Read the surah · Surah 109

Al-Kaafiroonالكافرون

The Disbelievers · 6 verses · Meccan

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In plain wordsEditorial

An editorial summary of the translations. Not a translation or tafsir.

Six verses framed as an instruction beginning 'Say'. Four of them state, in near-identical repetitions, that the speaker and those addressed do not worship what the other worships, and the last says each has their own religion.

AALAMIN Editor · signed 25 August 2026

not a scholar — what this signature means

I am not a scholar, and nothing here asks you to treat me as one. The plain words on this site are my restatement of what the five translations shown above say, together with counts derived from the text itself — nothing more. I sign them so that a named person is accountable for every sentence, not so you'll take my word for anything. The authority on this page is the text and its translators. If my words don't match theirs, mine are the ones that are wrong.

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Talal Itani · published 2012

Verse 1 of 6

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109:1

قُلْ يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلْكَٰفِرُونَ

Easy-read (simplified)qul yaa ayyuhaa l-kaafiroon

DIN 31635qul yā ʾayyuhā l-kāfirūna

Say, "O disbelievers.

Compare translations (4)

Say: O disbelievers

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall · published 1930

Say, O ye misbelievers

Edward Henry Palmer · published 1880

SAY: O ye UNBELIEVERS

John Medows Rodwell · published 1861

Say: O unbelievers

George Sale · published 1734

In plain words

Optional editorial orientation

An editorial summary of the translations above. Not a translation or tafsir.

In plain words →

Sources

In-depth analysis →

Talal Itani · 2012
Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall · 1930
Edward Henry Palmer · 1880
John Medows Rodwell · 1861
George Sale · 1734

in a signed study →

109:2

لَآ أَعْبُدُ مَا تَعْبُدُونَ

Easy-read (simplified)laa a'budu maa ta'budoon

DIN 31635lā ʾaʿbudu mā taʿbudūna

I do not worship what you worship.

Compare translations (4)

I worship not that which ye worship

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall · published 1930

I do not serve what ye serve

Edward Henry Palmer · published 1880

I worship not that which ye worship

John Medows Rodwell · published 1861

I will not worship that which ye worship

George Sale · published 1734

In plain words

Optional editorial orientation

An editorial summary of the translations above. Not a translation or tafsir.

In plain words →

Sources

In-depth analysis →

Talal Itani · 2012
Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall · 1930
Edward Henry Palmer · 1880
John Medows Rodwell · 1861
George Sale · 1734

in a signed study →

109:3

وَلَآ أَنتُمْ عَٰبِدُونَ مَآ أَعْبُدُ

Easy-read (simplified)walaa antum 'aabidoona maa a'bud

DIN 31635walā ʾantum ʿābidūna mā ʾaʿbudu

Nor do you worship what I worship.

Compare translations (4)

Nor worship ye that which I worship

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall · published 1930

nor will ye serve what I serve

Edward Henry Palmer · published 1880

And ye do not worship that which I worship

John Medows Rodwell · published 1861

nor will ye worship that which I worship

George Sale · published 1734

In plain words

Optional editorial orientation

An editorial summary of the translations above. Not a translation or tafsir.

In plain words →

Sources

In-depth analysis →

Talal Itani · 2012
Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall · 1930
Edward Henry Palmer · 1880
John Medows Rodwell · 1861
George Sale · 1734

in a signed study →

109:4

وَلَآ أَنَا۠ عَابِدٌ مَّا عَبَدتُّمْ

Easy-read (simplified)walaa anaa 'aabidun maa 'abadttum

DIN 31635walā ʾanā ʿābidun mā ʿabadttum

The translators word this verse differently

Nor do I serve what you serve.

Compare translations (4)

And I shall not worship that which ye worship

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall · published 1930

nor will I serve what ye serve

Edward Henry Palmer · published 1880

I shall never worship that which ye worship

John Medows Rodwell · published 1861

Neither do I worship that which ye worship

George Sale · published 1734

In plain words

Optional editorial orientation

An editorial summary of the translations above. Not a translation or tafsir.

In plain words →

Sources

In-depth analysis →

Talal Itani · 2012
Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall · 1930
Edward Henry Palmer · 1880
John Medows Rodwell · 1861
George Sale · 1734

in a signed study →

109:5

وَلَآ أَنتُمْ عَٰبِدُونَ مَآ أَعْبُدُ

Easy-read (simplified)walaa antum 'aabidoona maa a'bud

DIN 31635walā ʾantum ʿābidūna mā ʾaʿbudu

Nor do you serve what I serve.

Compare translations (4)

Nor will ye worship that which I worship

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall · published 1930

nor will ye serve what I serve

Edward Henry Palmer · published 1880

Neither will ye worship that which I worship

John Medows Rodwell · published 1861

neither do ye worship that which I worship

George Sale · published 1734

In plain words

Optional editorial orientation

An editorial summary of the translations above. Not a translation or tafsir.

In plain words →

Sources

In-depth analysis →

Talal Itani · 2012
Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall · 1930
Edward Henry Palmer · 1880
John Medows Rodwell · 1861
George Sale · 1734

in a signed study →

109:6

لَكُمْ دِينُكُمْ وَلِىَ دِينِ

Easy-read (simplified)lakum deenukum waliya deen

DIN 31635lakum dīnukum waliya dīni

You have your way, and I have my way."

Compare translations (4)

Unto you your religion, and unto me my religion

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall · published 1930

ye have your religion, and I have my religion

Edward Henry Palmer · published 1880

To you be your religion; to me my religion

John Medows Rodwell · published 1861

Ye have your religion, and I my religion

George Sale · published 1734

In plain words

Optional editorial orientation

An editorial summary of the translations above. Not a translation or tafsir.

In plain words →

Sources

In-depth analysis →

Talal Itani · 2012
Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall · 1930
Edward Henry Palmer · 1880
John Medows Rodwell · 1861
George Sale · 1734

in a signed study →

Arabic textTanzil Qur'an text (Uthmani) ·Uthmani, Version 1.1·Tanzil Project ·Creative Commons Attribution 3.0·retrieved 24 Aug 2026

Translations Edward Henry Palmer, English translation of the Qur'an·Public domain — copyright term expired

Edward Henry Palmer, English translation of the Qur'an ·1880 translation, digital edition of unverified printing·None — public domain work ·Public domain — copyright term expired·retrieved 24 Aug 2026

Translations George Sale, English translation of the Qur'an·Public domain — copyright term expired

George Sale, English translation of the Qur'an ·1734 translation, digital edition of unverified printing·None — public domain work ·Public domain — copyright term expired·retrieved 24 Aug 2026

Translations John Medows Rodwell, English translation of the Qur'an·Public domain — copyright term expired

John Medows Rodwell, English translation of the Qur'an ·1861 translation, digital edition of unverified printing·None — public domain work ·Public domain — copyright term expired·retrieved 24 Aug 2026

Translations Pickthall, The Meaning of the Glorious Koran·Public domain — copyright term expired

Pickthall, The Meaning of the Glorious Koran ·1930 translation, digital edition of unverified printing·None — public domain work ·Public domain — copyright term expired·retrieved 24 Aug 2026

Translations Talal Itani, ClearQuran·Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International

Talal Itani, ClearQuran ·ClearQuran, "God" edition, EPUB·Talal Itani / ClearQuran.com ·Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International·retrieved 7 Sep 2026

Translation by Talal Itani, ClearQuran.com https://clearquran.com