This surah declares the oneness and purity of God. It affirms that God is one, eternal and has no peer or equal. God does not beget nor was begotten, and nothing is comparable to Him. The surah was revealed to refute those who associated others with God or attributed children to Him. It emphasizes tawhid (the oneness of God) and rejects shirk (associating partners with God). The Prophet would regularly recite this surah in prayers due to its emphasis on God's qualities.

1. Sura Al-Ikhlas
(The Unity of
God, Purity)
Chapter 112
Al-Quran

3. Background
Imam Ahmad recorded from Ubayy bin Ka`b that the idolaters said
to the Prophet, "O Muhammad! Tell us the lineage of your Lord.''
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 idolaters said, `We worship idols,' Allah revealed
to His Messenger.

4. Central Theme
Declare Oneness (Towhid)
Separating and purging it from Shirk (associating others
with Almighty God, polytheism and idolatry)

5. Period of Revelation
This Surah, according to all commentators, is Makki.
In view of its contents and style, it appears to be one
of the earliest Surahs revealed at Makkah.

6. Verse One
 Verse One: (Say: "He is Allah, One.'‘-Ahad)
 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.

7. Verse Two
 Verse Two: Allah! As-Samad (i.e. the Eternal, the Absolue)
 As-Samad is the Master Whose control is complete.'‘ The Chief who is best in His Nobility. The Great one who
is best in His greatness. The Tolerant One who is best in His toleration. The Omnipotent (Almighty) who is the
best in His omnipotence, the All Knowing who is best in His knowledge.
 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.

8. Verses Three
 Verse three: "He does not beget not nor is He begotten".
 Declaring that God begets not, and nor is He begotten is such an evident
principle for the Divine Being that it is mentioned here to refute all creeds
that attribute sons or daughters to God. It primarily and categorically
refutes the pagans' attribution to Him of the angels as daughters and the
Christians' seeing Him as the Father of Jesus, upon him be peace, or their
attributing Jesus, upon him be peace, to Him as a son.

9. Verse 4
Verse Four: "And there is nothing comparable to Him.“
 The Tawhid of Purity is in the statement (And there is none
comparable to Him“).
 This can be understood from the general statement: "Say! He is
Allah! The One“-Verse 1. Nothing came out of Him nor did He come
out of anything. He has no equal, no likeness and no similarity.

10. Lessons from this Chapter
 Towhid and Shirk
 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" Sahil Al-Bukhari [ Volume 9:: Book 93:: Hadith 472]

11. Benefits
 Al-Bukhari recorded from Abu Sa`id that a man heard another man reciting. (Say: "He is
Allah, One.'') and he was repeating over and over. So when morning came, the man went to
the Prophet and mentioned that to him, and it was as though he was belittling it. The
Prophet said, 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.
 Allah's Messenger used to recite in witr the surah al-Aala, al-Kafirun and al-Ikhlas, rakah by
rakah. [Ahmed 2720, Nisai 1698, Ibn e Majah 1172]
 Abu Hurayra narrated that Prophet Mohammed (SAW) used to recite sura Al-Kafirun in first
rakha and sura Al-Ikhlas in second rakha of Fajr Sunnah (Muslim).