Al-Ikhlas

Al-Ikhlāṣ (

According to George Sale, this chapter is held in particular veneration by Muslims, and declared, by Islamic tradition, to be equal in value to a third part of the whole Quran.^[3][4][5] It is said to have been revealed during the Quraysh Conflict with Muhammad in answer to a challenge over the distinguishing attributes of God, Muhammad invited them to worship.^[6]

Al-Ikhlas is not merely the name of this surah but also the title of its contents, for it deals exclusively with Tawhid. The other surahs of the Quran generally have been designated after a word occurring in them, but in this surah the word Ikhlas has occurred nowhere. It has been given this name in view of its meaning and subject matter.

Text and meaning

Text and transliteration

• Hafs from Aasim ibn Abi al-Najud

بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ‎
bi-smi llāhi r-raḥmāni r-raḥīm(i)
قُلْ هُوَ ٱللَّهُ أَحَدٌ ۝١‎
¹ qul huwa llāhu aḥad(un)
ٱللَّهُ ٱلصَّمَدُ ۝٢‎
² allāhu ṣ-ṣamad(u)
لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ ۝٣‎
³ lam yalid wa-lam yūlad
وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُۥ كُفُوًا أَحَدٌۢ ۝٤‎
⁴ wa-lam yaku l-lahū kufuwan aḥad(um)

• Nafi‘ al-Madani

بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ‎
bi-smi llāhi r-raḥmāni r-raḥīm(i)
قُلْ هُوَ ٱللَّهُ أَحَدٌ ۝١‎
¹ qul huwa llāhu aḥad(un)
ٱللَّهُ ٱلصَّمَدُ ۝٢‎
² allāhu ṣ-ṣamad(u)
لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ ۝٣‎
³ lam yalid wa-lam yūlad
وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُۥ كُفُؤًا اَحَدٌۢ ۝٤‎
⁴ wa-lam yaku l-lahū kufuʾan aḥad(um)

Translations

¹ Say, "He is Allah, [who is] One,
² Allah, the Eternal Refuge.
³ He neither begets nor is born,
⁴ Nor is there to Him any equivalent."

¹ Say: He is Allah, the One and Only;
² Allah, the Eternal, Absolute;
³ He begetteth not, nor is He begotten;
⁴ And there is none like unto Him. ^[7]

¹ Say: He is Allah, the One!
² Allah, the eternally Besought of all!
³ He begetteth not nor was begotten.
⁴ And there is none comparable unto Him.

Meaning

1. Say: He, Allah, is

al-Ahad (The Unique One of Absolute Oneness, i.e., single and indivisible with absolute and permanent unity and distinct from all else, who is unique in It’s essence, attributes, names and acts, The One who has no second, no associate, no parents, no offspring, no peers, free from the concept of multiplicity or divisibility, and far from conceptualization and limitation, and there is nothing like Him in any respect).^[8][9][10]

2. Allah is

uncaused cause Who created all things out of nothing, Who is eternal, absolute, immutable, perfect, complete, essential, independent, and self-sufficient; Who does not need to eat or drink, sleep or rest; Who needs nothing while all of creation is in absolute need of Him; The One eternally and constantly required and sought, depended upon by all existence and to whom all matters will ultimately return).^{[11][9][12][13]}

3. He begets not, nor is He begotten (He is Unborn and Uncreated, has no parents, wife or offspring).

4. And there is none comparable (equal, equivalent or similar) to Him.[14]^[15]

Exegesis

In the early years of

It is disputed whether this is a

Surah Al-Ikhlas contains four verses: 112:1. Say: He is Allah, One. 112:2. Allah As-Samad. 112:3. He begets not, nor was He begotten. 112:4. And there is none comparable to Him.^[17]

About this, Tafsir Ibn Kathir says:

"When the Jews said, `We worship Uzayr, the son of Allah', and the Christians said, `We worship the Messiah (Isa), the son of Allah', and the Zoroastrians said, `We worship the sun and the moon', and the idolaters said, `We worship idols'. Allah revealed to His Messenger, Say: "He is Allah, One. He is the One, the Singular, Who has no peer, no assistant, no rival, no equal and none comparable to Him.^[17]

The word (

Hadith

According to hadiths, this surah is an especially important and honored part of the Quran:

• Narrated Abu Said Al-Khudri: A man heard another man reciting (in the prayers): 'Say (O Muhammad): "He is Allah, the One." (112.1) And he recited it repeatedly. When it was morning, he went to the Prophet and informed him about that as if he considered that the recitation of that Sura by itself was not enough. Allah's Apostle said, "By Him in Whose Hand my life is, it is equal to one-third of the Quran."^[18][19]
• Narrated Yahya related to me from Malik from
  Ibn Shihab that Humayd ibn Abd ar-Rahman ibn Awf had told him that Surat al-Ikhlas (Surah 112) was equal to a third of the Qur'an, and that Surat al-Mulk (Surah 67) pleaded for its owner.^[20]
• Narrated 'Aisha: The Prophet sent (an army unit) under the command of a man who used to lead his companions in the prayers and would finish his recitation with (the Sura 112): 'Say (O Muhammad): "He is Allah, the One." ' (112.1) When they returned (from the battle), they mentioned that to the Prophet. He said (to them), "Ask him why he does so." They asked him and he said, "I do so because it mentions the qualities of the Beneficent and I love to recite it (in my prayer)." The Prophet; said (to them), "Tell him that Allah loves him"[21]
• Imam
  Abu Hurayrah saying, "I went out with the Prophet and he heard a man reciting `Say: He is Allah, the One.' So the Messenger of Allah said, (It is obligatory). I asked, `What is obligatory' He replied, "Paradise."^[17]
• Narrated by
  Abu Said, the Prophet said to his companions, "Is it difficult for any of you to recite one third of the Qur'an in one night?" This suggestion was difficult for them so they said, "Who among us has the power to do so, O Allah's Apostle?" Allah Apostle replied: " Allah (the) One, the Self-Sufficient Master Whom all creatures need.' (Surat Al-Ikhlas 112.1 ..to the End) is equal to one third of the Qur'an."^[22][23]
• Al-Bukhari recorded this hadith in his book of tawhid
  . Muslim and an-Nisai also recorded it.
• An authentic Hadith says 'Say [recite] Surat al-Ikhlās and al-Muawwidhatayn (Surat al-
  Muhammad Nasiruddin al-Albani authenticated it: 2829^[24]
• Narrated Aisha: "Whenever the Prophet went to bed every night, he used to cup his hands together and blow over it after reciting Surah al-Ikhlas, Surah al-Falaq and Surah an-Nas, and then rub his hands over whatever parts of his body he was able to rub, starting with his head, face and front of his body. He used to do that three times.[25]^[26]
• Sunset prayer, 'Say: "O ye infidels!"' (Surah Al-Kafirun) and "Say: "He is Allah, One."^[17]

• Al-Falaq
• Al-Nas
• Al-Mu'awwidhatayn

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Al-Ikhlas.

• Quran 112
  Clear Quran translation
• Works by Abdullah Yusuf Ali at Project Gutenberg
• The Holy Qur'an, translated by Abdullah Yusuf Ali
• Three translations at Project Gutenberg
• Works by Marmaduke Pickthall at Project Gutenberg