Surah 112

Al-Ikhlāṣ

(Sincerity)

(Makkan Period)

Title

al-Ikhlas (sincerity) is both the title and subject matter of this Surah, for it deals exclusively with pure and sincere monotheism. Generally, titles of Qur'ānic Surahs consist of some word used in that Surah. However, the word ikhlas is not employed in this Surah. Instead, what it signifies is that one who sincerely believes will get rid of polytheism.

Period of Revelation

Opinions differ on its Makkan or Madīnan origin, especially in light of the divergent reports about the occasion of its revelation. Here are some of these reports:

1. 'Abd Allah ibn Mas'ud reports that the Quraysh had asked the Prophet (peace be upon him) to inform them of Allah's pedigree.*1 In response, this Surah was revealed, (Tabarānī).
   [*1. It was customary among Arabs to find out about one's pedigree, espe- cially one's tribe when being introduced. In accordance with the same mindset, they asked the Prophet (peace be upon him) to tell them about the pedigree of his Lord.]
   
   
2. Abu al-'Aliyah reports on the authority of Ubayy ibn Ka'b that the polytheists enquired of the Prophet (peace be upon him) as to the pedigree of his Lord. Accordingly, Allah sent down this Surah, (Ahmad, Ibn Abī Ḥātim, Ibn Jarir, Tirmidhi, Bukhārī, Ibn al-Mundhir, Ḥākim and Bayhaqi). Tirmidhi cited Abū al- 'Aliyah's report, without any reference to Ubayy ibn Ka'b and rated it as more authentic.
   
   
3. Jābir ibn 'Abd Allah says: "An Arab (or some people) asked the Prophet (peace be upon him) to tell them about the pedigree of his Lord. As a result, this Surah came down," (Abū Ya'la, Ibn Jarir, Ibn al-Mundhir, Ṭabarani, Bayhaqi and Abū Nu'aym.)
   
   
4. On the authority of Ibn 'Abbās, 'Ikrimah relates: "A group of Jews called on the Prophet (peace be upon him). Among them were Ka'b ibn Ashraf and Huyayy ibn Akhtab. They said: 'O Muḥammad! Tell us of what kind is your Lord Who has sent you?' In response to the same, Allah revealed this Surah," (Ibn Abi Ḥātim, Ibn 'Adi and Bayhaqi).

In his tafsir on this Sūrah, Ibn Taymiyyah has cited these reports:

5. Anas informs: "Some Jews of Khaybar called on the Prophet (peace be upon him) and said: "O Abū al-Qāsim, Allah has created angels from light, Adam from clay, Iblis from a flame of fire, the sky from smoke and the earth from water. Now tell us about your Lord (of what is He made?)." The Prophet (peace be upon him) did not give them any reply. Then Gabriel visited him and told him: "O Muhammad, say to them (he then transmitted this Surah to him)."
   
   
6. 'Amir ibn al-Tufayl asked the Prophet (peace be upon him): "O Muḥammad, to what do you call us?" He told him that he invited them to Allah. Upon this he asked the latter to enlighten him about Him: "Is He made of gold, silver or iron?" Upon this Surah al-Ikhlas was sent down.
   
   
7. Dahḥāk, Qatādah and Muqātil report: "Some Jewish rabbis visited the Prophet (peace be upon him) and asked him: “O Muḥammad, tell us about your Lord. It may be that we embrace faith at your hands. Allah has spelled out His attributes in the Torah. Tell us of what is He made? What is His gender? Is He made of gold, copper, brass, iron or silver? What does He eat and drink? From whom did He inherit this universe and who will later inherit it from Him?" In response to these questions, this Surah was sent down."
   
   
8. Ibn Abbas reports: "A delegation of seven church fathers from Najran visited the Prophet (peace be upon him) and asked him: "Tell us, how is your Lord? What is He made of?" He replied: "He is not made of anything. He transcends all things." Thereupon this Surah was sent down.

It emerges from these reports that on different occasions several people had enquired of the Prophet (peace be upon him) about the nature and kind of the Lord, whose worship he asked people to do. On each occasion, in reply to their questions, he recited this Surah by Allah's command. This type of question was first posited by the Quraysh polytheists of Makkah, and in response to this, Sürah al-Ikhlas was sent down. Later, in Madīnah, Jews, Christians and some other Arabs put forward similar questions to him. In each instance, Allah directed him to recite this Surah as his reply. The above reports indicate that this Surah was revealed on each of these occasions. However, it does not amount to any contradiction. Whenever an issue was presented before the Prophet (peace be upon him) for clarification or comment, and the same was covered by an already revealed verse or Surah, Allah directed him to recite the same as his response. Hadith narrators report this in such a way that it appears as if that verse or Surah was sent down at that particular point, whereas it had already been revealed. This may be termed as the repetition of revelation, for it is as if a verse or Surah was sent down several times.

So, the correct position is that it is a Makkan Surah. While studying its contents one recognizes that it must have been revealed during the early Makkan period. By then, Qur'ānic verses containing a detailed account of Allah's being and attributes had not been sent down. On hearing the Prophet's message, people had developed curiosity to find out more about his Lord, the object of all worship in Islam. That it is an early Makkan Surah is also proved by the following incident: When Umayyah ibn Khalaf, the master of Bilal, used to drag the latter in hot sand, with a big stone placed on his chest, he kept on uttering aḥad, aḥad (the One). The word aḥad as used of Allah occurs in this Surah.

Subject Matter and Themes

While going through these reports about the occasion of its revelation, one gets an idea of the religious beliefs prevalent in the early days of the Prophet's mission. The idolatrous polytheists used to worship deities made of wood, stone, gold, silver and other materials. Their gods had physical dimensions, forms, figures and bodies. Their gods and goddesses had their progeny. Each god had a spouse. They ate and drank and these provisions were arranged for by their devotees. Many polytheists believed in the human incarnation of God. Although Christians claimed to be monotheists, their God too, had, at least, a Son and the Holy Ghost was part of the Trinity. These gods had mothers and mothers-in-law as well. Jews too, laid their claim to be monotheists, yet their God too, had material and physical aspects, and even some human traits. For example, He walked, assumed human form, wrestled with one of His servants and had a son, 'Uzayr. Then there were Magians, the fire worshippers and Sabians who worshipped stars. Against this backdrop, when people were asked to disregard this pantheon of gods and to believe only in the One True God, their curiosity was natural. In its own miraculously pithy style the Qur'an answers all these questions in a few, short verses. It presents a comprehensive concept of Allah which strikes a fatal blow to all polytheistic notions about Allah. It leaves no room for mixing up human and divine attributes.

Excellence and importance of this Surah: The Prophet (peace be upon him) held this Surah in great esteem in view of all these considerations. He urged Muslims to recognize its excellence, to recite it profusely and to preach its message. For it introduces the fundamental Islamic doctrine of monotheism in four succinct statements, which leave an imprint on the mind and the heart. Many reports state that on several occasions the Prophet (peace be upon him) underscored that this Surah is equal to one-third of the Qur'an. Bukhārī, Muslim, Abū Dāwūd, Nasa'ī, Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah, Aḥmad and Ṭabarānī have cited such reports on the authority of these Companions - Abū Sa'īd Khudrī, Abū Hurayrah, Abū Ayyub Anṣārī, Abū al-Dardā', Mu'adh ibn Jabal, Jabir ibn 'Abd Allah, Ubbay ibn Ka'b, Umm Kulthum bint 'Uqbah ibn Abi Mu'ayt, Ibn 'Umar, Ibn Mas'ūd, Qatādah ibn al-Nu'man, Anas ibn Malik and Abu Mas'ūd. (Bukhārī, Bāb al-Tafsir).The Qur'anic scholars have also elucidated extensively on the Prophet's observation. Of these, the self-evident truth is that the faith propounded by the Qur'an rests on three planks: (1) Monotheism, (2) Messengership and (3) the Hereafter. Since this Surah describes pure monotheism, the Prophet (peace be upon him) declared it as equal to one-third of the Qur'an, (Bukhārī, Bāb al-Adhān).

The following report by 'Ä'ishah features in Bukhārī's and other Ḥadith collections: "The Prophet (peace be upon him) had appointed someone as the leader of an expedition. During that journey, it was his practice to conclude his Qur'an recitation with Surah al-Ikhlas in every Prayer. On his return, this was brought to the Prophet's attention. He was then asked as to why he recited only this Surah. In reply, he said that since this Surah spells out the attributes of the Most Compassionate One, he loved to recite it. Upon hearing this the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Tell him that Allah loves him."

Another similar incident is narrated by Anas, which is included in Bukhari's collection: "An Anṣār used to lead Prayers in Quba Mosque. It was his practice to recite first Sürah al-Ikhlāṣ, followed by another Surah. Some people objected, pointing out that it was not proper to recite another Surah besides Surah al-Ikhlas and that he should recite only one Surah. That Anṣār refused to budge, saying that he would prefer to leave the job. People were not willing for this either. When this was reported to the Prophet (peace be upon him), he asked him as to why he did not listen to them others. "What prompts you to recite this Surah in every rak'ah?" He submitted: "I love this." Then the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Your love of this Surah has ensured your entry into Paradise," (Bukhārī, Bāb al-Jam' bayn al-Sūratayn).