Slideshow presentation of the meaning and background information for Surat Al-Kafiroon. This is a great resource for Islamic Studies and Quran teachers to use in the classroom. For a free digital copy and worksheets, DM quran4kidz on Instagram.

1. Surat Al-Kafiroon
Created by: Banan Mahmaljy-Obeid

2. The
Prophet
was
Insulted
In the previous surah (Al-Kawthar) we learned that when
the Prophet’s (S) sons died, the people of Quraysh called
him ABTAR- meaning the cut off one.
In their minds, having no sons meant that the Prophet had
no one to carry his name and no means of support.
This insult has no basis since the Prophet has the best
linage= His UMMAH = Every single Muslim that comes after
him will study his life in detail, follow his every word, and
pass down his teachings from generation to generation!!!
You are cut
off! You have
no sons!
The prophet was always soft & gentle and never responded to
an insult with an insult. So Allah (S) sent down Surah Al-
Kafiroon to tell the Prophet (S) how to respond:

3. Ayah
#1
Not: “Oh my people” Not: “Oh people of Quraysh”
Allah’s anger is manifested in this Ayah. The Prophet (S) was being told to separate himself
from his people. How bad must they be that Allah tells him to call them Kafiroon?
This is the insult thrown back at them…the worst insult is to be called a Kafir- someone who
denies the Creator after being given many proofs and given many chances.
This was a point in time when the people of Quraysh had been hurting the Muslims for
almost a decade, and it was time for the Muslims to take a different approach.
Tell them (Oh Muhammad): “Oh You Kafiroon”:
You disbelievers - the ones who rejected.

4. The Kuffar
Try to
Pressure
the Prophet
Background Information:
The kuffar had been trying to pressure the Prophet (S) to stop his mission.
They tried insulting him, spreading lies & rumors, physical abuse.
When their efforts failed, they even tried to compromise with him:
This is a classic trick of Shaytan…we sometimes tell
ourselves: I’ll cheat today, then tomorrow I’ll give charity
to make up for it.
Or: I’ll commit haram all year, then wait until Ramadan
comes and my sins will be erased. We try to compromise
with Allah (S)
We will
give you
power!
We will
give you
money!
We will worship
your God one year,
& our God the next!
Of course, the Prophet (S) rejected all bribes and
compromises: He was not interested in money or
power. He was Messenger sent to teach the path of

5. Ayah
#2
When you are driving your car, having lunch,
or brushing your teeth, you are not
worshipping Allah, but you are still a slave to
Allah (S).
A slave is a slave all the time, regardless
of what they’re doing.
A Muslim is always a slave of Allah.
Being a slave to others, to fashion, social
media, friends, greed, or our own desires
is demeaning.
Being a slave to the One who created and
controls everything is an HONOR. It gives
us security. Slavery to Allah frees us from
having to care about all the other
pressures we face on a daily basis.…
We become FREE to do what’s right.
I do not worship or enslave myself to what you worship and enslave yourself to
Ibadah Worship
Enslavement
EX:
When you are praying, you are worshipping.
When you are reading Quran, you are worshipping.
But what are you doing in between those acts??
It doesn’t make for a slave of Allah to go to the masjid for Maghrib
prayer,then go to a bar until Ishaa prayer. What we do in between worship
defines our slavery

6. The Arabs
Believed in
Allah
but Refused
Ibadah
They believed in Allah, but they wanted to choose
their own rules…they wanted to define how to
worship Him themselves! They worshipped the idols
because they wanted figures they could see with their
eyes. They used the idols as a way to get rich when
pilgrims came to the Kaaba to make Tawaf. They
worshipped idols because that’s what their forefathers
did. They didn’t worship idols because they actually
believed in them as Creators
This was the problem that the Arabs had…
They admitted that Allah created
everything but they didn’t want to accept
him as their MASTER so they wouldn’t have
to change their bad ways…..
When they refused to give the orphan, to
not feed the poor, not not be fair, to not
kill, to not abuse others, they were
refusing to be slaves of Allah.

7. The Next
3 Ayat
In the next 3 Ayat it appears that Allah (S) is repeating the same thing, but there is a reason for this:
#1. Allah repeats the same answer to add more emphasis: Repeating the answer is like saying: “Did you hear
me? It’s not going to happen!” The Prophet isn’t going to change his mind. The answer isn’t going to change
based on the type of offer he receives from Quraysh. Muslims won’t compromise on their beliefs and actions.
#2. Allah repeats the response, but there are slight differences in tense.
This is meant to say: I never liked how you acted even BEFORE I was prophet…(past tense) and I will never
accept it (in the future) - especially after receiving revelation.
#3. There is emphasis on the idea: My God can not possibly be compared to your Gods.
The Ayat are telling the Prophet to tell the kuffar that he will not worship what they
worship (idols) and he will not be a slave to what they enslave themselves to ( desires,
greed for money, tradition, egos…)

8. What Does the
Last Ayah
Foreshadow?
Your way of life is only for you.
And my way of life is for me.
Allah is telling the prophet that the doors have closed on Quraysh…
It’s been almost 10 years of continuous rejection!! The Prophet will soon be leaving the city.
This Ayah is foreshadowing the Hijra to Medina… Allah will tell the Prophet that the time
has come to take the Muslims and move out of Mecca.
The Prophet did his part with the people of Quraysh.
The Prophet’s mission wasn’t over, but it was necessary to leave Mecca temporarily.
Part of the Prophet’s mission was to purify the Kaaba from the idols - to bring back Prophet Ibraheem’s teachings
to the house he built. This will happen almost a decade later when the Prophet and the Muslims conquer Mecca, as
mentioned in Surat Al-Nasr and Surat Al-Fath.
This means: You’ll be judged based on what you
did. And I’ll be judged based on what I did.
This is an open challenge: “Let’s see who ends
up on top….”