Tafsir of Surah al Kafirun - The Disbelievers (Surah 109)

1) Say: O disbelievers! 2) I do not worship what you worship, 3) and you do not worship what I worship. 4) I will never worship what you worship, 5) and you will never worship what I worship. 6) You have your religion and I have mine.1

“Say: O disbelievers!” openly and clearly “I do not worship what you worship,” I clear myself of what you worship, outwardly and inwardly “and you do not worship what I worship,” because you do not worship Allah sincerely, alone. Your worship of Him, mixed as it is with the worship of others besides Him, cannot truly be called worship. “I will never worship what you worship, and you will never worship what I worship,” this sentence has been repeated. The first instance shows that what is said is a statement of fact, the act will not happen. The second instance shows that the state of affairs has now been set in stone. It is for this reason that Allah proceeds to differentiate the two groups by saying, “You have your religion and I have mine,” just as Allah says, “Say, ‘Each man acts according to his nature, but your Lord knows best who is best guided on the Path’”^[2] and “If they deny you, say, ‘I have my actions and you have your actions. You are not responsible for what I do and I am not responsible for what you do.