Name
Sūrat al-Ikhlāṣ (The Fidelity), also known as Sūrat al-Tawḥīd (Monotheism) is the 112th Sura of the Qur'an. It is a short declaration of tawhid, God's absolute oneness, consisting of 4 ayat. Al-Ikhlas means "the purity" or "the refining".
It is disputed whether this is a Meccan or Madinan sura. The former seems more probable, particularly since it seems to have been alluded to by Bilal, who, when he was being tortured by his cruel master, is said to have repeated "Ahad, Ahad!" (unique, referring as here to Allah). It is reported from Ubayy ibn Ka'b that it was revealed after the polytheists asked "O Muhammad! Tell us the lineage of your Lord."
Translation and Transliteration
Bismillaah ar-Rahman ar-Raheem
Qul huwallaahu ahad
Allahus samad
Lam yalid wa lam yuulad
Wa lamyakun lahuuu kufuwan ahad
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.
Say: He is Allah, the One.
He is Allah, the Eternal,
Who was never born, nor ever gave birth.
The One beyond compare.
The Reason for the Revelation of this Surah
Imam Ahmad recorded from Ubayy bin Ka'b that the idolators said to the Prophet, "O Muhammad! Tell us the lineage of your Lord.''
So Allah revealed:
قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ - اللَّهُ الصَّمَدُ - لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ - وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَّهُ كُفُواً أَحَدٌ
Say:
"He is Allah, One.
Allah He begets not, nor was He begotten.
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 يَكُنْ لَّهُ كُفُواً 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.''
(Purity)
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
1.
قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ
Say: He is Allah, One.
2.
اللَّهُ الصَّمَدُ
Allah As-Samad.
3.
لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ
He begets not, nor was He begotten.
4.
وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ كُفُوًا أَحَدٌ
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,
قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ ﴿١﴾
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 ﴿٢﴾
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 ﴿٣﴾
He begets not, nor was He begotten.
meaning, He does not have any child, parent or spouse.
وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُ كُفُوًا أَحَدٌ ﴿٤﴾
And there is none comparable to Him.
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 السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ أَنَّى يَكُونُ لَهُ وَلَدٌ وَلَمْ تَكُنْ لَّهُ صَـحِبَةٌ وَخَلَقَ كُلَّ شَىْءٍ
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,
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,
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,
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 said,
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 said, 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 Surah Al-Ikhlas, and all praise and blessings are dueto Allah.