Al-Kafirun, "The Disbelievers," is the 109th surah — six short verses revealed in Mecca. It was addressed to leaders of the Quraysh who proposed that the Prophet ﷺ worship their idols for a year if they would worship his God for a year. The surah is his answer.1
What it is about
The surah refuses the deal cleanly: "I do not worship what you worship, nor are you worshippers of what I worship." It repeats the point to leave no room for negotiation, then closes with the line it is best known for: "For you is your religion, and for me is mine." It is not a statement of indifference — the Prophet spent his life calling others to faith — but a refusal to merge the worship of God with the worship of anything else.
Why it matters
Al-Kafirun became a staple of daily worship: the Prophet ﷺ regularly recited it alongside Al-Ikhlas in the two voluntary units before the dawn prayer, pairing a rejection of false worship with an affirmation of God's oneness.2 To read Al-Kafirun in Arabic with translations and recitation, open it on Quran.com.