Tafseer: Surah Al Kafirun
Sheikh Azhari and his children explore Surah Al-Kafirun, how the Prophet ﷺ treated people who did not believe, and trees planted in Jannah. Ages 4-9.
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What is Tafseer: Surah Al Kafirun about?
Tafseer: Surah Al Kafirun is an Islamic video for children aged 4 to 9 in which Sheikh Azhari and his children explore Surah Al-Kafirun, and talk about how the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ lived alongside people who did not share his faith.
The Sheikh sets the scene. The Prophet ﷺ was calling people to worship Allah, and the people around him said no: worship our idols. The books of tafsir say they then offered a deal: let us worship Allah for one year and the idols the next. Does that sound like a good idea? No, and so Allah revealed this surah, which ends: "For you is your religion, and for me is mine."
What does "kafir" mean? The family remembers a trip to a farm. When they pulled up carrots, the carrots had been covered up by the earth, and a farmer covers his seeds with soil. The word comes from covering: the people who would not worship Allah were covering up the truth.
Did the Prophet ﷺ still live among these people? Yes. He walked in the same streets and ate in the same places, and even though they were unkind to him, he treated them well. At Ta'if, when he was offered the chance to have the town crushed between two mountains, he said no.
The talk then turns to Jannah. Is it already made? Yes. The Sheikh describes a tree so big that a rider on a horse could travel in its shade for a hundred years, and teaches the family a dhikr for which a palm tree is planted in Jannah. To get there, we pray, read the Qur'an, make dua, fast in Ramadan and follow the Sunnah, even by smiling, which is a good deed too.
The episode lasts about 7 minutes and is music-free.
What your child will learn
- Muslims worship Allah alone and never mix their worship with anyone else's, while living kindly among people of other faiths.
- The Prophet ﷺ treated people well, even when they were unkind to him.
- The word "kafir" comes from covering something up.
- Remembering Allah with dhikr plants trees for us in Jannah.
- A smile is a good deed, as the Prophet ﷺ taught.
Where this video comes from
- Surah Al-Kafirun 109:1-6: Say, O disbelievers, I do not worship what you worship, nor do you worship what I worship. For you is your religion, and for me is mine.
- Sahih al-Bukhari 3231: At Ta'if, the angel of the mountains offered to crush the people between two mountains, and the Prophet ﷺ refused, hoping their children would worship Allah.
- Sahih al-Bukhari 3251: In Jannah there is a tree in whose shade a rider could travel for a hundred years.
- Jami at-Tirmidhi 3464: Whoever says "Subhan Allahil-Azim wa bihamdihi", a palm tree is planted for him in Jannah.
- Jami at-Tirmidhi 1956: Your smile in the face of your brother is charity.
Talk about it afterwards
- What deal did the people offer the Prophet ﷺ, and why did he say no?
- How did the Prophet ﷺ treat people who were unkind to him?
- What would you do if someone at school was unkind to you?
- What good deeds can we do every day to get closer to Jannah?
Words to know
- Kafirun
- Those who cover up the truth and do not believe.
- Sunnah
- What the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said and did.
- Dhikr
- Remembering Allah with words of praise.
- Jannah
- Paradise.
Frequently asked questions
What age is Tafseer: Surah Al Kafirun suitable for?
Children aged 4 to 9. It is a relaxed family conversation with lots of questions for the children.
Is Tafseer: Surah Al Kafirun based on the Qur'an?
Yes. It explains Surah Al-Kafirun, and adds hadith about the Prophet ﷺ at Ta'if, the trees of Jannah and smiling.
Does Tafseer: Surah Al Kafirun have music?
No. It is music-free.
What does Tafseer: Surah Al Kafirun teach children?
That Muslims worship Allah alone, and that the Prophet ﷺ still lived kindly among people of other faiths and treated them well.
