112
اَلْاِخْلَاصِ
Sincerity

بِسْمِ اللّٰهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ۔

قُلْ هُوَ اللّٰهُ اَحَدٌ۔ اَللّٰهُ الصَّمَدُ۔ لَمْ يَلِدْ وَ لَمْ يُوْلَدْ۔ وَ لَمْ يَكُنْ لَّهُ كُفُوًا اَحَدٌ۔

In the name of God—the most compassionate, the most merciful.

Say: “God is Unique, the One and Only!

God is the Source [for everything], the Eternal.

He has not fathered anyone nor was He fathered.

And there is nothing comparable to Him!”

The doctrine of God’s pure Unity or the Divine Oneness is stated clearly here; in fact, it is a strong declaration against the Godhead being looked upon as consisting of more than one person or God’s having any son. The title Al-Ikhlas, one of the divine attributes, is the direct opposite to shirk or the sin of ‘association’ (polytheism), and involves freeing oneself from such impure worship through pure faith.

This chapter is sometimes called the ‘Third’ of the Koran, since it explains one of the three essential dogmas in Islam, but its stark simplicity is not always appreciated by non-Muslims, nor translated clearly. It forms an answer to a previous rhetorical question implied in the first word, which is “SAY:”

It may be said in cemeteries, (and generally is recited there eleven times), and in memory of deceased loved ones. Through it awareness of God’s Omnipresence reaches us. The rhyme is in –ad.

The subject of the chapter is monotheism, or the oneness of God. The concept of God has been presented here in its purest form, ridding it of all polluting associations which people of every age have brought to it. There is no plurality of gods. There is only one God. All are dependent upon Him, but He is not dependent on anybody. He Himself has power over everything. He is far above being the progeny of anybody or having any offspring. He is such a unique Being that there is nobody like Him or equal to Him in any manner whatsoever.

This is an early Meccan chapter.

The doctrine of God’s pure unity, or the Divine oneness, is clearly stated here: God is not many, He is only one. Everyone is in need of Him, but He is not in need of anyone. He reigns over all things of the heavens and the earth. Unlike human beings, He has no son or father. He is eternal, without beginning or end, and is thus a Unique Being who has no equal.

This chapter has been called the essence of the Koran. The Prophet Muhammad once described this chapter as ‘equivalent to one-third of the whole of the Koran.’ (Bukhari, Muslim)