Sūrat al-Ikhlāṣ (The Sincerity) (4) And there was none comparable to Him...

Issues Discussed:

There are two main questions regarding the verse:

Issue: In eloquent Arabic, an adverbial phrase (like kufwan aḥad) that is not firmly established (i.e., not the primary focus) is usually placed later in the sentence. Why is it placed earlier here, especially since this is considered the most eloquent speech?

Answer: This phrasing is specifically intended to negate equivalence concerning the essence of God (Allāh). The word conveying this essential meaning is this adverbial phrase. Prioritizing what is most important is paramount; therefore, this phrase deserves to be placed first.

Issue: How is the word كفوا (Kufū) recited?

Answer: It has been recited with a ḍammah (vowel mark) on the kāf and fā' (كُفُو), and also with a ḍammah on the kāf and a kasrah (vowel mark) on the fā' with a sukūn (vowel rest) on the fā' (كُفْو). The original form is with the ḍammah, which is then often lightened, similar to how طنب (ṭanb) and طنب (ṭunb) or عنق ('unuq) and عنق ('unq) are treated.

Abū 'Ubaydah stated that كفو (kufū), كفء (kuf'u), and كفاء (kafā') all mean the same thing: an equal or match.

The exegetes (Mufassirūn) have several opinions on its meaning:

1. Match or Equivalent in Reward: Ka'b and 'Aṭā' said it means He has no equal or counterpart. This is the basis for the term mukāfa'ah (reciprocation/recompense) in retribution, as one gives what equals what was taken.
2. No Companion/Spouse: Mujāhid said it means He has no consort. This implies that God, exalted be He, is saying no one is His equal to intermarry with, which serves as a refutation of those who claimed (as mentioned in the Qur'an): $\text{{وجعلوا بينه وبين الجنة نسبا}} (And they have attributed to Him lineage). Thus, this verse confirms the meaning of \text{{لم يلد}} (He neither begets).
3. The Definitive Meaning (Al-Taḥqīq): God, exalted be He, clarified that since He is the One sought for fulfilling needs (Aṣ-Ṣamad) and negated intermediaries (\text{{لم يلد ولم يولد}}) as previously explained, the Surah concludes by stating that nothing in existence can be equal to Him in any attribute of Majesty and Greatness.
   • Existence: There is no equality in existence because His existence is necessitated by His very essence; His essence is not susceptible to non-existence. All other realities are susceptible to non-existence.
   • Knowledge: There is no equality in knowledge because His knowledge is not derived from necessity, inference, sense perception, or sight, nor is it subject to error or slip-ups. The knowledge of created things is otherwise.
   • Power, Mercy, Generosity, Justice, Grace, and Benevolence: Similarly, there is no equality in these attributes.

This Surah consists of four verses, and their arrangement holds several benefits:

The beginning of the Surah (Qul Huwa Allāhu Aḥad) indicates His Oneness. Aṣ-Ṣamad indicates that He is Generous and Merciful, as one is only sought after if they are beneficent. \text{{لم يلد ولم يولد}} indicates that He is absolutely Self-Sufficient (Rich) and transcendent of all changes, thus He is never stingy. His generosity is not for the sake of gaining benefit or averting harm, but purely out of inherent benevolence. \text{{ولم يكن له كفوا أحد}} points to the negation of attributes that are impossible for Him.

God negates various forms of multiplicity from His Essence through \text{{أحد}} (One). He negates deficiency and vulnerability through the term Aṣ-Ṣamad. He negates being caused or being a cause through \text{{لم يلد ولم يولد}}. He negates opposites and equals through \text{{ولم يكن له كفوا أحد}}.

• \text{{أحد}} refutes the dualists who posit Light and Darkness, the Christians regarding the Trinity, and the Sabians regarding the celestial spheres and stars.
• The second verse (Allāhu Aṣ-Ṣamad) refutes those who affirm a creator other than God, because if another creator existed, God would not be the sole object sought for all needs.
• The third verse (لم يلد ولم يولد) refutes the Jews regarding Uzair, the Christians regarding the Messiah, and the polytheists who claim angels are daughters of God.
• The fourth verse (\text{{ولم يكن له كفوا أحد}}) refutes the polytheists who established idols as equals and partners to Him.

This Surah concerning God is like Sūrat al-Kawthar concerning the Messenger (PBUH). The slander against the Messenger was based on their claim that he was abtar (cut off, without offspring). Here, the slander is based on their affirmation that God has an offspring. This is because the absence of offspring is a defect in a human, whereas the presence of offspring is a defect in God. This is why the command here is \text{{Qul}} (Say), so that you may defend Me, whereas in Sūrat al-Kawthar it is \text{{Innā a'ṭaynāka}} (Indeed, We have given you), so that I may defend you. And God knows best.

1 (Introduction) 1

In the Name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

Before delving into the exegesis, two introductory sections are necessary:

Some Gnostics (ʿĀrifūn) interpreted these two Surahs in a remarkable way: Since Sūrat al-Ikhlāṣ explained the matter of Divinity, this Surah (al-Falaq) follows it to explain the ranks of God's creation.

1. \text{{Qul A'ūdhu bi-Rabbil-Falaq}} (Say: I seek refuge in the Lord of the Daybreak): This is because the darknesses of non-existence (ʿAdam) are infinite, and the Truth (Al-Ḥaqq), exalted be He, is the One who split (falaqa) those darknesses with the light of creation, origination, and innovation. Hence, He said: \text{{Qul A'ūdhu bi-Rabbil-Falaq}}.
2. \text{{Min Sharri Mā Khalaq}} (From the evil of what He has created): The realm of contingent beings is divided into the Realm of Command (ʿĀlam al-Amr) and the Realm of Creation (ʿĀlam al-Khalq), as stated: \text{{Alā lahu al-Khalqu wal-Amr}} (Is not all creation and command His?). The Realm of Command is entirely pure good, free from evils and afflictions. The Realm of Creation, which is the world of bodies and corporeality, is where evil occurs. This realm is called the Realm of Creation because creation involves measure and estimation (Taqdīr), which are characteristics of the body. Therefore, one seeks refuge in the Lord who split the darknesses of the sea of non-existence with the light of origination and innovation, from the evils occurring in the Realm of Creation (the world of bodies and corporeality).

It is evident that bodies are either Atharīyyah (effect-based/subtle) or ʿUnṣuriyyah (elemental). The Atharīyyah bodies are good, being free from disorder and flaws, as stated: \text{{You see no inconsistency in the creation of the Most Merciful. So return your vision; do you see any breaks?}} (Al-Mulk: 3).

The ʿUnṣuriyyah bodies are either inanimate matter, plants, or animals:

• Inanimate Matter (Jumādāt): These are devoid of all psychic faculties. Darkness is pure in them, and light is entirely absent from them. This is what is meant by \text{{ومن شر غاسق إذا وقب}} (and from the evil of the night when it covers).
• Plants (Nabātāt): The vegetative faculty (al-Quwwah al-Nābātiyyah) is that which increases in length, width, and depth simultaneously. This vegetative nature seems to "breathe out" upon the three dimensions.
• Animals (Ḥayawān): The animal faculties include the external and internal senses, desire, and anger. All of these prevent the human spirit from inclining toward the unseen realm (ʿĀlam al-Ghayb) and engaging in the sanctity of God's Majesty. This is what is meant by \text{{ومن شر حاسد إذا حسد}} (and from the evil of an envier when he envies).

After this level, only the human soul remains among the lower states. Since the soul is the one seeking refuge, it cannot be the object of refuge itself. Thus, Sūrat al-Falaq concludes, and Sūrat an-Nās follows it to explain the stages of the human soul's ascent:

The human soul, by its original nature, is prepared to be imprinted with the knowledge and love of God. However, initially, it is completely devoid of these knowledges. Then, from the second stage, it gains primary, self-evident knowledges (ʿUlūm Awwaliyyah Badīhiyyah) by which it can deduce unknown intellectual matters (al-Mājhūlāt al-Fikriyyah). Finally, at the end of these intellectual matters, it moves from potentiality to actuality.

• \text{{Qul A'ūdhu bi-Rabbil-Nās}} (Say: I seek refuge in the Lord of Mankind): This refers to the first stage of the human soul, where it is devoid of all self-evident and acquired knowledge. At this stage, the soul needs a nurturer (Murbī) to cultivate it with these self-evident knowledges.
• \text{{Malikin-Nās}} (The King of Mankind): This refers to the second stage, upon acquiring these self-evident knowledges, where the soul gains the faculty to transition to seeking intellectual knowledges.
• \text{{Ilāhin-Nās}} (The God of Mankind): This refers to the third stage, when those intellectual knowledges move from speech to action, achieving complete perfection for the soul.

It is as if the Truth names Himself according to what suits each stage of the human soul.

• \text{{Min Sharri al-Waswāsil-Khannās}} (From the evil of the retreating whisperer): This refers to the Imagination/Delusion Faculty (al-Quwwah al-Wahmiyyah). The reason the Wahm (imagination/delusion) is called Khannās (retreating/withdrawing) is that the Intellect (al-ʿAql) and the Wahm may agree on accepting certain premises. However, when the matter reaches the conclusion, the Intellect assists in accepting the conclusion, but the Wahm retreats, withdraws, and refuses to accept the conclusion. Hence, the Wahm is called al-Khannās.

God then explained that the harm of this Khannās is great to the Intellect, and few are free from it. Thus, in this Surah, He explained the stages of human spirits, alerted us to their enemy, and pointed out what distinguishes the Intellect from the Wahm. This represents the final stages of the human soul, which is why the Holy Book and the Great Criterion conclude here.

Several accounts are mentioned regarding the reason for the revelation of these two Surahs (al-Mu'awwidhatayn):

1. It is narrated that Gabriel (PBUH) came to him and said, "An ʿIfrīt (powerful jinn) is plotting against you. When you retire to your bed, say: 'I seek refuge in the Lord of the two Surahs.'"
2. God revealed them to him to serve as an incantation (Ruqyah) against the evil eye. Sa'īd ibn al-Musayyab narrated that the Quraysh gathered and said, "Let us fast and then afflict Muhammad with the evil eye." They did so, then approached him saying, "How strong is your arm, how firm is your back, and how bright is your face!" Then God revealed the two Mu'awwidhatayn.
3. This is the view of the majority of exegetes: Labīd ibn al-A'ṣam, a Jew, cast a spell on the Prophet (PBUH) using eleven knots on a string which he placed in a well called Dhūrwān. The Messenger of God (PBUH) fell ill, and the matter became severe for three nights, whereupon the two Mu'awwidhatayn were revealed. Gabriel informed the Prophet of the location of the spell. He sent 'Alī, Ṭalḥah, and others, who retrieved it. Gabriel instructed the Prophet to untie a knot while reciting a verse. As he recited a verse, a knot would untie, and he would feel some lightness and relief.

The Mu'tazilah vehemently denied this account. Al-Qāḍī stated that this narration is false. How can it be accepted when God says: \text{{Wallāhu ya'ṣimuka min an-Nās}} (And God will protect you from the people) (Al-Mā'idah: 67), and \text{{Wa lā yufliḥu as-sāḥiru ḥaythu atā}}$ (And the sorcerer succeeds not, wherever he comes from) (Ṭā-Hā: 69)?

Furthermore, accepting it implies a flaw in prophethood, because if true, they would have been able to harm all prophets and righteous people, and they could have achieved great dominion for themselves—all of which is false. Also, the disbelievers used to taunt him by saying he was bewitched. If this incident occurred, the disbelievers would have been truthful in their claim, and this defect would have afflicted the Prophet (PBUH), which is impossible.

The orthodox scholars (Al-Aṣḥāb) state that this story is authentic according to the majority of traditionists, and the arguments mentioned have already been addressed in Sūrat al-Baqarah.

Regarding the objection that the disbelievers called him bewitched, and if this happened, they would be truthful: The response is that the disbelievers meant by "bewitched" that his intellect was removed by magic, causing him to abandon their religion. However, being afflicted by pain in his body due to magic is something no one denies. In summary, God would not have allowed a devil, human, or jinn to harm him in his religion, law, or prophethood. However, harming his body is not impossible. The full discussion on this issue was previously covered in Sūrat al-Baqarah. We now return to the exegesis.