# Why does Surah al-Kafirun say 'ma' (what) instead of 'man' (who) for God?

*Surah al-Kafirun: why 'ma' (that which) and not 'man' (who)?*

- URL: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/--pntsar8ck/s/24/
- Date: 2021-02-16 · Kind: question · Transcript tier: machine · Recording: Monday Nights with Mufti #202| Q&A Unscripted & Unrestricted! 😉 | Mufti Abu Layth (1:17:25–1:21:32)
- Status: latest answer on its topic; general teaching
- Watch from the start of the segment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--PntsaR8ck&t=4645s
- Recording page: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/--pntsar8ck/

**Topics:** Reflections on short surahs; Quranic Arabic

**Question as asked:** 109:2 to 5: why is ma used and not man?

**Summary (not a quotation; machine-made, unchecked):** Mufti Abu Layth thinks ma is used because it qualifies how God is perceived, since the Meccans also worshipped Allah through others, though he says this is his own understanding.

**Checked position (checked by two independent reviews, not by the channel):** Mufti Abu Layth says that, as he assumes and understands it, God knowing best, ma in 109:2-5 qualifies not just God but how God is to be perceived.

**Evidence, his words at 1:19:55:** “but i'm assuming that here you're kind of qualifying not just god but how god is to be perceived” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--PntsaR8ck&t=4795s)

## Longer summary

A super chat asks why 109:2-5 uses ma rather than man. After working out which surah is meant, Mufti Abu Layth says it is an interesting point whose balagha [?] aspect would need looking into, but that ma is absolutely accurate: 'you do not worship that which I worship'. He assumes the reason is that 'that which' specifies how the entity is understood: the Meccans did worship Allah, but through other deities, so here one qualifies not only God but how God is to be perceived. He says that is how he understands it, God knows best, and it may be his subjective understanding. He then answers a heckle asking whether anyone holds him accountable for always citing his videos with a joke.

## Sources and names cited

- Quran 109:2-5: https://quran.com/109/2-5
- balagha (rhetoric) [?]

## Transcript (machine tier, 1:17:25–1:21:32)

[1:17:25] what are you referring to what surah are you referring to you know you could just mention the name but why why make things easy you know i think i am a bit exhausted today i think that's what it is so i'm a bit out of it no so let's see 109 did you say suratul cafe run yeah

[1:17:59] [Music] m is that the ma or are you talking about the the mars in general i don't know let's go with the ma generally speaking as in

[1:18:37] you do not worship that which i worship why not men ah as in why don't we speak refer to allah i am to be fair that's an interesting point we'll have to look into the ballara aspect but ma is accurate here as well it's absolutely accurate you do not worship that which i worship so this is how you wouldn't translate this as what

[1:19:16] that which i worship so if i said in english you do not worship that which i worship and if i said you do not worship who i worship you see i'm assuming that reason is because when we say that which we're more specifying how we understand that entity when i say who i worship even though that is is also valid in its meaning but they did accept allah you see it's not that they did not

[1:19:55] worship allah they did but they worshipped him via worshipping these other so you see i assume that they would have responded that oh but we do worship allah but when you say that which i worship as in i'm understanding this i mean maybe some people would say that no to them it doesn't make a difference but i'm assuming that here you're kind of qualifying not just god but how god is to be perceived

[1:20:33] that's how i understand it but allahu alam i could you know maybe that's just my subjective understanding of this but that's a good question see that's somebody really concerned about learning why do you call yourself what do you do [Laughter] this is real concern

[1:21:04] says is anybody holding mufti accountable he always says he's done a video on a particular topic is anybody holding mufti accountable yeah your dad is [Laughter] why would why would you be holding me accountable [Laughter] right so

## Cite

Mufti Abu Layth Archive, segment --PntsaR8ck/s/24. https://muftiabulayth.org/r/--pntsar8ck/s/24/

Not a fatwa: these answers were given to specific people at specific times. Ask a qualified scholar about your own situation.