15.379 and all praise is due to Allah, the Lord of all the worlds.