Historical Background
There was a time in Makkah when although a storm of opposition had arisen in the pagan society of Quraishagainst the message of Islam preached by the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace)
yet the Quraishchiefs hall not yet lost hope that they would reach some sort of a compromise with him. Therefore
from time to time they would visit him with different proposals of compromise so that he accepted one of them and the dispute between them was brought to an end. In this connection
different traditions have heen related in the Hadith. According to Hadrat Abdullah bin Abbas
the Quraishproposed to the Holy Prophet; "We shall give you so much of wealth that you will become the richest man of Makkah; we shall give you whichever woman you like in marriage; we are prepared to follow and obey you as our leader
only on the condition that you will not speak ill of our gods. If you do not agree to this
we present another proposal which is to your as well as to our advantage."When the Holy Prophet asked what it was
they said that if he would worship their gods
Lat and Uzza
for a year
they would worship his God for the same space of time. The Holy Prophet said: "Wait awhile; let me see what my Lord commands in this regard."Thereupon the revelation came down: Qul ya-ayyuhal- kafirun... and: Qul afa-ghair Allahi...(Az-Zumar: 64): "Say to them: ignorant people do you bid me to worship others than Allah?" (lbn Jarir
Ibn Abi Hatim
Tabarani). According to another tradition from Ibn Abbas
the Quraishsaid to the Holy Prophet: "O Muhammad
if you kiss our gods
the idols
we shall worship your God."Thereupon
this Sura was sent down. (Abd bin Humaid). Said bin Mina (the freed slave of Abul Bakhtari) has related that Walid bin Mughirah
As bin Wail
Aswad bin al-Muttalib and Umayyah bin Khalaf met the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) and said to him:"O Muhammad (upon whom be Allah's peace and blessings)
let us agree that we would worship your God and you would worship our gods
and we would make you a partner in all our works. If what you have brought was better than what we possess
we would be partners in it with You
and have our share in it
and if what we possess is better than what you have brought
you would be partner in it with us and have your share of it."At this Allah sent down: Qul ya-ayyuhal-kafirun (Ibn Jarir
Ibn Abi Hatim
Ibn Hisham also has related this incident in the Sirah). Wahb bin Munabbih has related that the people of Quraishsaid to Allah's' Messenger: "If you like we would enter your faith for a year and you would enter our faith for a year."(Abd bin Humaid
Ibn Abi Hatim). These traditions show that the Quraishhad proposed such things to the Holy Prophet not once
in one sitting
but at different times and on different occasions; and there was need that they should be given a definite
decisive reply so that their hope that he would come to terms with them on the principle of "give and take" was frustrated for ever.
Theme and Subject Matter
If the Sura is read with this background in mind
one finds that it was not revealed to preach religious tolerance as some people of today seem to think
but it was revealed in order to exonerate the Muslims from the disbelievers religion
their rites of worship
and their gods
and to express their total disgust and unconcern with them and to tell them that Islam and kufr (unbelief) had nothing in common and there was no possibility of their being combined and mixed into one entity. Although it was addressed in the beginning to the disbelieving Quraishin response to their proposals of compromise
yet it is not confined to them only
but having made it a part of the Quran
Allah gave the Muslims the eternal teaching that they should exonerate themselves by word and deed from the creed of kufr wherever and in whatever fomn it be
and should declare without any reservation that they cannot make any compromise with the disbelievers in the matter of Faith. That is why this Sura continued to be recited when the people to whom it was addressed as a rejoinder
had died and been forgotten
and those Muslims also continued to recite it who were disbelievers at the time it was revealed
and the Muslims still recite it centuries after they have passed away
for expression of disgust with and dissociation from kufr and its rites is a perpetual demand of Faith. As for the esteem in which the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) held this Sura
it can be judged from the following few ahadith: Hadrat Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) has related that on many an occasion he heard the Holy Prophet recite Suras Qul Ya- ayyuhal- kafirun and Qul Huwu-Allahu ahad in the two rakahs before the Fajr obligatory Prayer and in the two rakahs after the Maghrib obligatory Prayer. Several traditions on this subject with a little variation in wording have been related by Imam Ahmad
Tirmidhi
Nasai
Ibn Majah
Ibn Hibban
Ibn Marduyah from Ibn Umar. Hadrat Khabbab says: "The Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) said to me: when you lie down in bed to sleep
recite Qul ya-ayyuhal kafirun
and this was the Holy Prophet's own practice also; when he lay down to sleep
he recited this Sura." (Bazzar
Tabarani
Ibn Marduyah). According to Ibn Abbas
the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) said to the people: "Should I tell you the word which will protect you from polytheism?It is that you should recite Qul ya-ayyuhal kafirun when you go to bed."(Abu Ya'la
Tabarani). Hadrat Anas says that the Holy Prophet said to Hadrat Mu'adh bin Jabal; "Recite Qul ya-ayyuhal-kafirun at the time you go to bed
for this is immunity from polytheism." (Baihaqi in Ash-Shu'ab). Both Fardah bin Naufal and Abdur Rahman bin Naufal have stated that their father
Naufal bin Muawiyah al-Ashjai
said to the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace):"Teach me something which I may recite at the time I go to bed."The Holy Prophet replied: "Recite Qul ya-ayyuhal kafirun to the end and then sleep
for this is immunity from polytheism." (Musnad Ahmad
Aba Da'ud
Tirmidhi
Nasai
Ibn Abi Shaibah
Hakim
Ibn Marduyah
Baihaqi in Ash-Shuab). A similar request was made by Hadrat Jabalah bin Harithah
brother of Hadrat Said bin Harithah
to the Holy Prophet and to him also he gave the same reply. (Musnad Ahmad
Tabarani).