This Surah is also known as Surah Tauhiid, Surah Al-Asaas and Suarh Nisbat-ur-Rab. The Surah has a special place in the Quran because of its all-comprehensive coverage of the subject under discussion and excellence of eloquence. Surah Al-Ikhlaas describes Tauhiid completely.

From Ma'rifah (knowledge) to Tasdiiq (testimony) of Tauhiid (Oneness), Ikhlaas (Pure Truth) attains its final stage, in this Surah. It is through Ikhlaas that one ascends different stages of Iimaan (faith), Taqwaa (God-consciousness), and Ihsaan (benevolent good deeds). It purifies belief in Oneness of God as the Unique Unity, Ahad and As-Samad, becoming manifest e.g., through His creation, by His Knowledge, and in His Rubbubiyah.

The Prophet (Peace be upon him) held this Surah in great esteem, because of apex of eloquence of the basic theme of the Quran (Tauhiid). He emphasized its importance in different ways, so that it was repeatedly recited, widely disseminated, deeply assimilated and carefully understood, as the essence of Oneness in the revealed theology.

It is reported from Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her), that the Prophet (Peace be upon him) sent (an army unit) under the command of a man who used to lead his companions in prayers and finish recitation of the Quran, in every prayer, with: 'Say (O Muhammad) He is Allah, the Only One Alone (Qul Huw-Allahu Ahad). (112-1). When they returned, they mentioned this to the Prophet (Peace be upon him). He said to them

"Ask him why he does so?"
They asked him and he said: "I do so because it mentions the Qualities of the Most Gracious, and I love to recite it." The Prophet (Peace be upon him) said: "Inform him that Allah holds him in great love and esteem." (Bukhari, 9-472)

It has been reported in Bukhari: "A man from among the Ansar led the prayers in the Quba Mosque. His practice was that in every Rak'ah he first recited Qul Huw-Allahu and then would join another Surah to it. The people objected to it. He said: "I can not leave it, I would rather give up leadership in the prayer, if you so desired." At last the matter was brought before the Prophet (Peace be upon him). He asked the man:

"What prevents you from conceding what your companions desired? What makes you recite this particular Surah in every Rak'ah?"

The man submitted: "I have great love for it." The Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him) remarked: "Your this love for this Surah has earned you entry into Paradise."

The Prophet (Peace be upon him) prescribed reciting Surah Ikhlaas and two Surahs of 'Refuge' [Mua'wazatain: Al-Falaq (113) and An-Naas (114)] before going to bed (sleep) at night. (Abu Masud Hasan Alvi, Tadrees Lughatul Quran, p.1158)

"Al-Bukhari recorded from Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her), that whenever the Prophet (Peace be upon him) would go to bed every night, he would put his palms together and blow into them. Then he would recite into them (his palms), 'Say: He is Allah, One', 'Say: I seek refuge with the Lord of Al-Falaq', and 'Say: I seek refuge with the Lord of mankind.' Then he would wipe whatever he was able to of his body with them (his palms). He would begin wiping his head and face with them and the front part of his body. He would do this (wiping his body) three times. The Sunan compilers also recorded this same Hadith." (Abu Dawud, 5-303, Tafsir Ibn Kathir, Vol-X, p.633):

It has been recorded that the Prophet (Peace be upon him) said:

"Say: 'He is Allah, One,' and the two Surahs of Refuge (Al-Falaq and An-Naas) when you enter upon the evening and the morning three times (each). They will be sufficient for you two times every day." (Ahmed, 5-312). This has also been recorded in another Hadiith that the Prophet (Peace be upon him) said: "They will suffice you against everything." [(Abu Dawud), 5-320] Uqbah bin Aamir reported that the Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) said: "I shall show you three such Surah that are revealed in Torah, Injil, Zabur and the Quran. Do not sleep at night until such time that you have recited them. They are Surah Al-Ikhlaas, and the Mu'awwadhatain. (Imam Ahmed, Ibn Kathir) "Imam Malik bin Anas recorded from Ubayd bin Hunayn that he heard Abu Hurayrah saying, 'I went out with the Prophet (Peace be upon him) and he heard a man reciting 'Say: He is Allah, the One.'(112-1) So the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "It is obligatory". I asked, 'What is obligatory? He replied: "Paradise". (Muwatta, 1-208, Tafsir Ibn Kathir, p.631). The Prophet (Peace be upon him) is also reported to have said: "Your love of it will cause you to enter Paradise". (Fath Al-Bari, 2-298). In another Tradition, Mu'aadh bin Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him) said: "O Mu'aadh! Do you know what Allah's Right upon His slaves is?" I said, "Allah and His Messenger know better." The Prophet (Peace be upon him) said: "To worship Him (Allah) Alone and to join none in worship with Him (Allah). Do you know what their right upon Him is?" I replied: "Allah and His Messenger know better." The Prophet (Peace be upon him) said: "Not to punish them (if they did so)." (Bukhari, 9-470) If one believes in the doctrine of Oneness of God, and his love becomes manifest in his surrender to His Law (Diin), with diligent application for righteous living as an individual and as a member of society, the Paradise becomes obligatory. Agha Muhammad Yaqoob has included following Traditions in explanation of importance of this Surah: - If any person recites this Surah while entering the house, Allah would remove want from him and his neighbours. - The Prophet (Peace be upon him) seized the hand of Uqba and told him: "I want to inform you about three Surah of the Quran which are better than all Surahs in the Taurat, the Injiil and the Quran. He then recited this Surah and those of Al-Falaq and An-Naas. He asked Uqba to recite them regularly each night. (Agha Muhammad Yaqoob, Vol-V, p.645)

Prescription for Purification of the Diin

The Prophet's (Peace be upon him) prescriptions for repetition of this Surah are not just for the sake of repetition or recitation only, but they are for inculcating and ingraining, in faith and practice, the doctrine of Oneness of Allahu Rabbul Aalamiin (Allah the Sustainer of all worlds-creation.)

"Of Him seeks every creature in the heavens and the earth. Every day in new Splendour is He." 55-29 We can not define God. But if we put ourselves on canvas of cosmos and creation displaying flabbergasting organization and action, introspect and peep into our own genome map, consider cerebral local area network (LAN), celestial connectivity (Wide Area Network: WAN), unwinding galaxies as arms of cosmic clock precise to the finite fraction of nano second since the Big Bang, digitally dotted galactic material (look at Saturn's rings), seamless soldering of Ruuh (spirit), Nafs (self) and sulaalat-min tiin (extract of clay) with fantastic functionalities, and so on and on, we can understand and realize Him and His High Exalted Oneness, a great deal. From above verse it becomes quite clear that He is neither absent, nor static. He is Ever Present-Ever Active. Opportunities for realization of the Reality are all the time available everywhere, and common to all mankind. But amount and level of understanding and availing of them, vary very widely, from the lowest ebb to the ultimate of all ascent of human frame and faculties.

Surah Al-Ikhlaas, in fact, prescribes abandonment of shirk, practically and not merely confessing 'Laa ilaaha illal-laah' by tongue only. In submission to the universally harmonized unified law (Tauhiid) of Allah, one gets rewards, besides remission of sins over and above success in mundane matters. Clear concept of monotheism not only provides guidance, but security also (6-82). "This Surah is a firm establishment and a confirmation of the Islamic belief in the Unity of Allah as was Surah 109, 'The Disbelievers', a denunciation of any meeting point between the Unity of Allah and anthropomorphic belief. Each Suarh deals with the Unity of Allah from a different angle. The Prophet (Peace be upon him) used to start off his day reciting these two Surah in his morning prayer (fajr). This, surely, was significant." (Sayyid Qutub, In the Shade of the Quran, Translation M. Adil Salahi and Ashur A. Shamis, p.354) Unity of God, is the only meeting point for an inter-faith dialogue. As set by the Quran, it was suggested by the Prophet (Peace be upon him) to the Christians, as the basis of any discussion on the Faith:

"Say O people of the Book! Come to common terms as between us and you: That we worship none but God; That we associate no partners with Him; That we erect not, from among ourselves lords and patrons other than God.." 3-64