Commentary of Qul Huwallāhu Aḥad
As already explained in the commentary of Sūrah al-Lahab [the previous chapter], the Holy Qur’an’s subject matter ends atSūrah al-Lahab, and this indicates that Sūrah al-Lahab is in one sense the concluding chapter [in terms of subject matter]. It is evident that not everyone can discern all of the profound and vast meanings of the Holy Qur’an, nor can they fully master or constantly remember them. This is why Allah the Almighty, for the benefit of mankind, used this method and summarised the entire Holy Qur’an in the last three chapters after Sūrah al-Lahab. In the same way that a skilled author will preface a book with a brief introduction to the subjects they will cover, and summarises the book at the end, the Holy Qur’an begins with Sūrah al-Fātiḥah which indicates towards the subjects that will be discussed in it and at the end, the subjects are again summarised in Sūrah al-Ikhlāṣ, Sūrah al-Falaq and Sūrah al-Nās. Indeed, in this sense, Sūrah al-Ikhlāṣ is in itself a concise and complete summary of the Holy Qur’an, because when we consider the themes and substance of the Qur’an, we realise that their central and focal point is to prove and establish the unity of Allah the Almighty and to proclaim His attributes and magnificence. Therefore, in Sūrah al-Ikhlāṣ, the perfect unity of Allah, His attributes and His glory has been mentioned briefly. Thus, in this sense, Sūrah al-Ikhlāṣ is also a summary of the Holy Qur’an. But if one looks at the themes of the last three chapters collectively, one realises that these three chapters are the same as Sūrah al-Fātiḥah. In other words, just as the Holy Qur’an begins with Sūrah al-Fātiḥah, Allah the Almighty also ends it at Sūrah al-Fātiḥah. Here, attention is drawn to the fact that Allah Himself has summarised the Holy Qur’an and that it is now the responsibility of every Muslim to keep this summary of the Holy Qur’an in mind, to enjoin his children and future generations to do the same and to continue announcing and disclosing it to the whole world until they all unite on this central point. The final three chapters begin with the word ‘Say’ [qul] in order to draw attention to this objective. This means ‘convey our message to others’. When this message reaches others, they will also read the word quland so it will then also become their duty to convey this word further to others. This is similar to when some people nowadays write letters to others, saying that whoever receives it should send its message to ten more people.
In other words, the essence of the teachings of the Holy Qur’an and Islam has been explained in these last three chapters. Allah makes it clear that ‘O mankind! Now that you have read the entire Holy Qur’an, We tell you that this is for the entire world and thus you must convey it to the people. However, since it is not possible for each person to fully comprehend all its meanings, nor can every person memorise the entire Holy Qur’an, to make it easier for people, We provide its summary. However, We also wish for you to proclaim qul, that is, to try conveying this message to others, and those who hear it from you should convey it to others and so on and so forth.’ And so in this way, these meanings would reach the entire world. That is, by the word qul, each Muslim is bound to convey its message to others. This does not mean to convey this only once in a lifetime; rather, the sentence composition or structure of Qul-Huwallahu Ahad [‘Say, “Allah, He is One”’] indicates that every Muslim has a duty to keep in view this proclamation no matter who they meet, where they gather, or where they go. And then whoever hears it, should convey it to others until this message reaches the entire world.
Perhaps, this is why someone named a certain ritual that Muslims perform when someone passes away, qul.
I recall that once one of our non-Ahmadi relatives passed away. His family also invited me and so I went. When everyone had sat down, I saw that initially, a maulvi [Muslim cleric] recited something and then the family brought a copy of the Holy Qur’an and handed it over to someone. He passed it on to the next person and then he gave it to me in my hands. At the time, I was very young, and was completely unfamiliar with such practices. I did not know what was happening or whether it was acceptable or not. Although I do remember that in my heart I felt averse to taking part in this. When they finally handed the Holy Qur’an over to me, I took it and placed it in front of me, because I was unaware what they expected from me. At this, somebody then picked up the Holy Qur’an themselves and passed it on to the next person, or perhaps I was told to pass it onto to them. I asked someone what was happening and he told me that this act was devised as a way to allow blessings to reach the deceased soul. People thought that whatever they give in charity on behalf of the deceased, it would be at most ten, twenty, fifty or hundred rupees and so the deceased would also receive a limited reward, and perhaps the sins of the deceased would not be atoned for. So they thought that they could give the Holy Qur’an in charity, the value of which is priceless. This idea has now manifested in practice with a person passing the Holy Qur’an to the person next to him, saying on behalf of the deceased soul: ‘I hand this Qur’an over to you.’ And he passes it on to the next person. In this manner, as it were, many Qur’ans are offered as alms with the assumption that infinite blessings will have reached the deceased soul, and their many sins will have been forgiven. Perhaps this practice was named qulfor the reason that the Holy Qur’an is passed from one person to another, just as charity exchanges hands.
If the Muslims had acted upon the teaching contained in the word qul, which was given to them by Allah the Almighty, then they would never have suffered the humiliation that they face in this age, and by now the entire world would have accepted the unity of Allah the Almighty and come under the banner of the Muhammad (sa), the Messenger of Allah. The Muslims have completely overlooked even this very basic and small point.
Upon the occasion of Hajjat al-Wada‘ [the last hajj, or pilgrimage to the Holy Ka’bah, taken by the Holy Prophet (sa)], the Holy Prophet (sa) addressed the Muslims and said:
إِنَّ أَمْوَالَكُمْ وَدِمَاءَكُمْ وَأَعْرَاضَكُمْ عَلَيْكُمْ حَرَامٌ كَحُرْمَةِ يَوْمِكُمْ هَذَا فِي بَلَدِكُمْ هَذَا فِي شَھْرِكُمْ هَذَا
After that, he stated:
أَلَا فَلْيُبَلِّغِ الشَّاهِدُ الْغَائِبَ
In other words, those Muslims who are in attendance, should listen to this message and then convey it to those who are not present: ‘Indeed your wealth, your blood and your honour are as impermissible to each other, as this day, this month, and this city is sacred.’[1]
I instructed our Community that whoever hears this teaching should convey it along to others because this was indeed the Holy Prophet’s (sa) command. So this instruction was also, in essence, like [the command to recite] قُلۡ [qul]. When this message has been conveyed from one person to the other, it has raised the sense of awareness within a people.
In summary, the words قُلۡ هُوَ ٱللَّهُ أَحَدٌ [Qul huwallāhu Aḥad], signify, ‘O Muslim who believes in My Existence, My Word, and of that especially which is in the Holy Qur’an: We instruct you to go to the people and proclaim that the essence of the teachings of Islam is that Allah is One.’
As we have indicated previously, the subject matter of Sūrah al-Fātiḥah has been explained in the last three chapters of the Holy Qur’an. In Sūrah al-Ikhlāṣ, the words قُلۡ هُوَ ٱللَّهُ أَحَدٌ are a reflection of the following words in Sūrah al-Fātiḥah:
اَلۡحَمۡدُ لِلّٰہِ رَبِّ الۡعٰلَمِیۡنَ الرَّحۡمٰنِ الرَّحِیۡمِ مٰلِکِ یَوۡمِ الدِّیۡنِ اِیَّاکَ نَعۡبُدُ وَاِیَّاکَ نَسۡتَعِیۡنُ اِھْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الۡمُسۡتَقِیۡمَ صِرَاطَ الَّذِیۡنَ اَنۡعَمۡتَ عَلَیۡھِمۡ
The verses
[اَلۡحَمۡدُ لِلّٰہِ رَبِّ الۡعٰلَمِیۡنَ … اِیَّاکَ نَعۡبُدُ وَاِیَّاکَ نَسۡتَعِیۡنُ اِھْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الۡمُسۡتَقِیۡمَ صِرَاطَ الَّذِیۡنَ اَنۡعَمۡتَ عَلَیۡھِمۡ]
denote the absolute unity of God and complete trust in Him. Complete trust in God is the result of believing in His absolute unity. When a person realises that there is nothing other than God, they can never rely on anybody but God.
If somewhere there is a medical doctor, a ḥakīm [practitioner of herbal medicine], an Ayurvedic practitioner and a homeopath, and the doctor’s treatment does not benefit the patient, their attendants or nurses would then run to the ḥakīm. And on seeing no benefit in his medicine, they would then try the Ayurvedic practitioner and then the homeopath.
And if there is more than one doctor practising in the same field, then the patient will anxiously consult one doctor, and then the other. However, if there is no one available, then nobody makes an effort to seek treatment.
The subject of the absolute unity of God is explained in the words,
اَلۡحَمۡدُ لِلّٰہِ رَبِّ الۡعٰلَمِیۡنَ … اِیَّاکَ نَعۡبُدُ وَاِیَّاکَ نَسۡتَعِیۡنُ اِھْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الۡمُسۡتَقِیۡمَ صِرَاطَ الَّذِیۡنَ اَنۡعَمۡتَ عَلَیۡھِمۡ
Or in other words, ٱلۡحَمۡدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ ٱلۡعَٰلَمِينَ [Al-ḥamdu lillāhi Rabbil ‘ālamīn] and إِيَّاكَ نَعۡبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسۡتَعِينُ [Iyyāka na‘budu wa iyyāka nasta‘īn] have elucidated the subject of the absolute unity of God, whilst ٱهۡدِنَا ٱلصِّرَٰطَ ٱلۡمُسۡتَقِيمَ ٦ صِرَٰطَ ٱلَّذِينَ أَنۡعَمۡتَ عَلَيۡهِمۡ[Ihdinaṣ–ṣirāṭ al-mustaqīm ṣirāṭ alladhīna an‘amta ‘alaihim] has explained the subject of complete trust in God.
This is the same theme of قُلۡ هُوَ ٱللَّهُ أَحَدٌ [Qul huwallāhu Ahad]. It states, ‘Say that only Allah is Aḥad.’ Aḥadrefers to that Being Who is One and Alone in the sense that when we think of Him, the very idea that there is any other being or thing leaves our mind. Allah Almighty is Aḥad and is also Wāḥid. Wāḥid means that He is the Fountainhead of all creation. Aḥad signifies that everything disappears beside Him.
People use the expression ‘my father’s favour upon me’, but the words ٱلۡحَمۡدُ لِلَّهِ [Al-ḥamdu lillāh] signal that we cannot perceive anyone but God, and that is why we say ٱلۡحَمۡدُ لِلَّهِ [Al-ḥamdu lillāh], ‘All praise belongs to Almighty Allah alone.’ People say, ‘my teacher did me a great favour’; however, we do not consider anyone to be a teacher besides Allah Almighty. So we say ٱلۡحَمۡدُ لِلَّهِ [Al-ḥamdu lillāh]. Similarly, people talk about ‘my neighbour’s favour upon me’. However, we observe that all favours are only from Allah Almighty and we cannot see anyone besides Him, hence we say: ٱلۡحَمۡدُ لِلَّهِ[Al-ḥamdu lillāh].
Therefore, the meaning of ٱلۡحَمۡدُ لِلَّهِ [Al-ḥamdu lillāh] is reiterated in the words Qul huwallāhu Ahad [قُلۡ هُوَ ٱللَّهُ أَحَدٌ ] and also in the words لَمۡ يَلِدۡ وَلَمۡ يُولَدۡ [Lam yalid wa lam yūlad] which means, Allah is neither preceded by anyone, nor will there be anyone after Him, and He alone exists forever. Moreover, the same theme is echoed in the words وَلَمۡ يَكُن لَّهُۥ كُفُوًا أَحَدُۢ [Wa lam yakun lahū kufuwan aḥad].
Here it is explained that if someone were to say that when all these benefactors [the father, the teacher, the neighbour, etc.] can be seen, then it is wrong to say that only God can be seen and nothing else.
The answer is that indeed all these benefactors can be seen, however, none of them are of the same as Allah Almighty. That is to say, Allah bestows everything from Himself, while others give from that which Allah Almighty has provided them; they never give anything from themselves. Aside from Allah, all other benefactors are merely intermediaries. God pours His favours into their hands and they extend the favours to others. God Almighty produces milk in the breasts of the mother, and she is merely a means for this to happen. God Almighty bestows resources on the father and hence he spends on his children. Thus, the theme of ٱلۡحَمۡدُ لِلَّهِ [Al-ḥamdu lillāh]and قُلۡ هُوَ ٱللَّهُ أَحَدٌ [Qul huwallāhu Aḥad] is one and the same.
Then the subject matter of إِيَّاكَ نَعۡبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسۡتَعِينُ [Iyyāka na‘budu wa iyyāka nasta‘īn] is covered in the words ٱللَّهُ ٱلصَّمَدُ[Allahuṣ–Ṣamad]. ٱلصَّمَدُ [Al-Ṣamad] is He Who is independent but everyone else depends upon Him, and He also fulfils all their needs. The subject covered by إِيَّاكَ نَعۡبُدُ [Iyyāka na‘budu]is that everyone is dependent upon God. In the word نَسۡتَعِينُ[nasta‘in] it states that Allah Almighty provides help to everyone. And since nobody can fulfil any need besides Allah, everyone is compelled to turn to Him. Therefore, it is clear that there is a similarity between the subject matter of Sūrah al-Fātiḥah and Sūrah al-Ikhlāṣ.
Although Sūrah al-Ikhlāṣ is very brief, it presents the notion of monotheism completely. And so it mentions three truths:
- That the Being of God Almighty does exist
- That God Almighty is solitary; meaning, He is One, and there are not two or three gods.
- God Almighty is unique in His attributes, meaning, that nobody can equal Him in His attributes.
Thus Allah says, [قُلۡ هُوَ ٱللَّهُ أَحَدٌ] Qul huwallāhu Aḥad. You say that you have various ideas about the the Being of God Almighty; you express different kinds of theories about God. You raise different kinds of philosophies and points, but the central point concerning the certainty of God Almighty’s existence is Allāhu Aḥad [Allah is One]. That is, in every way, shape or form Allah’s Being is One and Unique. He is neither the beginning link of anything, nor its ending link. He is unlike anything else and nothing else is like Him.
The word Aḥad contains in itself a distinctively special feature. And that is it can in no way express the notion of duality. All other numerals contain some sense of duality. In fact, even the words Wāḥid and Awwal [other words signifying one] carry the sense of more than one. Wāḥid means the first of many, that is, the first relative to others, and it necessitates that there should be something else because the relativity of a thing cannot be established until there is something else. For example, it cannot be said that there is a ‘left’ without a ‘right,’ nor can there be a ‘north’ without there being a ‘south’. Similarly, Wāḥid also entails that there are others.
However, Aḥad means ‘one’ in a way which negates the existence of anything other than it. But even the word ‘one’ cannot convey the sense of the Arabic word Aḥad. However, since there is no other word in Urdu [or English], we are compelled to use the word ‘one’. So Aḥad refers to that One Being with respect to Whom the thought of no other can arise. Thus, Aḥad is that attribute which transcends all creation. In reality, the true grandeur of Allah Almighty is this attribute of Aḥadiyyah, because as He descends [to the level of His creation] in order to establish a bond with them, His attributes start to appear more limited. For instance, the diameter of the sun is [approximately] 800,000 miles. However, by the time we see it, it appears small to our eyes because if it appeared to us in its true size, we would not be able to see it at all. So just as we cannot see the sun until it is smaller because of our eyes’ limitations, similarly, Allah Almighty Who possesses the grandeur of Aḥadiyyah [uniqueness] – which is His true greatness – manifests unto mankind in such a way that we can perceive Him. And this manifestation of God Almighty is not complete. Therefore, His Aḥadiyyah manifests His true glory which cannot be expressed by any other attribute.
In reality, God Almighty’s Lordship is of two types:
Rabb al- Aḥadiyyah i.e. Lord with respect to His Aḥadiyyah [Oneness].
Rabb al- Makhluq – i.e. Lord with respect to His Creation.
Nobody can determine the full extent the first type. However, the second is limited.
Similarly, God is also al-Raḥmān [The Gracious] in two ways. Nobody can determine His grace in relation to His Oneness. However, the grace of Allah concerning mankind can be perceived by every intelligent person. This is also the case with God Almighty’s Mālikiyyah [Sovereignty] and His Knowledge. That is, Allah’s attributes in relation to mankind are limited but those attributes concerning the manifestation of His Oneness are infinite. It is on account of not understanding the [difference between these] two states that people have been embroiled in very serious disputes concerning God Almighty. Some claim that God cannot be seen, while others have said the opposite, and they started to argue about this. And yet those who said that He cannot be seen were correct, and those who said that He cannot be seen were also right. Those who said He can be seen said so in view of God’s attributes through which He reveals Himself to mankind; and those who said He cannot be seen, said so in view of those attributes that relate to His Oneness. Therefore, Allah Almighty cannot be seen and undoubtedly cannot be seen until one understands those attributes of His which relate to mankind. If one says that they have seen God through those attributes of His which relate to His Oneness, then they are wrong. In the ḥadīth it states that Hazrat A’ishah (ra) enquired from the Holy Prophet (sa), ‘Have you seen Allah Almighty?’ He replied:
نُوْرٌ أَنَّى أَرَاهُ؟
‘He is Nūr[light], so how can I see Him?’
Then whosoever says that God cannot be perceived at all through any of His manifestations is also incorrect. In actuality, both groups of people speak from two different perspectives. Thus, the Oneness [Aḥadiyyah] of Allah Almighty is of two types. The first we can only understand through negation which is why, to help us understand this point, the Qur’an states, ٱللَّهُ ٱلصَّمَدُ [Allahuṣ–Ṣamad], meaning ‘I am that Being without Whose help, nothing can be done.’ Thus, this begins to explain the manner in which God Almighty manifests His first attribute of Oneness [in which He descends]. In other words, He says: ‘I am the God without Whose help nothing can happen. And since this is the case, then remember that there can be no benefit in turning away from My threshold. You can go anywhere, go to any saint or sage to fulfil your needs, but they all depend on Me. Why would someone who has found a fountain be satisfied with just a glassful? I alone am that fountain from which all people fill their vessels and pitchers. When you receive everything from Me, why then do you not create a bond with Me and ask of Me alone?’
As has been explained in the key-word analysis [of this verse], Allah Almighty has two attributes: He is Aḥad and He is Wāḥid, and there is a difference between the two. When we use the word Wahid, we acknowledge that along with this being the existence of two, three, four or any number of other beings . We do not deny this. And thus we also affirm the fact that all other things come from this, just as the numbers two, three or four, etc., all come from the number one. Similarly, everything in this world comes from Allah Almighty alone. And everything is dependent on Allah Almighty to achieve perfection. As there can be no light anywhere without the rays of the sun, so too nothing can exist without the Grace of Allah Almighty. This is the meaning of Wāḥid.
The word Aḥad signifies that Allah Almighty is unique in His Being. This word negates two concepts: firstly, Allah did not emerge from any two entities, and secondly, that He did not become two entities from one entity. Wāḥid can become two from one. When going backwards, it can become one from two. As far as the attributes of God Almighty are concerned, they bear a semblance with the world. Under the splendour of His reflection, these attributes can also be found in other things, albeit to a certain degree. Thus, by saying Wāḥid, we concede that other entities also exist in the world.
With the word Wahid, we may think of another being, but with the word Aḥad this is not possible. Similarly, in the Arabic language when counting one, two, three, etc. the words used are ‘wāḥid, ithnān’ not ‘aḥad, ithnān’. So God’s creation bears a semblance with His attributes, not with His Being. For instance, Allah Almighty hears and it is through this virtue of His that we are also able to listen.
Many ignorant people claim that saying that we hear and Allah Almighty also hears, amounts to shirk [associating partners with Allah]. But this is not shirk because whatever we hear is a reflection of His attribute. Therefore, when we use the word Wāḥid we acknowledge the existence of other things in the world which draw strength from Allah and partially manifest His attributes. The number one is succeeded by two, three, four and five etc. If we count backwards, we will always arrive at number one. However, the word Aḥad signifies that it cannot be followed by two, three or four, nor can it return to one. Indeed, this is the true basis of the controversy: many nations take one [God] and turn it into two or three [gods] and then return to one. Thus both of these notions are found among the Christians. They claim that the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit combine to become one. In other words, they go from many towards one, that the three combined became one. Sūrah al-Ikhlāṣ states that the Waḥidiyyah can be born out of the Trinity but Aḥadiyyah cannot and that is the stage of absolute monotheism. Since this error was to be committed specifically in the latter days, therefore, the Holy Qur’an concludes with: Qul huwāllahu Aḥad ‘Say: “Allah is One and Alone. He cannot be divided into the son and the Holy Spirit nor can the Trinity be merged into One. He cannot adopt multiplicity nor become One by removing multiplicity.”’ Therefore, Sūrah al-Ikhlāṣ was revealed in order to prove the Ahadiyyah of Allah Almighty in the latter days.
Through this brief chapter, where Allah Almighty provides evidence for His existence, He completely eradicates the concept of shirk at the same time. Shirk [associating partners with Allah] is of two kinds: first is the belief that a number of beings are equal in status to Allah Almighty, be they bigger or smaller in rank. Second, that despite being created they are given divine status. One is shirk with respect to God’s Being and the other is with respect to His attributes. By saying Qul huwāllahu Aḥad, Allah Almighty refutes the beliefs of those who state or are convinced that there are two or three gods, or propose that God has sons or daughters, or worship other idols.
Therefore, after Qul huwallāhu Aḥad, Allah states: Allahuṣ–Ṣamad [‘Allah, the Independent and Besought of all.’] and then by saying Lam yakun lahū kufuwan aḥad [‘And there is none like unto Him.’], He explains that those who commit shirk and ascribe divine attributes to others are mistaken. No matter how great a person is, they are in need of Allah Almighty. One cannot attain God’s status nor can one be associated with His actions.
ENDNOTES
[1] Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal, Hadith no. 1932.
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