AL-IKHLAS · 4 verses
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1 Qul Huwa Allāhu 'Aĥadun
2 Allāhu Aş-Şamadu
3 Lam Yalid Wa Lam Yūlad
4 Walam Yakun Lahu Kufūan 'Aĥadun
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SalahThe Reason for the Revelation of this Surah and its Virtues
Imam Ahmad recorded from Ubayy bin Ka'b that the idolators said to the Prophet ﷺ, "O Muhammad! Tell us the lineage of your Lord." So Allah revealed
قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ - اللَّهُ الصَّمَدُ - لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ - وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُ كُفُوًا أَحَدٌ
(1. Say: "He is Allah")(2. "One".)(3. "He begets not, nor was He begotten".)(4. "And there is non comparable to Him.")
Similar was recorded by At-Tirmidhi and Ibn Jarir and they added in their narration that he said,
الصَّمَدُ
(As-Samad) is One Who does not give birth, nor was He born, because there is nothing that is born except that it will die, and there is nothing that dies except that it leaves behind inheritance, and indeed Allah does not die and He does not leave behind any inheritance.
وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُ كُفُوًا أَحَدٌ
(And there is none comparable to Him.)
This means that there is none similar to Him, none equal to Him and there is nothing at all like Him."
Ibn Abi Hatim also recorded it and At-Tirmidhi mentioned it as a Mursal narration. Then At-Tirmidhi said, "And this is the most correct."
A Hadith on its Virtues
Al-Bukhari reported from 'Amrah bint 'Abdur-Rahman, who used to stay in the apartment of 'A'ishah, the wife of the Prophet ﷺ, that 'A'ishah said, "The Prophet ﷺ sent a man as the commander of a war expedition and he used to lead his companions in prayer with recitation (of the Qur'an). And he would complete his recitation with the recitation of 'Say: He is Allah, One.' So when they returned they mentioned that to the Prophet ﷺ and he said,
سَلُوهُ لِأَيِّ شَيْءٍ يَصْنَعُ ذَلِكَ؟
(Ask him why does he do that.)
So they asked him and he said, 'Because it is the description of Ar-Rahman and I love to recite it. So the Prophet ﷺ said,
أَخْبِرُوهُ أَنَّ اللهَ تَعَالَى يُحِبُّهُ
(Inform him that Allah the Most High loves him.)"
This is how Al-Bukhari recorded this Hadith in his Book of Tawhid. Muslim and An-Nasa'i also recorded it.
In his Book of Salah, Al-Bukhari recorded that Anas said, "A man from the Ansar used to lead the people in prayer in the Masjid of Quba'. Whenever he began a Surah in the recitation of the prayer that he was leading them, he would start by reciting 'Say: He is Allah, One' until he completed the entire Surah.
Then he would recite another Surah along with it (after it). And used to do this in every Rak'ah. So his companions spoke to him about this saying; 'Verily, you begin the prayer with this Surah. Then you think that it is not sufficient for you unless you recite another Surah as well. So you should either recite it or leave it and recite another Surah instead.'
The man replied, 'I will not leave it off. If you want me to continue leading you (in prayer), I will do this; and if you all do not like it, I will leave you (i.e., I will stop leading you).' They used to consider him to be of the best of them to lead them in prayer and they did not want anyone else to lead them other than him. So, when the Prophet ﷺ came they informed him of this information and he said,
يَا فُلَانُ، مَا يَمْنَعُكَ أَنْ تَفْعَلَ مَا يَأْمُرُكَ بِهِ أَصْحَابُكَ، وَمَا حَمَلَكَ عَلَى لُزُومِ هَذِهِ السُّورَةِ فِي كُلِّ رَكْعَةٍ؟
(O so-and-so! What prevents you from doing what your companions are commanding you to do, and what makes you adhere to the recitation of this Surah in every Rak'ah?)
The man said, 'Verily, I love it.' The Prophet ﷺ replied,
حُبُّكَ إِيَّاهَا أَدْخَلَكَ الْجَنَّةَ
(Your love of it will cause you to enter Paradise.) This was recorded by Al-Bukhari, with a disconnected chain, but in a manner indicating his approval.
A Hadith that mentions this Surah is equivalent to a Third of the Qur'an
Al-Bukhari recorded from Abu Sa'id that a man heard another man reciting
قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ
(Say: "He is Allah, One.") and he was repeating over and over. So when morning came, the man went to the Prophet ﷺ and mentioned that to him, and it was as though he was belittling it. The Prophet ﷺ said,
وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ إِنَّهَا لَتَعْدِلُ ثُلُثَ الْقُرْآنِ
(By He in Whose Hand is my soul, verily it is equivalent to a third of the Qur'an.) Abu Dawud and An-Nasa'i also recorded it.
Another Hadith
Al-Bukhari recorded from Abu Sa'id, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to his Companions,
أَيَعْجِزُ أَحَدُكُمْ أَنْ يَقْرَأَ ثُلُثَ الْقُرْآنِ فِي لَيْلَةٍ؟
(Is one of you not able to recite a third of the Qur'an in a single night?)
This was something that was difficult for them and they said, "Which of us is able to do that, O Messenger of Allah?" So he ﷺ replied,
اللهُ الْوَاحِدُ الصَّمَدُ ثُلُثُ الْقُرْآنِ
("Allah is the One, As-Samad" is a third of the Qur'an.)
Al-Bukhari was alone in recording this Hadith.
Another Hadith that its Recitation Necessitates Admission into Paradise
Imam Malik bin Anas recorded from 'Ubayd bin Hunayn that he heard Abu Hurayrah saying, "I went out with the Prophet ﷺ and he heard a man reciting 'Say: He is Allah, the One.' So the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said,
وَجَبَت
(It is obligatory.) I asked, 'What is obligatory?' He replied,
الْجَنَّةُ
(Paradise.)"
At-Tirmidhi and An-Nasa'i also recorded it by way of Malik, and At-Tirmidhi said, "Hasan Sahih Gharib. We do not know of it except as a narration of Malik."
The Hadith in which the Prophet ﷺ said,
حُبُّكَ إِيَّاهَا أَدْخَلَكَ الْجَنَّةَ
(Your love of it will cause you to enter Paradise.) has already been mentioned.
A Hadith about repeating this Surah
Abdullah bin Imam Ahmad recorded from Mu'adh bin 'Abdullah bin Khubayb, who reported that his father said, "We became thirsty and it had become dark while we were waiting for the Messenger of Allah ﷺ to lead us in prayer. Then, when he came out he took me by my hand and said,
قُلْ
(Say.) Then he was silent. Then he said again,
قُلْ
(Say.) So I said, 'What should I say?' He said,
قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ
وَالْمُعَوِّذَتَيْنِ حِينَ تُمْسِي وَحِينَ تُصْبِحُ ثَلَاثًا، تَكْفِكَ كُلَّ يَوْمٍ مَرَّتَيْنِ
(Say: "He is Allah, One," and the two Surahs of Refuge (Al-Falaq and An-Nas) when you enter upon the evening and the morning three times (each). They will be sufficient for you two times every day.)"
This Hadith was also recorded by Abu Dawud, At-Tirmidhi and An-Nasa'i. At-Tirmidhi said, "Hasan Sahih Gharib." An-Nasa'i also recorded through another chain of narrators with the wording,
يَكْفِكَ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ
(They will suffice you against everything.)
Another Hadith about supplicating with it by Allah's Names
In his Book of Tafsir, An-Nasa'i recorded from 'Abdullah bin Buraydah, who reported from his father that he entered the Masjid with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and there was a man praying and supplicating saying, "O Allah! Verily, I ask you by my testifying that there is no God worthy of worship except You. You are the One, the Self-Sufficient Sustainer of all, Who does not give birth, nor were You born, and there is none comparable to Him." The Prophet ﷺ said,
وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ لَقَدْ سَأَلَهُ بِاسْمِهِ الْأَعْظَمِ، الَّذِي إِذَا سُئِلَ بِهِ أَعطَى، وإِذَا دُعِيَ بِهِ أَجَابَ
(By He in Whose Hand is my soul, verily he has asked Him by His Greatest Name. It is His Name that if He is asked by it, He will give, and if He is called upon by it, He will answer.)
The other Sunan compilers have also recorded this Hadith. At-Tirmidhi said, "Hasan Gharib."
A Hadith about seeking a Cure by these Surahs
Al-Bukhari recorded from 'A'ishah that whenever the Prophet ﷺ would go to bed every night, he would put his palms together and blow into them. Then he would recite into them (his palms), 'Say: He is Allah, One', 'Say: I seek refuge with the Lord of Al-Falaq', and 'Say: I seek refuge with the Lord of mankind.' Then he would wipe whatever he was able to of his body with them (his palms). He would begin wiping his head and face with them and the front part of his body. He would do this (wiping his body) three times. The Sunan compilers also recorded this same Hadith.
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ - اللَّهُ الصَّمَدُ - لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ - وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُ كُفُوًا أَحَدٌ
(1. Say: "He is Allah, One.")(2. "Allah As-Samad.")(3. "He begets not, nor was He begotten.")(4. "And there is none comparable to Him.")
The reason for the revelation of this Surah has already been mentioned. 'Ikrimah said, "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 idolators said, 'We worship idols,' Allah revealed to His Messenger ﷺ,
قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ
(Say: "He is Allah, One.") meaning, He is the One, the Singular, Who has no peer, no assistant, no rival, no equal and none comparable to Him. This word (Al-Ahad) cannot be used for anyone in affirmation except Allah the Mighty and Majestic, because He is perfect in all of His attributes and actions. Concerning His saying,
اللَّهُ الصَّمَدُ
(Allah As-Samad.) 'Ikrimah reported that Ibn 'Abbas said, "This means the One Who all of the creation depends upon for their needs and their requests." 'Ali bin Abi Talhah reported from Ibn 'Abbas, "He is the Master Who is perfect in His sovereignty, the Most Noble Who is perfect in His nobility, the Most Magnificent Who is perfect in His magnificence, the Most Forbearing Who is perfect in His forbearance, the All-Knowing Who is perfect in His knowledge, and the Most Wise Who is perfect in His wisdom. He is the One Who is perfect in all aspects of nobility and authority. He is Allah, glory be unto Him. These attributes are not befitting anyone other than Him. He has no coequal and nothing is like Him. Glory be to Allah, the One, the Irresistible." Al-A'mash reported from Shaqiq, who said that Abu Wa'il said,
الصَّمَدُ
(As-Samad.) is the Master Whose control is complete."
Allah is Above having Children and procreating
Then Allah says,
لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ - وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُ كُفُوًا أَحَدٌ
(He begets not, nor was He begotten. And there is none comparable to Him.)
meaning, He does not have any child, parent or spouse. Mujahid said,
وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُ كُفُوًا أَحَدٌ
(And there is none comparable to Him.) "This means He does not have a spouse." This is as Allah says,
بَدِيعُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ ۖ أَنَّىٰ يَكُونُ لَهُ وَلَدٌ وَلَمْ تَكُن لَّهُ صَاحِبَةٌ ۖ وَخَلَقَ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ
(He is the Originator of the heavens and the earth. How can He have children when He has no wife He created all things.)(6:101)
meaning, He owns everything and He created everything. So how can He have a peer among His creatures who can be equal to Him, or a relative who can resemble Him? Glorified, Exalted and far removed is Allah from such a thing.
Allah says,
وَقَالُوا اتَّخَذَ الرَّحْمَٰنُ وَلَدًا - لَّقَدْ جِئْتُمْ شَيْئًا إِدًّا - تَكَادُ السَّمَاوَاتُ يَتَفَطَّرْنَ مِنْهُ وَتَنشَقُّ الْأَرْضُ وَتَخِرُّ الْجِبَالُ هَدًّا - أَن دَعَوْا لِلرَّحْمَٰنِ وَلَدًا - وَمَا يَنبَغِي لِلرَّحْمَٰنِ أَن يَتَّخِذَ وَلَدًا - إِن كُلُّ مَن فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ إِلَّا آتِي الرَّحْمَٰنِ عَبْدًا - لَّقَدْ أَحْصَاهُمْ وَعَدَّهُمْ عَدًّا - وَكُلُّهُمْ آتِيهِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ فَرْدًا
(And they say: Ar-Rahman has begotten a son. Indeed you have brought forth (said) a terrible evil thing. Whereby the heavens are almost torn, and the earth is split asunder, and the mountains fall in ruins, that they ascribe a son to Ar-Rahman. But it is not suitable for Ar-Rahman that He should beget a son. There is none in the heavens and the earth but comes unto Ar-Rahman as a slave. Verily, He knows each one of them, and has counted them a full counting. And all of them will come to Him alone on the Day of Resurrection.)(19:88-95)
And Allah says,
وَقَالُوا اتَّخَذَ الرَّحْمَٰنُ وَلَدًا ۗ سُبْحَانَهُ ۚ بَلْ عِبَادٌ مُّكْرَمُونَ - لَا يَسْبِقُونَهُ بِالْقَوْلِ وَهُم بِأَمْرِهِ يَعْمَلُونَ
(And they say: "Ar-Rahman has begotten a son. Glory to Him! They are but honored servants. They speak not until He has spoken, and they act on His command.)(21:26-27)
Allah also says,
وَجَعَلُوا بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَ الْجِنَّةِ نَسَبًا ۚ وَلَقَدْ عَلِمَتِ الْجِنَّةُ إِنَّهُمْ لَمُحْضَرُونَ - سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ عَمَّا يَصِفُونَ
(And they have invented a kinship between Him and the Jinn, but the Jinn know well that they have indeed to appear before Him. Glorified is Allah! (He is free) from what they attribute unto Him!)(37:158-159)
In Sahih Al-Bukhari, it is recorded (that that the Prophet ﷺ said),
لَا أَحَدَ أَصْبَرُ عَلَى أَذًى سَمِعَهُ مِنَ اللهِ، يَجْعَلُونَ لَهُ وَلَدًا، وَهُوَ يَرْزُقُهُمْ وَيُعَافِيهِم
(There is no one more patient with something harmful that he hears than Allah. They attribute a son to Him, while it is He Who gives them sustenance and cures them.)
Al-Bukhari also recorded from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet ﷺ said,
قَالَ اللهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ: كَذَّبَنِي ابْنُ آدَمَ وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ ذَلِكَ، وَشَتَمَنِي وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ ذَلِكَ، فَأَمَّا تَكْذِيبُهُ إِيَّايَ فَقَوْلُهُ: لَنْ يُعِيدَنِي كَمَا بَدَأَنِي، وَلَيْسَ أَوَّلُ الْخَلْقِ بِأَهْوَنَ عَلَيَّ مِنْ إِعَادَتِهِ، وَأَمَّا شَتْمُهُ إِيَّايَ فَقَوْلُهُ: اتَّخَذَ اللهُ وَلَدًا، وَأَنَا الْأَحَدُ الصَّمَدُ، لَمْ أَلِدْ وَلَمْ أُولَدْ، وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لِي كُفُوًا أَحَدٌ
(Allah the Mighty and Majestic says, "The Son of Adam denies Me and he has no right to do so, and he abuses Me and he has no right to do so. In reference to his denial of Me, it is his saying: 'He (Allah) will never re-create me like He created me before.' But the re-creation of him is easier than his original creation. As for his cursing Me, it is his saying: 'Allah has taken a son.' But I am the One, the Self-Sufficient Master. I do not give birth, nor was I born, and there is none comparable to Me.")
This is the end of the Tafsir of Surat Al-Ikhlas, and all praise and blessings are due to Allah.
This surah was revealed in the Meccan period (before the Hijra). A bedouin among the idolaters had come to see the Prophet Muhammad (may the Peace and the Blessing of Allah be upon him), questioning him about this God whose existence he advocated and whose exclusive worship he ordered. After answering him « Allah », the bedouin asked him to describe Him to him. The idolaters of that time also used the word « Allah » to designate God, but the attributes they associated with Him were completely different from those Allah has attributed to Himself. The idolaters were therefore confused by the name « Allah » that the Prophet employed when he called them to Islam.
Moreover, the bedouins fashioned their « deities » from all kinds of precious materials such as gold, or silver, and just like the Roman peoples, those of ancient Greece, the Hindus, or other idolatrous peoples, they granted lineages to their deities (Glory and purity to Allah) who, according to them, descended from other gods.
They therefore expected the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, to describe to them a particular material, in addition to stating for them the ancestors of this famous deity (nassab). Allah Himself then revealed to His Prophet a surah with the aim of describing Himself, in response to their questions.
It is reported in a hadith that the Prophet swore to his companions that this surah was equivalent to a third of the Quran. Indeed, according to the scholars of Islam, the content of the Quran can be divided into 3 parts. The first being reserved for
Thus, the reading of this surah 3 times does not substitute for the totality of the Quran, but this surah alone sums up the treasure of the knowledge of Allah and of His oneness, which represents a third of the Quran. To learn this surah is therefore equivalent to learning to know Allah, knowing that Allah has devoted a third of His Word to describing Himself.
The Prophet also had the habit of reciting Surah Al-Kafirun and then Al-Ikhlas for the first 2 units of prayer before the dawn prayer (fajr). He also recited it before sleeping, for the last unit of prayer of the day (the witr prayer). It was a wisdom on the part of the Prophet, who taught us by this sunnah that sincerity (al-ikhlas) and the oneness of Allah began and ended our day.
These surahs (al-kafirun and al-ikhlas) were also recited by the Prophet during the ritual of Tawaf, during the pilgrimage to Mecca, as well as in the two units of prayer following the Tawaf.
We will see in more detail below the reason why the Prophet frequently linked this surah to Surah Al-Kafirun (the disbelievers) in his prayers (and in particular during the first and the last supererogatory prayer of the day) and what was the wisdom behind it.
It is also reported to us that some companions loved this surah so much that they recited it at each unit of prayer before reciting any other surah, as was the case of a companion among the inhabitants of Medina (Al-Ansar). Each time he led the prayer in the mosque of Quba, he always began by reciting Surah Al-Ikhlas after the Fatiha, before reciting any other surah, and this, at each unit of prayer. The companions whom he led in prayer were irritated by this practice and had gone to complain to the Prophet about this behaviour, seeing that the companion refused to abandon this habit despite their requests. And when the Prophet asked him the reason, the companion answered him that he sincerely loved this surah. The Prophet then answered him that his love for this surah had made him enter Paradise. Every Muslim should therefore hold a particular love for this surah.
Here is the list of the key words of this surah, which we will analyse in detail in sha Allah:
Qul = say
Huwa = He is
Allah = God
Ahad = unique
as samad = the one to whom one turns in time of need
lam = followed by a verb, this preposition expresses the negation of the past
yalid = to beget
yulad = to be begotten
kufuwan = equal
It is interesting to study the grammar of this surah, not only because it is astounding, but above all because it helps us to truly understand the manner in which Allah wished to describe Himself to His creatures, and which cannot be deeply felt through a simple literal translation.
To begin, it is important to understand the principle of « ichtiqaq » (or derivation) in Arabic, which is the key to understanding the Arabic language. This means that each Arabic word stems from an original word, of 3 letters, in principle. This original word, which is part of the category of roots or bases (asmaa jaamida), is not derived from another word, but can be derived (mushtaq) into dozens of words, all of different meaning but which nonetheless all have something to do with the original word.
Each time the word « qul » is mentioned in the Quran, it means that what follows is the content of what the Prophet must teach to the Muslims. It is a lesson for all of us, from Allah, who places Himself in the position of Teacher for humanity. If Allah had said « i3lam » (know), then we would have understood that He is addressing the Prophet personally, and what would have followed would therefore have been a knowledge that the Prophet must have for himself. Whereas here, it is a teaching that the Prophet cannot keep for himself but which he must imperatively spread around him.
It is the masculine singular pronoun of the Arabic language, « he ». In Arabic, the auxiliary « to be » in the present does not exist. It is therefore entirely correct to employ an adjective immediately after a pronoun; and this is the manner in which it is employed here.
This word is an answer to the question of the idolaters who asked concerning Allah « man huwa? Maa huwa » (Who is He? What is He then?), but the use of this word in the first verse also implies that Allah is the most well-known reference of the universe, so there is no need to define Him beforehand before employing this pronoun.
The great scholars of « sarf » and of « nahw » (grammar) diverged on the subject of the origin of the word « Allah » and we are not qualified to decide which of the opinions is the most legitimate. Allah is more Knowing. That said, the two hypotheses of the origin of the name of Allah remain enriching from the point of view of the understanding of this name.
A first group of scholars affirmed that the word « Allah » is « mushtaq » (derived) from the word « ilaah » (deity). Thus, by adding to it « al » (which is the mark of the definite article in Arabic), « ilaah » becomes « al ilaah ». With time, the « alif » (which gives the first letter of the word and which here carries the sound « i ») at the beginning of the word is said to have disappeared to give way to the name « Al laah ».
The other group thinks that the name Allah was revealed as such for all the prophets and for all languages by Allah when Allah refers to Himself
The word ahad is derived from the word « wahd » or « wahad » which signifies a unique person, of whom one knows neither lineage, nor genealogy, nor origin. The word « wahd » being able to be used for any person, and Allah being able to be compared to no one, it is therefore not chosen by Allah to describe His oneness. He therefore uses the word « ahad » which is not used for anyone apart from Him in the history of the Arabic language, knowing that the word « ahad » is a word even stronger than « wahd ».
Indeed, it places an emphasis on the fact that no one can compare to, or oppose, or affiliate himself with Allah in any manner whatsoever. Allah is Unique, in every sense that this term can imply.
To understand the word « ahad » it is also important to understand what differentiates it from the word « wahiid » which would have been more naturally employed by the Arabs to describe something unique. Now, Allah shows great Wisdom and subtlety in choosing to employ the word « ahad » rather than « wahiid ». Indeed, the word « wahiid » means that a thing is unique, at the moment one speaks, but it implies that this might perhaps not have been the case in another situation. For example, « She is the only person in the room » leads us to think that there could have been several, but that this is not the case. Whereas if one employs the word « ahad », it means that there is no one other than Him and that there can be no one else.
Moreover, the word « ahad » in Arabic can in principle only be used in absolute negation, to say « that there is no one other than... » or else in the affirmative if it is a matter of an annexation, as in « one of you » or « one of them ». Whereas « wahiid » can be employed in the affirmative, as in « he is the only one to... ».
So, despite the fact that the word « ahad » can only be used in its negative form unless it is annexed to something, Allah employs it in its affirmative form to describe His oneness. In other words, the only place in all of Arabic literature where the word « ahad » is used in the affirmative and without annexation is in Surah Al-Ikhlas. Which shows that Allah does not only express His Oneness through the meaning of the word employed, but above all through the manner in which He chose to employ it.
The use of this word is therefore a shock for the Arabs, by itself alone. In a society where hundreds of deities are admitted and where everyone respects the deity of the other, to affirm that our God is the One and Only God in all His attributes and that He has no equal upends the customs.
And it is with this principle of total oneness, « ahad », that the Jews and Christians do not agree. They can agree with « waahid » but not « ahad ».
And it is this principle of oneness that the word « ahad » expresses, which does not signify only unique in number (Allah is but one) as one often understands it, but that Allah is Unique in all His attributes. No one can equal Him.
Allah created man with the need to worship something in his « fitra » (nature) with the aim of seeking Him. The human being is therefore predisposed, by his nature, to seek a master, to submit to him, and to do all that is in his power to satisfy him. And if it is not Allah, it will be something else. Before it was the idols, today it has become money, status, self-image, friends, children, spouses, the need to entertain oneself constantly. And the human being cannot find rest, appeasement and contentment unless the central place of his heart is inhabited by Allah. For when one attributes this place of « ilaah » (deity) to other than Allah, the moment one loses this thing, or that one does not manage to satisfy it, our world collapses.
These are all the implications of the word « ahad », and in truth, all the rest of the surah is but a tafsir that Allah gives us of His attribute of Oneness, « ahad ».
The principal meaning of the word « samad » from which all the others stem is the fact that He is the Only One whom everyone needs and who needs no one.
Meaning n°1: « As samad » of the meaning « al kaafi ». The One who is Sufficient and to whom one turns in time of need. The One who suffices, who fulfils our needs, with whom is found the answer to our questions.
Meaning n°2: When one makes of a person our goal by aspiring to satisfy or reach him. When one makes of a person our goal, this one becomes « as samad ».
The exegetes have asked themselves the question of understanding why Allah uses « Lam » and not « Laa ». Why the past and not the present? This is normal because birth is in the past, so Allah informs us that He was not born of anyone. The use of the past is logical.
Why does Allah have no child? Because Allah says that He has no equal. He is Ahad. No one is comparable to Him. So the miracle of Allah here is that He refuted the ancient religions, whether they stem from the idolatrous beliefs that attribute a genealogy to their deities or from the false Christian beliefs that associate a son with God.
Equal. No one can equal Allah in His names and attributes, in His knowledge, His rahma, His wisdom, His clemency, His forgiveness, so why ask of someone else.
al-Ikhlas answers the question that the idolaters asked themselves and that one may ask oneself (but then what is it that you worship?) when one reads surah Al-Kafirun
This surah does not contain the word ikhlas (sincerity), yet this name is given to it because the more one remembers who Allah truly is, His attributes, His importance, the more sincere one will be in our life.
Conclusion of the surah: As a Muslim, one must therefore understand that Allah is ahad in number, in attribute, and in our lives as a goal. The oneness of Allah applies not only in our belief but also in terms of love, of fear, of hope, of obedience and of worship, of trust. And sincerity in our lives is only gained when one has understood the real Oneness of Allah (tawhid).
Allah, in His wisdom, made it so that one of the surahs that the Muslims were going to recite the most and even teach to their children first, after Al-Fatiha, is Al-Ikhlas: the surah that defends the honour of Allah, and gives us the real goal of our life.
Finally, this surah protects from shirk and anchors tawhid in our hearts. Which means that in truth Allah has made the religion easy for us and that one does not obligatorily need to have a doctorate in 3aqeeda in order not to fall into shirk; one must just have a deep and sincere understanding of surah al-ikhlaas. This surah alone is a gift from Allah.
Source Nouman Ali Khan