Heart Softeners

Only four ayahs long, and one of the shortest surahs in the Qu’ran. For many of us, it is the first surah we memorise, and it stays with us until we enter our graves. Sadly, many of us simply repeat its verses, without paying much attention to its status or meaning. If only we knew the value of these few verses, and their implications!

Surah Ikhlaas or Ahad, is Surah number 112 of the Quran. It was revealed to answer the ignorant inquiries of the Quraysh, who asked Muhammad (peace be upon him) to relate to them the lineage of Allah. And so Allah revealed this Surah to quieten their foul talk. Surah Ikhlaas is amongst the Surahs the Prophet (peace be upon) would recite daily before retiring to bed, seeking protection from the Almighty.

Did you know that this is a surah by which on can earn the love of Al-Wadud (The All-Loving)? During the lifetime of the Prophet (peace be upon him), he sent a man as a commander of a war expedition and he used to lead his companions in prayer with recitation (of the Qur’an). And he would complete his recitation with the recitation of ‘Qul huwa Allahu ahad.’ So when they returned the companions mentioned that to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and he (peace be upon him) said, ‘ask him why he does that.’ So they asked him and he said, ‘because it is the description of Ar-Rahman and I love to recite it.’ So the Prophet said, ‘inform him that Allah the Most High loves him.’” (Bukhari)

Getting to know Allah and His description suggests that one is coming closer to Allah, and so one increases in the love of Allah, thereby warranting the love of Allah!

Many a times we echo the words of our Creator without knowing its significance. How we have deviated from what the companions were upon! They understood these words, and so they loved to recite them.

In a similar incident, one of the Ansar used to lead the Ansar in Salah in the Quba' mosque and it was his habit to recite Qul huwa Allahu Ahad whenever he wanted to recite something in Salah. When he finished that Surah, he would recite another one with it. He followed the same procedure in each Rak'ah. His companions discussed this with him and said, "You recite this Surah and do not consider it sufficient and then you recite another. So would you recite it alone or leave it and recite some other." He said, "I will never leave it and if you want me to be your Imam on this condition then it is all right; otherwise I will leave you." They knew that he was the best amongst them and they did not like someone else to lead them in Salah. When the Prophet (ﷺ) went to them as usual, they informed him about it. The Prophet (ﷺ) addressed him and said, "O so-and-so, what forbids you from doing what your companions ask you to do? Why do you read this Surah particularly in every Rak'ah?" He replied, "I love this Surah." The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Your love for this Surah will make you enter Paradise." (Bukhari)

Not only does love of this Surah earn you Allah’s love, but it is also a means to enter paradise. In fact the Prophet said that paradise was compulsory upon one who recites it, from the bottom of his heart. Abu Hurayrah reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) heard a man reciting Qul huwa Allahu ahad, and said, “It is his right.’ They asked, ‘O Messenger of Allah, what is his right?’ He said, ‘Paradise is his right.’ (Reported by Imaam Ahmad, 7669)

Little do we reflect upon the significance of this Surah! Did you know that it is equivalent to one-third of the Qur’an! Our beloved Prophet told us so, he said, “‘Qul huwa Allahu Ahad’ is one-third of the Qur’an.” (Sunan an-Nisa’i)

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) also informed us, “Whoever recites Qul huwa Allahu ahad ten times, Allah will build for him a house in Paradise.” (Saheeh al-Jaami’ al-Sagheer, 6472) To recite these four ayah barely takes thirty seconds, to recite it ten times, will take a few minutes at most, and it will be time well spent, with ample reward in the hereafter.

The virtues of this Surah are numerous, however innovations regarding this surah are also prevalent. Reciting Surah Ikhlaas five hundred times, or one hundred times is a practice that has no basis in the Sunnah and one should not adhere to these numbers. Similarly, reciting it in a certain Salah a specified number of times also has no proof. One must be careful to abstain from such innovations, and should follow the exact Sunnah without altering by adding or taking away from it.

May Allah make us amongst those who recite the Qur’an with understanding and apply it in our lives.