Surah 112. Al-Ikhlas

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Verses [Section]: 1-4[1]

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Quran Text of Verse 1-4112. Al-Ikhlas Page 604112. Al-Ikhlasبِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِقُلْSayهُوَHeاللّٰهُ(is) Allahاَحَدٌۚthe One اَللّٰهُAllahالصَّمَدُۚthe Eternal the Absolute لَمْNotیَلِدْ ۙ۬He begetsوَ لَمْand notیُوْلَدْۙHe is begotten وَ لَمْAnd notیَكُنْisلَّهٗfor Himكُفُوًاequivalentاَحَدٌ۠any [one]

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Translation of Verse 1-4In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

(112:1) Say:¹ “He is Allah,² the One and Unique;³

(112:2) Allah, Who is in need of none and of Whom all are in need;⁴

(112:3) He neither begot any nor was He begotten,⁵

(112:4) and none is comparable to Him.”⁶

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Commentary

1. The address is directed primarily at the Prophet (peace be '- upon him), for the questions regarding his Lord were posed to him, and he is accordingly directed here to provide the following account. Nonetheless, it is addressed to every believer and he is instructed to say what the Prophet (peace be upon him) stated.

2. As to the Prophet’s Lord, He is none other than Allah. Thus - it is the first answer to the question. In other words, the Prophet (peace be upon him) has not introduced some new lord. He exhorts them to worship the One and Only True God, known to them as Allah. “Allah” was not some strange name for the Arabs. Since time immemorial they had the same for describing the Creator of the - universe. They did not use it of any of their idols. For them they employed the word ilah. Their belief about Allah had come into the open at the time of Abrahah’s invasion. There were as many as 360 idols inside the Ka’bah. Yet they turned only to Allah, disregarding all their idols, to rescue them from that menace. In other words, they recognized in their heart of their hearts that Allah alone could save them in their hour of crisis. They described the Ka’bah as the House of God, not of gods. The Qur’an recounts the beliefs of the polytheistic Arabs:

If you were to ask them: “Who created them?” “They will surely say “Allah”. (al-Zukhruf 43: 87)

If you were to ask them: “Who created the heavens and the earth and Who has kept the sun and the moon in subjection?” They will certainly say: “Allah”. If you were to ask them:

“Who sent down water from the sky and thereby revived the earth after its death?” They will certainly say: “Allah”. (al-‘Ankabut 29: 61-63)

Ask them: “Whose is the earth and those who are in it?” They will surely say: “Allah’s”. Ask them: “Who is the Lord of "the seven heavens, the Lord of the Great Throne?” They will surely say: “Allah”. Ask them: “Say, if you indeed know, to whom belongs the dominion over all things; (Who is it) that grants asylum, but against whom no asylum is available?” They will surely say: “(The dominion over all things) belongs to Allah.” (al-Mu’minun 23: 84-89)

Ask them: “Who provides you with sustenance out of the heavens and the earth? Who holds mastery over your hearing and sight? Who brings forth the living from the dead and the dead from the living? Who governs all affairs of the - universe?” They will surely say: “Allah”. (Yunus 10: 31)

He it is Who enables you to journey through the land and the sea. And so it happens that when you have boarded the ship and they set sail with a favorable wind, and the passengers rejoice at the pleasant voyage, then suddenly a fierce gale appears, and wave upon wave surges upon them from every side, and people believe that they are surrounded from all directions, and all of them cry out to Allah in full sincerity of faith: “If You deliver us from this, we will surely be thankful.” - But no sooner than He delivers them than they go about committing excesses on the earth, acting unjustly. (Yunus 10: 22-23)

When a calamity befalls you on the sea, all those whom you invoke forsake you except Him. But when He delivers you safely to the shore you turn away from Him. (Bani Isra’il 17: 67)

While bearing in mind the quintessence of these verses, one may better appreciate the importance and meaningfulness of the Qur’anic reply to the unbelievers’ questions about the Lord: that it is Allah Who is their Lord, it is He Who deserves to be served and worshipped. They are reminded that they themselves regard Him as the Creator, Master, Sustainer and Sovereign of the whole universe including them and that they turn only to Him in a crisis while forsaking all their idols. The Prophet (peace be upon him) invites them to devote themselves to the same Lord, Who is none other than Allah. The reply, then, presents a conspectus of all divine attributes. For, it is evident that the Creator, Master, Sustainer, Sovereign and Regulator of the universe is the All-Knowing, All-Seeing, Most Merciful and Most Noble Lord.

3. Grammarians have offered several interpretations of the construction, huwa Allahu Ahad. In our opinion, the most plausible meaning is that the Lord regarding Whom you make the queries is Allah, the Unique. Or it might mean that He, i.e. Allah, is the One.

It must be pointed out that the use of the word ahad for Allah in this verse is quite special from the standpoint of Arabic usage.

Generally, it is employed as a qualifier or in the sense of anyone or as a numeral. It was not used earlier as an adjective. In the verse under discussion, however, it is used for Allah. The context, ~ therefore, lends it a sense of uniqueness. In being the One and the Unique, Allah stands distinct from all His creatures. He is matchless in this respect.

Let us study further how this pithy verse answers other questions raised by the unbelievers about the being and attributes of Allah: (i) Since He alone is the Lord, without any partner, He does not have any associate in His divinity either. He is the only Master and Lord. (ii) Only He is the Creator of the universe. No ‘one else has a hand in creation. He is the Sovereign Who runs the universe as He wills. Only He provides all sustenance to creatures and rescues them when some calamity befalls them. No one has any role in these aspects of His divinity. (iii) As to their queries about His descent, nature, inheritor, progenitor, His being unique answers all these questions. He is the One True god since the beginning and will always remain so. There was no god before him. Nor will there be any god after Him. He does not belong to a particular species; of which He is a member. Rather He is the One of His kind, without anyone being equal to Him. His being does not admit plurality. He is not made of constituents. Nor does He have any form or figure, with a habitat. Color, body parts, direction, change or any other tangible thing do not apply in His case. He transcends multiplicity and is unique in every sense.

Another point worth noting is that Wahid in Arabic represents one, single entity, even if it be a collection of several units. For example, for describing one person or one community, one country or one world, the same unit Wahid is applicable. In contrast ahad is used exclusively of Allah. Throughout the Qur’an, Wahid is not employed for Him, for this expression applies to beings that have within them multiplicity. Ahad in its absolute and exclusive sense is used only of Allah. For His is the only being that does not admit plurality. His Oneness is perfect in every respect.

4. The Arabic word samad carries several meanings, as is evident from the following account of its root word and derivatives:

- al-samd: to betake; a steep with large dimensions; a level ground, - a person who does not feel hungry and thirsty while fighting in battle, and a leader to whom everyone turns in a crisis.

— al-samad: the higher point of everything, one superior to all, a leader who is obeyed and without whose ruling no issue is decided, a leader who helps the needy, the everlasting, the exalted; something solid without a hole or defect, something that is not porous, and a person who does not suffer from hunger or thirst in war.

— al-musmad: a solid without any cavity.

— al-musammad: the goal to be pursued, and something hard without weakness.

— baytun musammad: the house to which people turn in need.

— bina’un-musmad: an elevated building.

— samadahu wa samada ilayhi samdan: intended to go to someone.

— asmada ilayhi al-amr: the matter was entrusted to or presented before him and trust was placed in him regarding it. (All these definitions have been taken from Sihah, Qamus and Lisan al- ‘Arab).

On the basis of the above, Companions, Successors and other scholars have elucidated the Qur’anic epithet al-Samad, as used of Allah, thus:

- The Superior/Supreme being, (‘Ali, ‘Ikrimah and Ka’b Ahbar).

- A leader with total and perfect control, (‘Abd Allah ibn Mas‘ud, ‘Abd Allah ibn ‘Abbas and Abii Wa’il Shagiq ibn Salamah).

- One to Whom people turn for help in a crisis or calamity, (Ibn ‘Abbas).

- A leader with accomplished control, honor, glory, forbearance and wisdom, (Ibn ‘Abbas).

One Who is independent of everyone while they are dependent upon Him, (Abu Hurayrah).

- Something that is not porous, and one Who does not eat and drink, (‘Ikrimah, Sha’bi and Muhammad ibn Ka’b al-Qurazi).

- One to Whom people approach for getting what they want, and to Whom they turn in a crisis, (Suddi).

- One Who is perfect in his attributes and actions. (Sa‘id ibn Jubayr).

- One Who never faces any calamity, (Rabi’ ibn Anas).

- One free from every imperfection, (Muqatil ibn Hayyan).

- One Whose features are not shared by anyone close, (Ibn Kaysan).

- The Ever Lasting, Eternal One, (Hasan Basri, Qatadah, Mujahid, Ma‘mar and Murrah al-Hamadani).

- One Who decides things and acts as He wills, with no one to revise or revoke. His decision, (Murrah al-Hamadani).

- One to Whom the needy turn, (Ibrahim Nakha‘i).

- Lexicographers unanimously hold that Samad is used of the Supreme leader, to Whom everyone turns for meeting their needs, (Abu Bakr al-’Anbari).

- Samad is the Supreme chief to Whom everyone turns for meeting their needs, (al-Zajjaj).

Let us now consider why ahad and samad are used as epithets for Allah in Verses 1 and 2. As to the former, its use is exclusively for. Allah. It is not used of anyone else. Hence, it occurs in its indefinite form ahad. However, the latter is used of creatures. Therefore, its definite form, al-samad, is employed for Allah. In other words, in the real sense Allah alone is the One Who is in need of none and of Whom they are all in need. Even if a creature has this feature in a limited degree, this epithet does not truly befit him, for he is not eternal or immortal. Being a created entity he is made of several constituents and may disintegrate at any time. If some creatures depend on him, he too, stands in need of other creatures. His superiority is only relative, not absolute. If he is superior to some, others excel him as well. He may cater for the needs of some only. However, he cannot meet all the needs of everyone. Contrary to this, Allah is samad in perfect terms. The whole universe stands in need of Him whereas He does not need anyone. All that is in the universe consciously or subconsciously turns only to Him for their existence and survival and for meeting their needs which He alone fulfils. He is eternal and immortal. He grants sustenance but does not take it from anyone. He is absolute and His dominion is over the entire universe. He is superior to everyone. He alone is characterized with all the features special to al-samad.

Furthermore, being al-samad, He is unique. As He is in need of none and of Whom all are in need, He stands out above everyone. Others are dependent and needy. Man worships only Him Whom he needs. Moreover, there is no god besides Him. For false gods do not have any power or authority. Being dependent, they cannot command the respect of any sane, sensible person.

5. Polytheists of all eras have entertained this erroneous notion that like human beings, God too, is a species, with several members who have marital ties and perform procreation. Under the sway of the same Jahiliyah belief, they ascribed children to Allah as well. The Qur’an recounts the polytheistic Arabs’ belief that angels are Allah’s daughters. Even the adherents of Allah’s Messengers fell pray to the same misconception. They looked upon noble souls as the children of Allah. Many misperceptions have arisen on this issue. Some literally take someone as the children of Allah. Others claim that He has adopted a son. They have not committed the blasphemy of looking upon someone, God forbid, as the father of Allah. However, if a being is associated with procreation and is regarded as equal to man in having children and in adopting a child, if he does not have any issue, one may ascribe parents to that being as well. This explains why these questions were put to the Prophet- (peace be upon him). The unbelievers unhesitatingly quizzed the Prophet (peace be upon him) about Allah’s pedigree. Likewise, they asked unashamedly: From whom did He inherit - the universe and who will inherit it in turn from Him?

On studying these Jahiliyah presuppositions, one is faced with another issue, if this fallacious concept of God is accepted: (i) The unbelievers believe in the multiplicity of gods and ascribe a species to Him. For them, He has partners in His features, actions and power. This holds true whether a real or adopted child is attributed to Him. Even the adopted child will belong to His species and, in turn, will have a share in His divinity. (ii) Having a child presupposes sexual union between a male and a female, and also the mother delivering that child. Thus, it leads to the assumption that, God forbid, Allah has a material, physical form, has a wife belonging to His species and ejaculates the life-giving fluid. (iii) Procreation also implies that one’s child carries the parents’ name after their death. Procreation ensures the perpetuity of generations. Ascribing a child to God, therefore, means that He too, is mortal and only His progeny, not His own being, will survive. Moreover, it also signifies that God has a beginning and an end. For a species with children are not eternal beings. (iv) While adopting a child, one ensures his inheritor. If the same belief is held regarding God, it amounts to marring Him with all the weaknesses inherent in — mortal beings.

In declaring Allah as ahad and al-samad, the Qur’an strikes at the root of these erroneous notions about Him. The Qur’anic assertion that “He neither begot any nor was He begotten” (Verse 3) leaves no room for any doubt or mental reservation about this matter., However, as this error lies at the core of the polytheists’ false belief, in addition to Surah al-Ikhlas, the Qur'an repeatedly __ and firmly refutes such a fallacy in a variety of ways so as to press home the truth forcefully and effectively. Take the following as illustrative of the same: Allah is indeed just One God. Far be it from His glory that He should have a son. To Him belongs all that is in the heavens and in the earth. (al-Nisa’ 4: 171).

Behold, it is one of their fabrications that they say: “Allah has begotten.” They are liars. (al-Saffat 37: 151-152)

They have established a kinship between Allah and the angels; and the angels well know that these people will be arraigned (as culprits). (al-Saffat 37: 158)

And yet some people have come to associate the jinn with Allah in His divinity, even though it is He Who created them: and in ignorance they impute to Him sons and daughters. He is Holy and Exalted, far above that which they attribute to Him. He is the Originator of the heavens and the earth. How can He have a son when He has had no mate? He has created everything... _ (al-An‘am 6: 100-101)

They say: “The Most Compassionate Lord has taken to Himself a son.” Glory be to Him! Those whom they so designate are only His honorable servants. (al-Anbiya’ 21: 26)

They say: “Allah has taken a son.” Glory be to Him. He is Self-Sufficient! His is all that is in the heavens and that is in the earth. Have you any authority to support (that Allah has ' taken a son?) Do you ascribe to Allah something of which you have no knowledge? (Yunus 10: 68)

And say: “All Praise be to Allah Who has neither taken to Himself a son, nor has He any partner in His kingdom. Nor does He need anyone, out of weakness, to protect Him.” (Bani Isra’il 17: 111)

Never did Allah take unto Himself any son. Nor is there any god other than He (al-Mu’minun 23: 91)

These Qur’anic passages refute all the false beliefs regarding any real or adopted child of Allah’s. The Qur’anic refutation is laced with arguments. The above passages thus amplify the thrust of Surah al-Ikhlas.

6. Kufu’ means something or someone comparable, similar, or equal. Generally, this expression is used for the matrimonial alliance between a boy and a girl of comparable social and financial status. The message of the verse is thus loud and clear: there has never been nor will be anyone comparable to Allah in status, attributes, actions, powers and authorities. No one is even remotely equal to Him.