“Nor will I worship what you have worshipped, (4) nor will you worship what I worship. (5) You have your religion, and I have mine. (6)”
“Nor will I worship what you have worshipped” in the future, “nor will you worship what I worship” in the future (1).
This is addressed to those whom Allah knew beforehand would not believe.
His words, “what I worship,” mean: whom I worship; but it is phrased this way to correspond to “what you worship.”
As for the reason for the repetition, most scholars of meaning said: the Quran was revealed in the language of the Arabs and according to their modes of expression. Among their conventions is repetition, intended for emphasis and clarification, just as among their conventions is abbreviation, intended to lighten expression and achieve concision.
Al-Qutaybi said: The statement is repeated because the time is repeated. That is because they said, “If it pleases you that we enter your religion for a year, then enter our religion for a year.” Thus this surah was revealed. “You have your religion”: associating partners with Allah; “and I have mine” (3): Islam. Ibn Kathir, Nafiʿ, and Hafs recited “and I have” with the ya pronounced with a fatḥah, while the others recited it with the ya left vowelless. [This verse is abrogated by the Verse of the Sword] (4).
(1) See al-Bukhari, 8:733, under the chapter heading.
(2) Manuscript B reads: “No.”
(3) Al-Farra said in Ma'ani al-Quran, 3:297: “He did not say dini (my religion), because the verses end in nun, so the ya was omitted, just as in yahdini (He guides me) and yashfini (He heals me).”
(4) The text within parentheses is omitted from manuscript B. The claim that this verse was abrogated by the Verse of the Sword has been attributed to Ibn Abbas. However, there is no contradiction between this verse and the Verse of the Sword, and thus no basis for claiming abrogation, since the two can be reconciled. Abrogation is only affirmed when reconciliation between the two verses is impossible. The meaning of the verse is: “Your religion is yours”—you will never abandon it, for your hearts have been sealed—“and my religion is mine,” which I will never abandon. As mentioned above, the polytheists asked the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, to worship their gods for one year while they worshipped his God for one year. The surah was then revealed to clarify their condition and to inform the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, that certain specific individuals would not believe, so that no hope should be placed in their faith. See Tafsir al-Tabari, 30:330-331; al-Nasikh wa al-Mansukh by al-Baghdadi, pp. 161-162, with the editor's notes. See also above, 3:32, note 1.