Name
Sūrat al-Ikhlāṣ (The Fidelity), also known as Sūrat al-Tawḥīd (Monotheism) is the 112th Sura of the Qur'an. It is a short declaration of tawhid, God's absolute oneness, consisting of 4 ayat. Al-Ikhlas means "the purity" or "the refining".
It is disputed whether this is a Meccan or Madinan sura. The former seems more probable, particularly since it seems to have been alluded to by Bilal, who, when he was being tortured by his cruel master, is said to have repeated "Ahad, Ahad!" (unique, referring as here to Allah). It is reported from Ubayy ibn Ka'b that it was revealed after the polytheists asked "O Muhammad! Tell us the lineage of your Lord."
Translation and Transliteration
Bismillaah ar-Rahman ar-Raheem
Qul huwallaahu ahad
Allahus samad
Lam yalid wa lam yuulad
Wa lamyakun lahuuu kufuwan ahad
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.
Say: He is Allah, the One.
He is Allah, the Eternal,
Who was never born, nor ever gave birth.
The One beyond compare.
The Reason for the Revelation of this Surah
Imam Ahmad recorded from Ubayy bin Ka'b that the idolators said to the Prophet, "O Muhammad! Tell us the lineage of your Lord.''
So Allah revealed:
قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ - اللَّهُ الصَّمَدُ - لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ - وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَّهُ كُفُواً أَحَدٌ
Say:
"He is Allah, One.
Allah He begets not, nor was He begotten.
And there is non comparable to Him.''
Similar was recorded by At-Tirmidhi and Ibn Jarir and they added in their narration that he said,
"الصَّمَدُ As-Samad is One Who does not give birth, nor was He born, because there is nothing that is born except that it will die, and there is nothing that dies except that it leaves behind inheritance, and indeed Allah does not die and He does not leave behind any inheritance.
وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَّهُ كُفُواً أَحَدٌ ٌ And there is none comparable to Him.
This means that there is none similar to Him, none equal to Him and there is nothing at all like Him.''
(Purity)
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
1.
قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ
Say: He is Allah, One.
2.
اللَّهُ الصَّمَدُ
Allah As-Samad.
3.
لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ
He begets not, nor was He begotten.
4.
وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ كُفُوًا أَحَدٌ
And there is none comparable to Him.
The reason for the revelation of this Surah has already been mentioned.
