İhlas

Surah Al-Ikhlas is the 112th surah of the Quran; it consists of four verses and distills the essence of Islamic monotheism. It declares that Allah is One (ahad), that He is As-Samad—in need of nothing while all things depend on Him—that He neither begets nor is begotten, and that nothing is comparable to Him. These four short verses are regarded as the most concentrated summary of Islamic creed; the surah takes its name from the pure, unmixed devotion (ikhlas) it expresses. Though brief, it is described in authentic reports as equivalent to a third of the Quran—a measure of its density of meaning. Purifying the conception of God from every deficiency, it is among the most frequently recited surahs in daily prayer.

Revelation & background

Surah Al-Ikhlas is Meccan according to the majority of scholars. The commentaries report that it was revealed when the Meccan polytheists asked the Prophet to describe his Lord and tell them His lineage. The surah answers with a definitive statement that exalts Allah above every attribute belonging to created beings.

Major themes

The surah has a single, unified theme: the oneness of God. Verse 112:1 proclaims His absolute unity with the word 'ahad'; 112:2 names Him As-Samad, the One on whom all depend while He depends on nothing; 112:3-4 negate begetting, being begotten, and having any equal—attributes of creatures, not of the Creator. The surah thus stands as a declaration of transcendence, rejecting every deficient conception of God and summarizing the Islamic doctrine of God in four lines.

Virtues

Authentic reports, including in al-Bukhari, describe Surah Al-Ikhlas as equivalent to a third of the Quran. The Prophet is reported to have recited it with Surah Al-Falaq and Surah An-Nas before sleeping, and in the sunnah prayer before fajr and in witr. It has accordingly become one of the most recited texts in daily worship and remembrance.