Ayahs 1–6 · word-by-word grammatical analysis Read the bilingual lesson for Surah Al-Kafirun — Part 1 and test your understanding with a focused quiz.
Lesson
1. Surah Al-Kafirun · Ayah 1
قُلْ يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلْكَـٰفِرُونَ ١
Sentence structure
Imperative قُلْ is followed by the vocative expression يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا. The defined masculine-plural nominative active participle ٱلْكَـٰفِرُونَ stands in apposition to the vocative noun.
Ayah summary
The Prophet ﷺ was commanded to address the deniers plainly.
قُلْ — Say
Grammar: A second-person masculine-singular imperative whose subject is the hidden pronoun «أَنْتَ».
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا — O
Grammar: A vocative expression containing particle يَا and nominative vocative noun أَيُّهَا.
ٱلْكَـٰفِرُونَ — disbelievers
Grammar: A defined masculine-plural nominative active participle in apposition to أَيُّهَا.
2. Surah Al-Kafirun · Ayah 2
لَآ أَعْبُدُ مَا تَعْبُدُونَ ٢
Sentence structure
Negative particle لَآ negates the first-person imperfect أَعْبُدُ. مَا introduces its object expression, followed by the clause تَعْبُدُونَ.
Ayah summary
I do not worship what you worship.
لَآ — Not
Grammar: A negating particle governing the following imperfect clause.
أَعْبُدُ — I worship
Grammar: A first-person singular imperfect negated by لَآ; its subject is the hidden pronoun «أَنَا».
مَا — what
Grammar: Introduces the object expression of أَعْبُدُ and is followed by its clause.
تَعْبُدُونَ — you worship
Grammar: A second-person masculine-plural imperfect; its visible group-wāw is the subject.
3. Surah Al-Kafirun · Ayah 3
وَلَآ أَنتُمْ عَـٰبِدُونَ مَآ أَعْبُدُ ٣
Sentence structure
وَ coordinates and لَآ negates the nominal clause. أَنتُمْ is its subject and nominative active participle عَـٰبِدُونَ its predicate; مَآ أَعْبُدُ completes the object expression of the participle.
Ayah summary
And you do not worship the One whom I worship.
وَلَآ — And not
Grammar: وَ is a conjunction and لَآ negates the following nominal clause.
أَنتُمْ — you
Grammar: An independent second-person masculine-plural pronoun serving as subject of the nominal clause.
عَـٰبِدُونَ — (are) worshippers
Grammar: A masculine-plural nominative active participle serving as predicate of أَنتُمْ.
مَآ — (of) what
Grammar: Introduces the object expression of عَـٰبِدُونَ and is followed by its clause.
أَعْبُدُ — I worship
Grammar: A first-person singular imperfect in the clause following مَآ; its subject is the hidden pronoun «أَنَا».
4. Surah Al-Kafirun · Ayah 4
وَلَآ أَنَا۠ عَابِدٌ مَّا عَبَدتُّمْ ٤
Sentence structure
وَ coordinates and لَآ negates the nominal clause. أَنَا۠ is its subject and nominative active participle عَابِدٌ its predicate; مَّا عَبَدتُّمْ completes the object expression of the participle.
Ayah summary
And I am not a worshipper of what you have worshipped.
وَلَآ — And not
Grammar: وَ is a conjunction and لَآ negates the following nominal clause.
أَنَا۠ — I am
Grammar: An independent first-person singular pronoun serving as subject of the nominal clause.
عَابِدٌۭ — a worshipper
Grammar: An indefinite masculine-singular nominative active participle serving as predicate of أَنَا۠.
مَّا — (of) what
Grammar: Introduces the object expression of عَابِدٌۭ and is followed by its clause.
عَبَدتُّمْ — you worship
Grammar: A second-person masculine-plural perfect; its attached plural ending is the visible subject.
5. Surah Al-Kafirun · Ayah 5
وَلَآ أَنتُمْ عَـٰبِدُونَ مَآ أَعْبُدُ ٥
Sentence structure
وَ coordinates and لَآ negates the nominal clause. أَنتُمْ is its subject and nominative active participle عَـٰبِدُونَ its predicate; مَآ أَعْبُدُ completes the object expression of the participle.
Ayah summary
And you are not worshippers of the One whom I worship.
وَلَآ — And not
Grammar: وَ is a conjunction and لَآ negates the following nominal clause.
أَنتُمْ — you
Grammar: An independent second-person masculine-plural pronoun serving as subject of the nominal clause.
عَـٰبِدُونَ — (are) worshippers
Grammar: A masculine-plural nominative active participle serving as predicate of أَنتُمْ.
مَآ — (of) what
Grammar: Introduces the object expression of عَـٰبِدُونَ and is followed by its clause.
أَعْبُدُ — I worship
Grammar: A first-person singular imperfect in the clause following مَآ; its subject is the hidden pronoun «أَنَا».
6. Surah Al-Kafirun · Ayah 6
لَكُمْ دِينُكُمْ وَلِىَ دِينِ ٦
Sentence structure
The prepositional phrase لَكُمْ precedes the nominative noun دِينُكُمْ. وَ coordinates the parallel prepositional phrase لِىَ and nominative دِينِ.
Ayah summary
For you is your religion, and for me is mine.
لَكُمْ — For you
Grammar: Preposition لَ governs كُمْ; لَكُمْ is linked to an omitted nominal subject whose predicate is دِينُكُمْ.
دِينُكُمْ — (is) your religion
Grammar: A masculine nominative noun followed by attached second-person masculine-plural possessive كُمْ.
وَلِىَ — and for me
Grammar: وَ coordinates; لِ governs the attached first-person pronoun. لِىَ is linked to an omitted nominal subject whose predicate is دِينِ, and this nominal sentence is coordinated with the preceding one.
دِينِ — (is) my religion
Grammar: A masculine noun in the nominative syntactic role with a first-person singular possessive suffix represented in the written ending.