Commentary: Surah Al-Ikhlas

by Ayatollah Seyyed Kamal Faqih Imani:

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيمِ

قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ (1) اللَّهُ الصَّمَدُ (2) لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ (3) وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُ كُفُوًا أَحَدٌ (4)

In The Name of Allah, The Beneficent, The Merciful

1. “Say: Allah (SWT) is Unique,”
2. “Allah (SWT), the Eternal,”
3. “God begets not, nor is begotten,”
4. “And there is none like unto God.”

The first verse of this Surah, is an answer to the repeated question of many persons from different groups of people or tribes who asked about the attributes and identity of Allah (SWT).

The command is:

It begins with the Arabic term

which is a pronoun-third-person-singular and refers to something known to all, but ambiguous and not identified with any, as against the usual reference in the term of first person singular ‘I’. It is, indeed, a code referring to the fact that God’s Holy Being is extremely concealed and no human thought or imagination can touch it, though the signs of God’s Existence have filled the world, totally, and are more apparent and clear than all things, as Surah Fussilat, No. 41, verse 53 says:

Then, it makes this unknown fact manifest by saying that

By the way, the term /Qul/, here means ‘express this fact and tell others’.

A tradition from Imam Muhammad Baqir (AS) narrated that after expressing this statement, he added:

“Pagans and idol worshippers used to point to their idols using demonstrative pronouns and say:

‘O’ Muhammad, these are our gods that can be seen. You, too, describe your God so that we can see and understand’.

Allah (SWT) revealed these verses:

and the /H/ in the word /Huwa/ refers to the confirmation of the matter and takes it into consideration. And /W/ is a third person (being) pronoun which refers to the meaning that it is concealed from the sight of the eyes and it is beyond the limits of the touch of the senses”.(1)

In another tradition, Imam Amiral-Mo’mineen Ali (AS) says:

“On the night before the battle of Badr I saw ‘Khidhr’ in my dream. I asked him to teach me something with which I would defeat the enemies.

He told me:

‘Say: /Ya Hu Ya Man La Huwa Illa Hu/.’

The next morning I told the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) what had happened, and he (PBUH) said:

‘O’ Ali, you have been taught the Greatest Name (of Allah (SWT))’.

Thereafter, I repeatedly said the phrase in the battle of Badr “.(2)

When ‘Ammar Yasir heard that Hazrat Ali (as) was reciting this phrase, habitually, while he was fighting on the day of Siffin, he asked him what it was, and Hazrat Ali (as) replied:

“It is the Greatest Name (of Allah (SWT)) and the pillar of monotheism”.(3)

Allah (SWT) is a proper name for God, and the meaning of the Imam’s (AS) expression is that in this very word are gathered all God’s attributes of Bounty and Glory, and due to this it has been called ‘the Greatest of Names’. This proper name is used for nothing but God, while other names for Allah, each of which usually refers to one of His qualities of Beauty and Glory, are often used for other than Him.

The root of the word is mentioned differently; /Ilahat/, /Alahah/, /Alilahah/, /Ilah/, /Walih/; however, Allah (SWT), from whatever root it is, has been used as a proper noun, applied to ‘the Being Who exists necessarily, by God; comprising all the attributes of perfection; a proper name denoting the true god, containing all the excellent, divine names; a unity having all the essence of existing things’. This Sacred Name is mentioned in the Holy Qur’an almost one thousand times, which is more than any other name of God’s Holy Names. This name brings light in our heart, makes us firm and calm, and takes us into a world full of purity and serenity.

The term /Ahad/ is derived from /Wahdah/, and some believe that /Ahad/ and /Wahid / are the same in many cases. In this case, /Ahad/ is interchangeable with /Wahid/ when it is used as an epithet applied for Allah (SWT), because /Al-ahad/, as an epithet, is applied to Allah (SWT) alone, and signifies ‘the One’; the Soul; God Who has always been one and alone; or the Indivisible; or God Who has no second (to share) in God’s Lordship, nor in God’s Essence, nor in God’s attributes.

One can say /Huwal Wahid/ and /Huwal Ahad /and in like manner, /Ahad / without the article being used as an epithet, especially in relation to Allah (SWT). It is interchangeable, in this case, (but not in other cases) with / Wahid/. In this verse / Ahad/ is a substitute for Allah, just as an indeterminate noun is sometimes a substitute for a determinate noun.

But, some others believe that there is a vast difference between the two Arabic words /Ahad/ and /Wahid/ both commonly thought to mean ‘Oneness’. To indicate the Unity of God, it is said, in this verse, that God is Allah (SWT), i.e. One; One in the sense of Absolute Oneness of God’s Essential Existence, not in the numerical sense of the word, which has its second and third, but, the One which has no second.

The expression

is in the sense of being the ‘ONLY’ and in conceiving Whose existence, all faculties of the human intellect are helpless. God is such a Unique that even God’s attributes are God’s Essence and are not and can never be separate from God. It is a death blow which Islam has rendered, about the All-Divine, to all imaginary concepts of any kind of polytheistic doctrines and the phenomena of plurality. God is Unique with none comparable to Him, without any beginning or end, unlimited by time, space or circumstances. A reality before which all others have no existence. He is the Creator, Unique, and everything is God’s creation.

A tradition from Imam Muhammad Baqir (AS) says:

“Ahad’ and ‘Wahid’ both have one concept which is One with nothing comparable or similar to it, and monotheism is the confession to God’s Uniqueness”.(4)

In the Quran /Wapid/ and /Ahad/, both, refer to Allah (SWT), the Unique, the Only.

In the next verse, another epithet of that Holy Essence is referred to:

Many meanings are mentioned for /Samad/ in Islamic narrations, commentaries, and lexicons.

Raqib cites in Mufradat that ‘Samad means a Lord; one to whom reference is made in matters of importance’. Some others have said that ‘Samad’ means ‘something whose inside is not hollow, but it is full’. It also means ‘a Lord’, when applied for Allah (SWT), because affairs are dependant upon God. ‘Samad’ signifies one who is high or elevated in the utmost highness, and a Lord to whom one resigns himself, has recourse to, or is in need of, or One above Whom there is no one, or One Who continues, after God’s creatures have perished.

Imam Hussain ibn Ali (AS), in a tradition, has stated five meanings for ‘Samad ‘

1. Samad is a Lord Whose Lordship has attained its utmost point or degree.

2. Samad is an Essence and Being that continues or continues for ever or is everlasting.

3. Samad is the Existence that has not a hollow inside.

4. Samad is the One Who takes no nourishment, food or drink.

5. Samad is One Who does not sleep.(5)

A tradition from Imam Ali-ibn-Al Hussain (AS) says:

“Samad’ is One Who has no partner and it is not difficult for God to protect things, and nothing is hidden from God”.(6)

Some others have said /Samad/ means ‘independent of anyone’ – All perfect – the One to Whom recourse is made by everything: Eternal for its needs, both for existence and for perfection; the One Who needs no sustenance of any kind-Self-existing to understand, Whose existence, every mind is captured in marvel and wonder. Nothing is hidden from God’s all-enveloping knowledge-is not accommodatable in anything, not even in intellect: Infinite in all aspects of existence and attributes. The term ‘Samad’ has such a vast meaning that we cannot mention them, completely, or in other words, the names or the attributes, mentioned to describe its nature, cannot be translated to covey the exact sense to the fullest meaning of the terms.

A tradition denotes that the citizens of Basrah wrote a letter to Imam Hussain (AS) and asked him the meaning of /Samad/.

He replied:

then do not plunge in vain talk about the Quran and do not dispute about it and do not speak about it when you do not know (it).

Verily, I heard from my grandfather, the Messenger of Allah (SWT), who said:

‘the person who talks about the Quran without knowing (it), his abode will be in fire’.

Allah (SWT) has rendered ‘Samad’ to mean:

Yes, Allah (SWT) is ‘Samad’ Who is not from anything and is not in anything or on anything; God is the Creator of everything and all are from God by God’s Power; what God has created to perish will perish at God’s Will, and what God has created to remain will remain in God’s Knowledge. This is Allah (SWT); Al-Samad”.(7)

In the next verse, it rejects the idea of the Christians, the Jews, and the pagan Arabs who declared that Allah had a child or is a father.

It says:

Different from this is the statement of those who believe in Trinity; the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost.

Christians know ‘Jesus’ as the son of God. The Jews believe ‘Ezra’ (‘Uzair) was the son of God:

The Arab pagans believed that angels were the daughters of Allah (SWT):

It is understood from some of the Islamic narrations that

in the verse under discussion, has a broader meaning. It negates any material and delicate things emerging from Him, or He, the Sacred Essence, emerging from any material and delicate thing.

In the above mentioned letter of Imam Hussain (as) to the people of Basrah, about the commentary of the term /samad/, he commented on the current verse, saying:

“/Lamyalid/, i.e. there emitted nothing from God – neither material things nor a child, nor other things that emit from creatures, nor a delicate thing like a soul.

Nothing appears in God, such as sleep, imagination, grief, sadness, happiness, laughter, tears, fear and hope, courage and discouragement, hunger and satiety.

Allah (SWT) is more exalted than that something should emit from God, or that God begets something material or delicate, nor is God begotten from something material or delicate…

Similar to a living creature coming out from another one, or a plant from the earth, water from a spring, fruits from trees, nor the like, emitting delicate things from their sources, such as vision from the eye, hearing from the ears, smelling from the nose, tasting from the mouth, speech from the tongue, knowledge and understanding from the heart (insight and soul), and particles of fire from stone…”(10)

According to this tradition,

conveys a vast meaning, so that it may envelop any emitting things of any kind from anything else, and this is, in fact, the second meaning of the verse whose first and apparent meaning was the meaning that was mentioned in the beginning. Besides, the second meaning, with the analogy of the first meaning, is quite adaptable and understandable; since, if Allah (SWT) has no children, it is because God is aloof from the qualities of material. This meaning is also right for other qualities of matter.

The term /Kufw/ originally means ‘equal from the point of position and rank’, then, it is used for any similarity. Considering this verse, the Holy Essence of Allah is free from all qualities or obstacles that creatures have, and free from all defects and limitations. This is ‘Unity of Attributes’ that corresponds with ‘Unity of Number’. Therefore, God is One in Essence, in attributes, and in deeds; and God is unique in every aspect.

Amiral-Mo’mineen Ali (AS) has said:

“…no change can take place in God and no lessening, diminishing, dwindling, decay and dissipation of God’s Mighty and Glory is possible, that God is not begotten from anyone nor does God beget anyone… God has no peer and no equal. God can destroy things created by God in such a way that they will cease to exist and disappear into nothingness…”(11)

This is an interesting commentary because it discusses the narrowest points of Unity. It warns us not to ascribe our qualities and attributes to Allah and thus, not to create our glorified image as a personal diety.

Explanation: The Belief in the Oneness of Allah (SWT)

The belief in Allah (SWT), as the Creator of the great universe, is the basis of Islam, and the criterion of thought, education, behaviour and action of the Muslim. All the details of the doctrine, nature and life’s philosophy, etc. are built on this foundation. Belief in Allah (SWT), in Islam, is based on logical evidence Islam disapproves of imitation. In this respect, Imam Ali ibn Abi Taleb (AS) is quoted to have said:

“The first step of religion is to accept, understand and realize Allah (SWT) and a perfection of understanding lies in conviction and the true way of conviction is to sincerely believe that there is no god but He…”(12)

Islamic doctrine is rooted in the pure belief in the Oneness of Allah (SWT), the Glorified, and that there is no one but GOd, no one like God, or opposite to God, etc Allah (SWT) is also above human qualities as these are characteristic of mortals. Allah (SWT) is the Absolute, the Independent, and the Sufficient. Believing in the Oneness of Allah (SWT), can according to Islamic doctrine, be understood from four distinct points:

1. The Belief in the Oneness of Allah (SWT)

Allah, the Glorified, is One, Unique in Himself, not one of God’s creatures is like God

It is a fact dictated by sound intellect and scientific reasoning. It is logically accepted that the self of the cause is different from the effect. It is worth mentioning that the human intellect can only perceive that which has an image which Man invokes in his own mind. Allah (SWT), the Glorified, is far from being reducible to this, and that is why the mind cannot fathom God’s Essence. How can Man perceive the Essence of the Divine self while he is unable to discover the truth about the material of the universe, though he can see and feel it and can describe it and know its effects. He, still, cannot know its essence, even if he can break it down into its component parts.

How could he perceive the Essence of the Great Creator, while the Quran presents this fact:

2. The Belief in the Oneness of Allah (SWT) and Divine Attributes

He alone has the most glorious attributes. God has complete absoluteness in knowledge, power, will, wisdom, independence, etc. God is above all faults, and no one is like God in God’s attributes. It is logical that the attributes follow the self, and so the qualities of the sun are different from that of the dust. Likewise, Allah’s (SWT) attributes are different from that of the creatures.

This is the meaning of Allah’s (SWT) saying:

or

It clarifies that God, alone, possesses the praised attributes.

This is the meaning of Allah’s (SWT) saying:

That means that Allah (SWT) is above any fault the polytheists attribute to God. The belief in the Oneness of Allah (SWT) in God’s Attributes cannot be comprehended except after stating the attributes which are truely Allah’s (SWT).

They are called ‘the attributes of perfection’, like having power, knowledge, will, choice, life, eternity, perpetuity, and wisdom, etc. This entails denying whatever attributes that are not God’s, like that of imperfection and fault, the need for time land space, doing evil, incarnation, movement, having appendages like hands and legs, etc. These are called ‘the attributes of greatness’ or ‘the negative attributes’.

3. The Belief in the Oneness of Allah (SWT) in God’s Actions

It is a self-evident truth that actions are expressions of the self and of attributes. As the hand can by no means act like the mind, due to the natural difference between the two in essence and attributes, and as the wind cannot act like electrical current, so no one can act like Allah (SWT), the Glorified.

The inventions of Man are merely a process of making good use of the natural laws set by Allah (SWT). It is done through the mind which is granted to Man by Allah (SWT). Man’s role is confined to arranging the particulars according to natural laws. Allah (SWT) alone can create, provide Man’s provisions, raise up from death, cause to die and resurrect. God can do whatever God Wills, for God is the Lord Who can do anything. None can, other than Allah (SWT), affect the creation. None can repeal Allah’s (SWT) Will or do what God does.

4. The Belief in the Oneness of Allah (SWT) in Worship

True belief in the Oneness of Allah (SWT) is incomplete without worshipping Allah (SWT), faithfully. God is the Creator and the Owner of God’s creatures. God grants them God’s grace. God is, for such consideration, entitled to be worshipped. All divine messages have called Man to submit and yield to Allah (SWT) alone.

The Most Exalted says:

God taught Man to say:

Worship is the gratitude shown to the source of grace and blessing, and acknowledgement of God’s Favor, and performance of the duties ordained by Allah (SWT). Simultaneously, it leaves its perfecting impact on the human spirit, by guiding the instinct of religiousness buried in the depths of the human soul to the right direction. Thus, Man does not go astray, or wind up in the grip of tyrants. Being a slave to Allah (SWT) propels Man, really, to break the shackles which servitude intensifies in Man. Moreover, being a slave to Allah (SWT) means turning one’s face to God, the source of grace, and beauty and rightness.

The soul yearns for such attributes and seeks to attain perfection and progresses towards them. They become the exalted objective and the highest ideal of Man’s thought and actions. The Muslim knows with certitude that his Creator owns the most glorious attributes. God is the Just, Merciful, Wise, Oft-returning to Mercy, Kind to God’s servants who sin, Truthful, etc.

Man works to reflect the coloring of these attributes on his life, and to build human society and relations on the basis of these attributes. Consequently, he objectifies justice, love, mercy and grace in his life.

Islamic rites of worship have, moreover, educational and reformatory effects on the life of the individual and the group.

Supplication

O Lord! Make us firm in monotheism throughout our life.

O Lord! Polytheism, like monotheism, has many branches. Being saved from polytheism is not possible but by Your Grace; envelop us in Your Mercy and Your Grace.

O Lord! Keep us alive with monotheism, put us in death with monotheism, and unite us on the Resurrection Day with the reality of monotheism.

• 1. Biharul-Anwaar. vol. 3, p. 221, Tradition 12.
• 2. Ibid. , p. 222.
• 3. Ibid.
• 4. Bihar-ul-Anwar, vol. 3, p. 222.
• 5. Bihar-ul-Anwar, vol. 3, p. 223.
• 6. Ibid.
• 7. Majma’-al-Bayan, vol. 10, p. 565.
• 8. Surah Tauba, No. 9, verse 30
• 9. Surah An’am, No. 6, verse 100
• 10. Bihar-ul-Anwar, vol, 3, p. 224, and Majma’-al-Bayan, vol. 10, p. 566.
• 11. Nahj-ul-Balaghah, Sermon 186 (Arabic version).
• 12. Nahj-ul-Balaghha, Sermon 1.
• 13. Surah Ikhlas, No. 112, verse 4
• 14. Surah Ra’d, No. 13, verse 13
• 15. Surah A’raf, No. 7, verse 180
• 16. Surah Fatiha, No. 1, verse 2
• 17. Surah Saffat, No. 37, verse 180
• 18. Surah Ta-Ha, No. 10, Verse 14
• 19. Surah Fatiha, No. 1, Verse 5