109-Surah-Kaafiroon.pdf

Like many of the shorter surahs, the surah of the Unbelievers takes the form of an invocation, telling the reader something they must ask for or say aloud. Here, the passage asks one to keep in mind the separation between belief and unbelief both in the past and the present, ending with the often cited line "To you your religion, and to me mine". Although some view this as an argument against religious intolerance, others see it as a more time-specific revelation, warning the newly founded. Muslim minority in Mecca against being induced (by the Quraish majority) to collude with disbelievers. "Wahb bin Munabbih has related that the people of Quraish said 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). In this latter view, from time to time the Quraish leaders would visit Muhammad with different proposals of compromise so that if he accepted one of them the dispute between them would be brought to an end.--- Updated: 2018-08-18