Surah Al-Ikhlas (The Sincerity)

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Four verses, Meccan.

! 7 < { Say: He is Allah, [the] One. } . > 7 !

{ Say: He is * the One } <

Sincerity (Al-Ikhlas): (1) Say: He is Allah...

Before delving into the exegesis, several chapters must be presented:

Chapter One: Virtues of the Surah

It is narrated by Ubayy that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "Whoever recites Surah Qul Huwa Allahu Ahad, it is as if he has recited one-third of the Qur'an, and he will be given ten good deeds for every person who associated partners with Allah and for every person who believed in Allah."

The Prophet (peace be upon him) also said: "Whoever recites Qul Huwa Allahu Ahad once, the reward he receives is like the reward of one who believed in Allah, His angels, His Books, and His Messengers, and he receives a reward equivalent to one hundred martyrs."

It is narrated that when Abu Dharr al-Ghifari approached, Jibril (Gabriel) would be with the Prophet (peace be upon him). Jibril would say: "This is Abu Dharr approaching." The Prophet asked: "Do you know him?" Jibril replied: "He is more famous among us than he is among you." The Prophet asked: "By what did he attain this virtue?" Jibril answered: "By his humility towards himself and his frequent recitation of Qul Huwa Allahu Ahad."

Anas narrated: "We were in Tabuk, and the sun rose without any rays or light; we had never seen it in such a state before, and we were all amazed. Then Jibril descended and said: 'Allah has commanded that seventy thousand angels descend to offer prayers upon Mu'awiyah ibn Mu'awiyah. Would you like to offer prayers upon him?' Then he struck the earth with his wing, and the mountains were moved, and the Prophet (peace be upon him) seemed to be looking down upon them. So he and his Companions prayed for him. Then the Prophet asked: 'By what did he reach such a status?' Jibril replied: 'He loved Surah Al-Ikhlas.'"

It is narrated that the Prophet entered the Mosque and heard a man supplicating, saying: "I ask You, O Allah, O The One (Al-Ahad), O The Self-Sufficient (As-Samad), O He Who has not begotten, nor has been begotten, and there is none comparable to Him (Kufuwan Ahad)." The Prophet said three times: "You have been forgiven, you have been forgiven, you have been forgiven."

From Sahl ibn Sa'd: A man came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) complaining of poverty. The Prophet told him: "When you enter your house, offer Salam (peace) whether anyone is inside or not. If no one is there, offer Salam to yourself, and recite Qul Huwa Allahu Ahad once." The man did so, and Allah caused provision to flow to him until it overflowed to his neighbors.

From Anas: A man used to recite {Qul Huwa Allahu Ahad} in all his prayers. The Prophet asked him about that. The man replied: "O Messenger of Allah, I love it." The Prophet said: "Your love for it will admit you to Paradise."

It is also said that whoever recites it in a dream will be granted Tawhid (Oneness of God), few dependents, abundant remembrance of Allah, and his supplications will be answered.

Chapter Two: Reasons for Revelation

There are several views regarding the occasion of its revelation:

First: It was revealed due to the inquiry of the polytheists. Al-Dahhak narrated that the polytheists sent 'Amir ibn at-Tufayl to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and said: "You have broken our staff (tradition) and insulted our gods, and you have opposed the religion of your forefathers. If you are poor, we will enrich you; if you are mad, we will cure you; if you desire a woman, we will marry you to one." The Prophet replied: "I am neither poor, nor mad, nor do I desire a woman. I am the Messenger of Allah, calling you from the worship of idols to the worship of Him." They sent him a second time and said: "Tell him to explain the nature of the one you worship. Is he of gold or silver?" Then Allah revealed this Surah. They then said: "We have 360 idols that cannot meet our needs; how can one (deity) meet the needs of creation?" Then Surah As-Saffat was revealed until the verse: {Indeed, your God is One}. They sent him again and said: "Explain His actions to us." Then was revealed: {Indeed, your Lord is Allah, who created the heavens and the earth...}

Second: It was revealed due to the inquiry of the Jews. 'Ikrimah narrated from Ibn Abbas that the Jews came to the Messenger of Allah, accompanied by Ka'b ibn al-Ashraf, and said: "O Muhammad, this is Allah who created creation; so who created Allah?" The Prophet became angry, and Jibril descended to calm him, saying: "Lower your wing, O Muhammad." Then {Say: He is Allah, [who is] One} was revealed. When he recited it to them, they said: "Describe your Lord to us: how is His might, and how are His arms?" The Prophet became even angrier than before, and Jibril came to him with the saying: {And they have not appraised Allah with true appraisal...}

Third: It was revealed due to the inquiry of the Christians. 'Ata narrated from Ibn Abbas that the delegation of Najran came and said: "Describe your Lord to us. Is He of emerald, or ruby, or gold, or silver?" The Prophet replied: "My Lord is not made of anything, for He is the Creator of all things." Then {Say: He is Allah, [who is] One} was revealed. They said: "He is one, and you are one." He replied: {There is nothing comparable to Him}. They said: "Give us more description." He said: {Allah, As-Samad}. They asked: "What is As-Samad?" He replied: "The One to Whom creation turns in need." They asked for more, and {He neither begets nor is born} was revealed, meaning, like Mary gave birth to Jesus, and {Nor is there to Him any kufuwan (equivalent) among His creation}.

Chapter Three: Its Names

Know that the multiplicity of titles indicates a greater virtue, and custom confirms what we have mentioned.

1. Surah At-Tafreed (The Surah of Singularity).
2. Surah At-Tajreed (The Surah of Stripping Away/Purity).
3. Surah At-Tawhid (The Surah of Monotheism).
4. Surah Al-Ikhlas (Sincerity): Because only His negative attributes (attributes of Majesty) are mentioned in it, and whoever believes in it is sincere in the religion of Allah, and whoever dies upon it is saved from the Fire. Furthermore, what preceded it was in condemnation of Abu Lahab, so the reward for reciting it is that the reciter is not grouped with Abu Lahab.
5. Surah An-Najah (Salvation): Because it saves you from anthropomorphism (Tashbih) and disbelief in this world, and from the Fire in the Hereafter.
6. Surah Al-Wilayah (Patronage): Because whoever recites it becomes one of the friends (Awliya) of Allah, and whoever knows Allah in this manner has taken Him as a Patron. This state is like mercy following hardship, or blessing following a gift.
7. Surah An-Nisbah (Relation/Lineage): Because it was revealed in response to the questioner who asked: "Relate your Lord to us." Also, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said to a man from Banu Sulaym: "O brother of Banu Sulaym, be good concerning the relation to Allah." This is a subtle structure, as when they asked to relate the Lord, He replied: "This is the relation of Allah." Maintaining lineage is important to the Arabs, who were strict about adding or subtracting from genealogies. The lineage of Allah in this Surah is more deserving of preservation.
8. Surah Al-Ma'rifah (Knowledge): Because true knowledge of Allah is not complete except through knowing this Surah. Jabir narrated that a man prayed and recited Qul Huwa Allahu Ahad. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "This servant has known his Lord." Thus, it was named Surah Al-Ma'rifah.
9. Surah Al-Jamal (Beauty): Because the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Indeed, Allah is Beautiful and loves beauty." When asked about this, he said: "[He is] One, Self-Sufficient, neither begets nor is born," because if He were not One, without equal, then a likeness could substitute for Him.
10. Surah Al-Muqashqishah (The Healing/Curing): It is said that curing a sick person means removing what afflicts him. Whoever knows this gains healing from polytheism and hypocrisy, as hypocrisy is a disease, as stated: {In their hearts is a disease}.
11. Al-Mu'awwidhat (The Recourse/Seeking Refuge): It is narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) visited 'Uthman ibn Maz'un and sought refuge for him with this Surah and the two following it, saying: "We seek refuge with them, and I have not sought refuge with anything better than them."
12. Surah As-Samad (The Self-Sufficient): Because it is specific to mentioning the Exalted One.
13. Surah Al-Asas (The Foundation): The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "The seven heavens and the seven earths were founded upon Qul Huwa Allahu Ahad." This is supported by the fact that believing in three (a trinity) is a cause for the ruin of the heavens and the earth, as evidenced by the verse: {The heavens are almost to break apart therefrom, and the earth to split open, and the mountains to fall down in ruin}. Therefore, Tawhid must be the cause for the maintenance of these things. It is also said that the reason lies in the meaning of the verse: {If there were within the heavens and earth any deities other than Allah, there would have been ruin in both}.
14. Surah Al-Mani'ah (The Preventer): Ibn Abbas narrated that Allah told His Prophet during the Ascension: "I have given you Surah Al-Ikhlas, which is one of the treasures of My Throne. It is the Preventer; it prevents the torment of the grave and the scorching flames of the Fire."
15. Surah Al-Muhdar (The Attended): Because the angels attend (gather) to listen when it is recited.
16. Surah Al-Munaffirah (The Repelling): Because Satan is repelled when it is recited.
17. Surah Al-Bara'ah (The Acquittal): Because the Prophet (peace be upon him) saw a man reciting this Surah and said: "This one has acquitted himself of polytheism." He also said: "Whoever recites Qul Huwa Allahu Ahad one hundred times in prayer or otherwise, an acquittal from the Fire will be written for him."
18. Surah Al-Mudhakkirah (The Reminder): Because it reminds the servant of pure Tawhid. Reciting the Surah is like henna dye (wasmah) reminding you of what you overlook that you need.
19. Surah An-Nur (The Light): Allah says: {Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth}. Thus, He is the Illuminator of the heavens and the earth, and the Surah illuminates your heart. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Everything has a light, and the light of the Qur'an is Qul Huwa Allahu Ahad." Analogously, the light of a human being is in the smallest organ, the pupil. Thus, the Surah is to the Qur'an what the pupil is to the human.
20. Surah Al-Aman (Security): The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "When the servant says, 'There is no god but Allah,' he enters My fortress, and whoever enters My fortress is safe from My punishment."

Chapter Four: Virtues of this Surah

First: It is widely known in the Hadith that reciting this Surah is equivalent to reciting one-third of the Qur'an. Perhaps the purpose is that the noblest objective of all divine laws and acts of worship is knowing the Essence of Allah, His Attributes, and His Actions. This Surah encompasses knowledge of the Essence, making it equivalent to one-third of the Qur'an.

As for Surah Qul Ya Ayyuha Al-Kafirun, it is equivalent to one-quarter of the Qur'an. This is because the objective of the Qur'an is either action or abandonment of action. Each of these is either related to the actions of the heart or the actions of the limbs, resulting in four categories. Surah Qul Ya Ayyuha Al-Kafirun explains what should be abandoned concerning the actions of the heart, thus effectively encompassing one-quarter of the Qur'an. For this reason, the two Surahs—Qul Ya Ayyuha Al-Kafirun and Qul Huwa Allahu Ahad—share some names; they are the two Muqashqishatan (healing ones) and the two Mubri'atan (acquitting ones), in that each one establishes the acquittal of the heart from everything other than Allah. However, Qul Ya Ayyuha Al-Kafirun conveys through its wording the acquittal from all besides Allah and the necessity of preoccupation with Allah. Qul Huwa Allahu Ahad conveys through its wording the preoccupation with Allah and the necessity of turning away from everything else. Alternatively, Qul Ya Ayyuha Al-Kafirun conveys the acquittal of the heart from all deities other than Allah, while Qul Huwa Allahu Ahad conveys the acquittal of the worshipped One from anything unsuitable for Him.

Second: Since the Night of Decree (Laylat al-Qadr) is better than a thousand months because it is the truth (sidq) of the Qur'an, the entire Qur'an is a shell, and the pearl is {Say: He is Allah, [who is] One}. It is no wonder that it attained this virtue.

Third: Rational proof indicates that the highest station of a servant is for his heart to be illuminated by the light of Allah's Majesty and Greatness. This is only achieved through this Surah, making it the greatest of Surahs. If it is asked: Are not the attributes of Allah also mentioned in other Surahs? We reply: Yes, but this Surah has a specific characteristic: due to its brevity in form, it remains preserved in the hearts and known to the intellects. Thus, the remembrance of Allah's Majesty is perpetually present because of this, and consequently, it is distinguished from other Surahs by these virtues.

Now, let us return to the exegesis.

His saying, the Exalted: {Say: He is Allah, [who is] One}

In this verse, there are several issues:

Know that the knowledge of Allah, the Exalted, is an immediate Paradise, provided that one attains what aligns with one's intellect and desire. This is why Paradise was not a paradise for Adam when his intellect contended with his desires. Similarly, the grave is not a prison for the believer because what he finds there aligns with his intellect and desires.

The knowledge of Allah is desired by both desire (hawa) and intellect ('aql). Thus, it becomes an absolute paradise. The explanation is that the intellect desires a Trustee in whom to deposit good deeds, and desire seeks a Rich One from whom to ask for pleasures. Rather, the intellect seeks knowledge of the Master to thank Him for past blessings, while desire seeks it to hope for future blessings from Him. When they knew Him as the True Knower and Rich One, they clung to Him. The intellect said: "I thank no one but You," and desire said: "I ask no one but You." Then doubt came and said: "O intellect, why have you singled Him out for thanks? Perhaps He has a peer?" And: "O desire, why have you limited yourself to Him? Perhaps there is another door?" The intellect remained bewildered, and that comfort was spoiled. It wanted to travel in the realm of deduction to attain the jewel of certainty. It is as if the Truth, the Glorified, said: "How have I spoiled the pleasure of My servant in engaging in My service and thanks?" So Allah sent His Messenger and said: "Do not say this from yourself; rather, say: 'He is the One whom you knew truthfully.' Say to Me: {Say: He is Allah, [who is] One}." Thus, He made you know the Oneness through hearing and spared you the trouble of rational consideration and deduction.

To verify this: Demands are of three types. Some cannot be reached except through hearing, which are those upon which the validity of hearing itself depends, such as knowledge of Allah's Essence, Knowledge, Power, and the authenticity of miracles. Another type can only be reached through hearing, such as the occurrence of everything known by both intellect and hearing, like knowing that He is One, and that He is visible, and so on. We have fully elaborated on the proofs for Oneness in the exegesis of the verse: {If there were within the heavens and earth any deities other than Allah, there would have been ruin in both}.

They agreed that the command "Say" (Qul) is necessary in Surah Qul Ya Ayyuha Al-Kafirun. They also agreed that the word Qul is not permissible in Surah Tabat (Surah Al-Masad). As for this Surah, they differed. The famous recitation is {Say: He is Allah, [who is] One}. Ubayy and Ibn Mas'ud recited it without Qul: {He is Allah, [who is] One}. The Prophet (peace be upon him) recited it without Qul as: {Allah, [who is] One * Allah, As-Samad}.

Those who affirm Qul say the reason is to show that the structure (of the revelation) is not within his power, but he is merely relaying what he is told. Those who omit it say this is so that it is not assumed that this was already known to the Prophet (peace be upon him).

There are several ways to analyze the grammar of this verse:

1. Hū (He) is a pronoun referring to the Name of Allah. Thus, Allah is in the nominative case as the predicate of an implied subject, and Ahad is treated as the second predicate, similar to saying: Zaydun akhuka qā'imun (Zayd, your brother, is standing).
2. Hū (He) is a pronoun referring to the situation/matter (ash-sha'n). In this case, Allah is in the nominative case as the subject, and Ahad is its predicate. The entire clause (Allah Ahad) is the predicate of Hū. The meaning is: "The situation is that Allah is One." This is similar to {And behold, their eyes will be fixed [in horror]} (Fa-idhā hiya shākhisatun), except that hiya is feminine because al-Qissah (the story/matter) is sometimes treated as feminine in interpretation. This is also like {for it is not for the people of sight} (fa-innaha la li-ulī al-abṣār). If the context does not contain a feminine noun, the pronoun of the situation is not feminized, as in {Indeed, whoever comes to his Lord as a criminal...} (innahu man ya'ti Rabbahu mujriman).
3. Al-Zajjaj said the meaning is: "This one about whom you inquired is Allah, [who is] One."

There are two views regarding Ahad:

1. It means Wāhid (One). Al-Khalil said it is permissible to say two are Ahad. The origin of Ahad is wahad, but the waw was changed to a hamza for ease, which is often done with a dammah or kasrah waw, like wujūh becoming ujūh, and wasādah becoming asādah.
2. Al-Wāhid and Al-Ahad are not synonyms. Al-Ihari said that nothing is described by Ahad except Allah. One does not say, "A man is Ahad" or "Two dirhams are Ahad." Rather, Ahad is a specific attribute of Allah that He alone possesses.

They mentioned several differences between Al-Wāhid and Al-Ahad:

1. Al-Wāhid is included in Al-Ahad, but Al-Ahad is not included in Al-Wāhid.
2. If you say, "So-and-so cannot be resisted by one (wāhid)," it is permissible to say, "But he can be resisted by two." This is not the case with Ahad. If you say, "So-and-so cannot be resisted by anyone (Ahad)," you cannot then say, "But he can be resisted by two."
3. Al-Wāhid is used in affirmation (positive statement), while Al-Ahad is used in negation (negative statement) to imply generality. You say in affirmation: "I saw one man (rajulan wāhidan)," but in negation: "I did not see anyone (mā ra'aytu aḥadan)," which implies totality.

The reciters differed concerning {Ahad * Allah As-Samad}. The recitation of the majority is with tanwin (nunation) and vocalized with a kasrah: Ahadun Allah. This is the standard rule, as the tanwin of Ahad is silent, and the lam of Allah is silent. When two silent letters meet, the first is vocalized with a kasrah.

Abu 'Amr recited Ahad Allah without tanwin. This is because the nun (of tanwin) resembles the soft letters (alif, waw, ya) in that they are added. Since it resembles them, it is treated like them by being dropped when meeting a silent letter, just as alif, waw, and ya are dropped, e.g., ghazā al-qawm and yaghzū al-qawm, yarmī al-qawm. Similarly, the silent nun in verbs is dropped, e.g., {lam yak} and {wa lā taku fi shakk}. Thus, here the nun in Ahad Allah is dropped due to the meeting of two silent letters, just as those letters are dropped.

We have mentioned this extensively near the verse {Uzayr is the son of Allah}.

It is also narrated from Abu 'Amr: Ahad Allah (with sukun on Ahad when connecting). Abu 'Ali said: Verse endings sometimes take the same treatment in continuous recitation (wasl) as they do in pausing (waqf). Based on this, those who recite {fa-aḍallūnā as-sabīlā * Rabbanā} or {wa mā adrāka * ṣabiyyan * qāla innī 'abdullāh} (by pausing on the alif of Rabbana and qāla), do so because the majority of reciters narrated by Abu 'Amr treat it as a pause, so they maintain that treatment in continuous recitation due to its frequency in their speech.

Al-A'mash recited: {Say: He is Allah, [who is] The One} (Al-Wāhid). If asked why, the answer is that Ahad is indefinite, while Al-Wāhid is definite. Al-Mawardi suggested two possibilities:

1. The lam (definite article) is omitted with the intention of implying it, meaning: "Say: He is Allah, The One (Al-Ahad)."
2. The intention is indefiniteness for the sake of glorification.

Know that the phrase {He is Allah, [who is] One} consists of three words, each pointing to a station of the seekers:

The First Station: The Station of the Near Ones (Al-Muqarrabīn) This is the highest station for those journeying to Allah. These are those who looked at the essences and realities of things as they truly are. Consequently, they saw no existing thing other than Allah, because the Truth is that whose existence is necessary by its very nature (li-dhātihi). Everything else is possible by its nature (mumkin li-dhātihi); if viewed as such, it is non-existent. These individuals saw nothing existing except the Glorified Truth.

The word {Hū} (He) is an absolute indication. Although the indication is absolute, since the indicated object is specific, that absolute reference turns to that specific object. Thus, our saying Hū is an indication from these Near Ones toward the Glorified Truth. They did not need a specification (mumayyiz) for this indication because the need for a specifier arises only when there are two existing things. We have explained that these individuals witnessed only the One with the eyes of their intellects. For this reason, the word {Hū} was sufficient for them to attain complete gnosis.

The Second Station: The Station of the Companions of the Right Hand (Aṣḥāb al-Yamin) This station is lower than the first. These individuals witnessed the Truth as existing, and they also witnessed creation as existing. Thus, multiplicity in existence occurred. Consequently, Hū alone was not sufficient to indicate the Truth; a specifier was necessary to distinguish the Truth from creation. Therefore, these individuals needed to accompany the word Hū with {Allah}, saying: {Hū Allah}, because Allah is the Existing One upon whom everything else depends, while He is independent of everything else.

The Third Station: The Station of the Companions of the Left Hand (Aṣḥāb al-Shimāl) This is the lowest and basest of stations. These are those who permit that the Necessary Existent can be more than one, and that the Deity can be more than one. Therefore, the word {Ahad} (One) was appended to counter and refute their claims, leading to {Say: He is Allah, [who is] One}.

Here is another discussion, higher and nobler than what we have mentioned:

The Attributes of Allah, the Exalted, are either Relational (Iḍāfiyyah) or Negative (Salbiyyah). Relational attributes are like saying: Knowing, Powerful, Creator. Negative attributes are like saying: Not a body, not a substance, not an accident. Created things indicate the first type of attributes, and then the second type.

The word {Allah} indicates the totality of the Relational Attributes. The word {Ahad} indicates the totality of the Negative Attributes. Thus, the saying {Allah Ahad} is complete in conveying the gnosis appropriate for human intellects.

We say that the word Allah indicates the totality of Relational Attributes because Allah is the One deserving of worship. Deserving worship is only for the One who has absolute dominion over origination and creation. Absolute dominion over origination is only achieved by one who is described with perfect Power, effective Will, and Knowledge encompassing all known things, both general and specific. These are the totality of the Relational Attributes.

As for the totality of Negative Attributes, that is Ahadiyyah (Oneness/Singularity). The meaning of Ahadiyyah is that this Reality is singular in itself, purified from all forms of composition. This is because every essence (māhiyyah) that is composite is dependent on each of its parts, and each part is other than it. Thus, everything composite is dependent on something else, and everything dependent on something else is possible by its nature. Therefore, every composite thing is possible by its nature. The Deity, who is the origin of all beings, cannot possibly be possible by nature; thus, He is singular and One in Himself.

If Ahadiyyah is established, it necessitates that He is not localized in space (mutaḥayyiz), because every localized thing has a right side different from its left side, and anything like that is divisible. Thus, it is impossible for the One to be localized. If He is not localized, He is not in any location or direction. It also necessitates that He is not an accident (ḥāl) in anything, because if He were in something, He would not be One with His substrate. Nor can He be a substrate for anything, because if He were the substrate for something, He would not be One with His accident. If He is neither an accident nor a substrate, He is not subject to change at all, because change must be from one state to another. Furthermore, if He is Ahad, it necessitates that He is Wāhid (One), because if two Necessary Existent beings were posited, they would share in necessity but differ in their specific identity. That which they share is different from that by which they are distinguished; thus, each of them would be composite. Therefore, it is established that being Ahad necessitates being Wāhid.

If it is asked: How can the concept of something being Ahad be comprehended? For every reality described by Ahadiyyah, there is that reality and its Ahadiyyah, and the combination of the two makes three—not one. The answer is: Ahadiyyah is inherent to that Reality. The subject described by Ahadiyyah is that Reality itself, not the combination resulting from it and its Ahadiyyah.

Thus, what we have mentioned clarifies that the saying {Allah Ahad} is a statement encompassing all the Attributes of Allah, the Exalted, both the positive (relational) and the negative (negations). The completion of the discussion on this topic is found in the exegesis of the verse: {And your God is one God}.

{Allah, As-Samad}