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Chapter 112

Monotheismal-Ikhlāṣ ( الإخلاص )

4 verses • revealed at Meccan

»The surah whose six elements of belief constitute pure sincerity of faith or Monotheism, wherein a believer affirms God’s divinity, Oneness, and eternality, and negates in relation to Him any offspring, ancestry, or likeness. It negates any kind of anthropomorphism that may compromise pure monotheism. It is unusual in having as its title a term not mentioned in the body of the surah. The word “Ikhlas” conveys the meaning of sincerity in one’s religion and total dedication to the One true God.«

The surah is also known as Divine Unity, Oneness, Pure Faith, Pure Sincerity, Pure Truth, Purity (of Faith), Sincere Religion, Sincerity, The Purity of Faith, Unity

بِسمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحمٰنِ الرَّحيمِ

Yusuf Ali: In the name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

1
قُل هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ

Yusuf Ali

This early Meccan Sūra sums up in a few terse words the Unity of the Godhead—often professed, but frequently mixed up in the popular mind with debasing superstitions.
C. 292 | [112:1-4] Keep Faith pure and undefiled. There is God, the One and Only; Eternal, Free of all needs; on Whom Depend, to Whom go back, all things; He hath no son nor father nor partner. There is no person like unto Him.
Say: He is God,1 the One and Only;2
  • The nature of God is here indicated to us in a few words, such as we can understand. The qualities of God are described in numerous places elsewhere, e.g., in 59:22-24, 62:1, and 2:255. Here we are specially taught to avoid the pitfalls into which men and nations have fallen at various times in trying to understand God. The first thing we have to note is that His nature is so sublime, so far beyond our limited conceptions, that the best way in which we can realise Him is to feel that He is a Personality, “He”, and not a mere abstract conception of philosophy. He is near us; He cares for us; we owe our existence to Him. Secondly, He is the One and Only God, the Only One to Whom worship is due; all other things or beings that we can think of are His creatures and in no way comparable to Him. Thirdly, He is Eternal, without beginning or end, Absolute, not limited by time or place or circumstance, the Reality before which all other things or places are mere shadows or reflections. Fourthly, we must not think of Him as having a son or a father, for that would be to import animal qualities into our conception of Him. Fifthly, He is not like any other person or thing that we know or can imagine: His qualities and nature are unique.
  • This is to negate the idea of Polytheism, a system in which people believe in gods many and lords many. Such a system is opposed to our truest and profoundest conceptions of life. For Unity in Design, Unity in the fundamental facts of existence, proclaim the Unity of the Maker.