Kafirun
/kaː.fiːˈruːn/noun
An English transliteration of al-Kāfirūn, the 109th chapter of the Qur’an, traditionally translated “The Disbelievers.”
Did you know?The Arabic root K-F-R originally carried the physical sense “to cover,” which developed metaphorically into concealing truth or showing disbelief; the related English term “kafir” is now often considered context-sensitive or offensive outside historical and religious discussion.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Semitic
Proto-Semitic
*k-p-r
“To cover, conceal, or hide; the reconstructed ancestor of the later Semitic root.”
Pre-Islamic Arabic
Arabic
kafara
“To cover or conceal; later, to deny or be ungrateful.”
7th Century
Qur’anic Arabic
al-kāfirūn
“The disbelievers or those who reject faith; the plural form used in the Qur’an.”
7th Century
Arabic
Sūrat al-Kāfirūn
““The Chapter of the Disbelievers,” the conventional name of Qur’an 109.”
19th–20th Century
English
Al-Kafirun / Kafirun
“English transliterations used for the Qur’anic chapter and its title.”