The Reason for the Revelation of Soorah al-Ikhlaas

[ابوالوليد المسلم]

The Reason for the Revelation of Soorah al-Ikhlaas (1/2)

Dr. Bilal Philips


There is one authentic narration indicating the circumstances under which this chapter was revealed. The Prophet's (Peace be upon him) follower, Ubayy ibn Ka'b[1], related that some of the pagans asked Allah's Messenger (Peace be upon him) to list the lineage of his Lord so Allah revealed: "Say: He Allah is Unique, Allah is Self-Sufficient."[2] Thus, the chapter was revealed specifically to clarify the uniqueness of Allah for idol worshippers in the Prophet's (Peace be upon him) time who believed that their gods had fathers, mothers, sons and daughters. However, the chapter's presentation of Allah's Unique Unity remains in clear opposition to all expressions of shirk in Allah's Names and Attributes which have appeared down through the ages. It challenges all false religions in the world today, whether they are deviations from the original divine messages, like Judaism, Christianity and Zoroastrianism, or those that appear to be completely man-made religions like, Hinduism, Buddhism and Sikhism.
Place of Revelation
There are no authentic hadeeths which clearly indicate where this chapter was revealed. However, most scholars of Tafseer (Qur’anic exegesis) hold that it was among the early chapters revealed in Makkah [prior to the Hijrah] as it has most of the characteristics of the Makkan revelations. Ibn Mas'ood,[3] 'Ataa, Ikrimah and Jaabir were among the early generations of scholars who were of that opinion. On the other hand, Ibn 'Abbaas[4], in one of his opinions, considered it to be from the Madeenan period and so did Qataadah, ad-Dahhaak and as-Suddee.[5]
The Virtues of the Soorah
This chapter is popular among Muslims due to the many special merits associated with reading it according to various authentic statements of Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him):
1. It Earns Allah's Love
'Aa'ishah related that the Prophet (Peace be upon him) sent a man as leader of a troupe and he used to lead them in prayer. However, he would complete his Qur'anic recitation in prayer with "Say: He Allah is Unique." When the group returned, they mentioned it to the Prophet (Peace be upon him) and he told them to ask him why he did that. When he was asked, he replied, "Because it is the description of ar-Rahmaan (The Beneficent), and I love to recite it." The Prophet (Peace be upon him) told them:
"Inform him that Allah loves him."[6]
This does not mean that the mere recitation of this chapter after every Qur’anic recitation in prayer will automatically earn Allah's Love. Were that the case, the Prophet (Peace be upon him) would not have asked the man about his reasons for doing so. The fact that he asked indicates that it was his intention which mattered, in keeping with the general prophetic principle, "Deeds are judged according to the intentions behind them"[7] Because the man understood that the chapter was a divine description of the Creator which caused him to love reciting it, Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) judged that such an intention would earn him Allah's Love. Therefore, in order for the repeated recitation of this chapter to earn Allah's Love, one must contemplate its meanings and be driven by their impact on his soul to love its recitation. It is the love of the Words of Allah based on an understanding of their meaning, and not based solely on the beauty of a reciter's voice, which earns Allah's Love. This principle is not restricted to this chapter but is applicable to the whole of the Qur’an.


(Continued)

[1] In Madeenah, the most noted school of tafseer was that of Ubayy ibn Ka'b, who was considered by most of his contemporaries as the top reciter of the Qur’an. Ubayy was also the first person chosen by the Prophet (Peace be upon him) to record the revelation of the Qur’an.

[2] Sunan at-Tirmidhee, Kitaab Tafseer; Baab: wa min soorah al Ikhlaas, Musnad Ahmad, vol. 5, p. 133. Authenticated in al-Jaami' li Ahkaam al-Qur’an, vol. 20, p. 194.

[3] In 'Iraaq, Ibn Mas'ood headed the most prominent school of tafseer. 'Abdullaah ibn Mas'ood, the sixth person to enter Islam, was among the top reciters of the Qur’an. The Prophet (Peace be upon him) himself praised his recitation saying, "Whoever wishes to recite the Qur’an in the tender manner in which it was revealed should recite it as Ibn Umm 'Abd (Ibn Mas'ood) does." (Ahmad, Ibn Maajah (vol. 1, p. 77, no. 138), al-Haakim and others and authenticated in Saheeh al-Jaami' as-Sagheer, vol. 2, p. 1034.) As for his knowledge of tafseer, Ibn Mas'ood said, "By the One besides Whom there is no other god, I know where and why every verse of Allah's book was revealed." (Sahih Muslim, vol. 4, p. 1312, no. 6023) Among the many students of Ibn Mas'ood who later became scholars in their own right were al-Hasan al-Basree, 'Alqamah ibn Qays, Masrooq, al-Aswad ibn Yazeed, and 'Aamir ash-Sha'bee.

[4] In Makkah, the tafseer school of Ibn 'Abbaas became the most prominent. 'Abdullaah ibn 'Abbaas was considered to be the greatest tafseer scholar among the sahaabah. He reported that once the Prophet (Peace be upon him) hugged him and prayed for him as follows: "O Allah, give him a deep understanding of the religion and make him skilled in its interpretation." (Collected by Ahmad (al-Musnad, no. 2274)). A version mentioning only the first half of the Prophet's supplication on his behalf is reported in Sahih Al-Bukhari, vol. 1, p. 106, no. 145, and Sahih Muslim, vol. 4, pp. 1320-1, no. 6055.) The most famous students of Ibn 'Abbaas were Mujaahid ibn Jabr, 'Ikrimah (the freed slave of Ibn 'Abbaas), Sa'eed ibn Jubayr, Taawoos ibn Keesaan al-Yamaanee, and 'Ataa ibn Abee Rabaah. (Al-Itqaan fee 'Uloom al-Qur’an, vol. 2, p. 242. It is interesting to note that all of these great scholars were former slaves.)

[5] Al-Jaami' li Ahkaam al-Qur’an, vol. 20, p. 193.

[6] Sahih Al Bukhari, vol. 9, p. 287, no. 7375, Sahih Muslim, vol. 2, p. 388, no. 1773,

[7] The relevant text is:
"[Surely actions are judged solely] by their intentions and everyone will be rewarded according to his intention. Thus, whose migration was for Allah and His Messenger, his migration was for Allah and His messenger, and whose migration was to achieve some worldly benefit or to take a woman in marriage, his migration was for whatever he migrated." (Sahih Al-Bukhari, vol.1, p.1, no.1 and Sahih Muslim, vol.3, p. 1056, no.4692.)

[ابوالوليد المسلم]

The Reason for the Revelation of Soorah al-Ikhlaas (2/2)

Dr. Bilal Philips

2. A Way to Paradise
Anas ibn Maalik related that a man from the Ansaar (Muslims of Madeenah) used to lead the people in prayer at the Qubaa Mosque and begin all of his recitations with "Say: He Allah is Unique," to the end of the chapter, then recite another chapter. He did this in every unit of prayer. Those with him complained saying, "You begin the prayer with this chapter and you think it isn't sufficient for you unless you recited another chapter with it. Either recite it or leave it and recite another chapter instead of it." He replied, "I will not stop doing it. If you want me to lead the prayers, I will do this, and if you don't like it, I will stop leading you." They considered him the best among them to lead the prayer and did not want anyone else to lead them. [So they allowed him to continue.] When the Prophet (Peace be upon him) came to visit them, they informed him of his practice and he asked him, "O so-and-so! What prevents you from doing what your companions request of you and what makes you stick to this chapter in every unit of prayer?" He replied, "Indeed, I love it." The Prophet (Peace be upon him) commented: "Your love of it will cause you to enter Paradise."[1]
This narration should be understood in the light of the commentary on the one before it. The repeated recitation of Soorah al-Ikhlaas after every Qur’anic recitation in formal prayers will not earn the doer paradise by itself. That is evident because the Prophet (Peace be upon him) asked the individual why he did it. Going along with the needs and wishes of the congregation was something which the Prophet (Peace be upon him) stressed as important for the Imaam. There had to be a good reason for it to be acceptable for him to go against their wishes. So, the Prophet (Peace be upon him) questioned him. When it was explained that it was a result of his deep love of the chapter, the Prophet (Peace be upon him) promised him Paradise for his sincere love.
It should be noted that both of these authentic narrations confirm the permissibility of reciting more than one chapter or section of the Qur’an in a single unit of prayer.
It should also be noted from this narration that when complaints are raised, they should be brought back to the sources of Islam for decision as Allah said:
"If you differ in anything amongst yourselves, refer it to Allah and His Messenger, if you believe in Allah and in the Last Day." (Soorah an-Nisaa, 4: 59)
Furthermore, the Prophet's way of handling this situation indicates that those to whom complaints are raised should find out from the other party why they did as they did, before jumping to a conclusion and ruling against them.
Why did the Prophet (Peace be upon him) only promise the man Allah's Love in the previous narration and promise this man Paradise? Was it because the man recited Soorah al-Ikhlaas after the chapters in the first case and before the chapters in this case? Of course not! Could the man in the second case enter Paradise without Allah's Love? Furthermore, would Allah put those whom He loves in Hell? The reality is that the attainment of Allah's Love is an affirmation of Paradise and the promise of Paradise is an affirmation of Allah's Love.
In another narration Aboo Hurayrah stated that he went out with the Prophet (Peace be upon him) and they heard a man reciting, "Say: He, Allah, is Unique," so he said, "It has become obligatory," Aboo Hurayrah asked, "What is obligatory?" and he replied, "Paradise”.[2]
Why did Allah's Messenger (Peace be upon him) not ask this man about his intentions as he did in the previous two narrations? Was it because there were complaints in the previous two cases? Does this indicate that the recitation of this chapter is sufficient to guarantee the reciter Paradise? Could the Prophet (Peace be upon him) promise anyone Paradise based on his own opinion?
In this instance, Jibreel informed the Prophet (Peace be upon him) that due to the sincerity with which the man recited this chapter and his sincerity regarding his religion as a whole, he would be among the people of Paradise. Thus, there was no need of finding out his intentions, as in the previous cases.
3. One Third of the Qur’an
Aboo Sa'eed al-Khudree narrated that a man heard another repeating the recitation of "Say: He Allah is Unique," over and over in the night. When the morning came, he went to the Prophet (Peace be upon him) and mentioned it to him in a belittling fashion. So, the Prophet told him:
"By the One in whose Hand lies my soul, indeed it is *****alent to one third of the Qur’an."[3]
Aboo Sa'eed also stated that on one occasion Allah's Messenger (Peace be upon him) asked his companions, "Isn't any of you able to recite one third of the Qur’an in a single night?" Because they found this difficult, they replied, "Who among us is able to do that, O Messenger of Allah?" He said:
"Allah the Unique, the Self-Sufficient is one third of the Qur’an."[4]
Some scholars explained that the verses of the Qur’an were revealed regarding three basic elements: laws, promises and warnings, and Allah's Names and Attributes. The following narration supports this interpretation:[5]
Abu-Dardaa related that Allah's Messenger (Peace be upon him) said:
"Indeed, Allah Most Great and Glorious, divided the Qur’an into three parts and made "Say: He Allah is Unique," one of the parts of the Qur’an."[6]
4. Daily Protection
'Abdullaah ibn Khubayb said, "While we were waiting for the Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) to lead us in prayer, it became dark and we became thirsty. When he finally came out, he took me by the hand and said, "Say!" Then he was silent for a moment. Then he said again, "Say!" So I asked, "What should I say?" He said, "Say: He, Allah, is Unique, and the two chapters of refuge three times whenever the evening comes and whenever the morning arrives. They will suffice you twice per day."[7] In another narration he was reported to have said, "They will suffice you against anything"[8]
5. A Night Prayer
'Aa'ishah narrated that whenever the Prophet (Peace be upon him) went to bed at night, he would cup his palms together, blow in them and recite into them, "Say: He, Allah, is Unique," "Say: I seek refuge in the Lord of the Dawn," and "Say: I seek refuge in the Lord of humankind." Then he would wipe [his hands on] whatever he could reach of his body, beginning with his head, face and the front of his body. He would do all of this three times.[9]

[1] Sahih Al Bukhari Kitaab: Athaan; Baab: Jama' bayna sooratayn fee rak'ah.

[2] Sunan at-Tirmithee, Kitaab: Fadaa'il al Qur’an, Baab: Maa jaa'a fee Soorah al Ikhlaas.

[3] Sahih Al Bukhari, vol. 6, p. 438, no. 5013, Kitaab: Fadaa'il al Qur’an; Baab: Fadl Qul Huwallaahuahad. 5013.

[4] Sahih Al Bukhari, vol. 6, p. 438-439, no. 5015, Kitaab: Fadaa'il al Qur’an; Baab: Fadl QulHuwa llaahu ahad. 5015.

[5] Al-Jaami'HAhkaam al-Qur’an, vol. 20, p. 190.

[6] Sahih Muslim, vol. 2, p. 387, no. 1770, Kitaab: Salaatul musaafireena wa qasruhaa; Baab: Fadl qiraa'at Qul Huwallaahu ahad. 1770.

[7] Sunan Abee Daawood, vol. 3, no. 957, Kitaab: Fee Abwaab an-Nawm, Baab: Maa yaqoolu ithaa asbah_and Sunan at-Tirmithee, vol. 3, no. 182, Kitaab: ad-Da'awaat, Baab: Raqm 7.

[8] Sunan an-Nasaa'ee, vol. 8, no. 251, Kitaab: Fil-Isti'aathah.

[9] Sahih Al Bukhari, vol. 6, p. 439, no. 5017, Kitaab: Fadaa'il al Qur’an; Baab: Fadl al mu'awwathaat.