109:1-6
109:1
Say : O ye that reject Faith!
Faith is a matter of personal conviction and does not rely on worldly motives. Worship should be based on pure and sincere faith, but often is not. Many times, worldly gain, ancestral customs, social conventions, imitative instincts, or a passive reluctance to question the true significance of religious acts and their underlying motives reduce much of the world’s worship to sin, selfishness, or futility. Symbolic idols may serve merely as tools to protect the privileges of a selfish priestly class, or the ambitions, greed, or desires of individuals. This is why Islam and its Prophet emphasize the pure worship of the One True God. The Prophet firmly resisted all appeals to worldly motives and remained steadfast in delivering his Message of eternal Unity.
109:2
I worship not that which ye worship,
109:3
Nor will ye worship that which I worship.
Verses 2-3 describe the situation at the time this Surah was revealed and can be paraphrased as follows: “I am a worshiper of the One True God, the Lord of all, including both you and myself; but due to your vested interests, you lack the will to abandon your false worship of idols and self.”
109:4
And I will not worship that which ye have been wont to worship,
109:5
Nor will ye worship that which I worship.
Verses 4-5 describe the psychological reasons: “As a prophet of Allah, I do not and cannot possibly desire to follow your false ancestral practices; and you, as the custodians of this false worship, lack the will to abandon your erroneous ways of worship.” The term “will” in this translation reflects not just the future tense, but the desire and psychological capacity, attempting to convey the meaning of the Arabic noun-agent.
109:6
To you be your way, and to me mine.
“I, having been given the Truth, cannot follow your false ways; you, with your vested interests, will not abandon them. The responsibility for your ways lies with you, as I have shown you the Truth. The responsibility for my ways lies with me; you have no right to ask me to forsake the Truth. Your persecutions will be in vain, as the Truth will ultimately prevail.” This was the attitude of Faith at that time, but it remains true for all time. Hold fast to the Truth, “regardless of the consequences.”