Surah Al-Kafirun — Part 1

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.

Practice questions

Question 1

قُلْ يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلْكَـٰفِرُونَ ۝١ What is the role of ٱلْكَـٰفِرُونَ in the vocative expression?

  • Nominative apposition to أَيُّهَا
  • Accusative object
  • Genitive noun
  • Negative particle

Question 2

لَآ أَعْبُدُ مَا تَعْبُدُونَ ۝٢ What role does مَا begin after أَعْبُدُ?

  • The subject
  • The object expression
  • A vocative
  • A prepositional phrase

Question 3

وَلَآ أَنتُمْ عَـٰبِدُونَ مَآ أَعْبُدُ ۝٣ What is the role of عَـٰبِدُونَ?

  • Accusative object
  • Genitive complement
  • Nominative predicate of أَنتُمْ
  • Imperative verb

Question 4

وَلَآ أَنَا۠ عَابِدٌ مَّا عَبَدتُّمْ ۝٤ What is the verbal aspect of عَبَدتُّمْ?

  • Imperfect
  • Imperative
  • Passive participle
  • Perfect

Question 5

وَلَآ أَنتُمْ عَـٰبِدُونَ مَآ أَعْبُدُ ۝٥ What role does مَآ begin after عَـٰبِدُونَ?

  • The object expression
  • The subject
  • A conjunction
  • A vocative

Question 6

لَكُمْ دِينُكُمْ وَلِىَ دِينِ ۝٦ What is the case of دِينُكُمْ?

  • Accusative
  • Nominative
  • Genitive
  • Jussive

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