Sūrat al-Ikhlāṣ is one of the shortest chapters of the Quran and consists of four verses. Given the briefness of its verses and content it is believed to have been revealed in Mecca, although a minority maintain that it was revealed in Medina. Chronologically, according to the majority, it is regarded to be the twenty-second chapter of the Quran which was revealed to the Messenger of God after Sūrat al-Nās (114). It is called al-Ikhlāṣ (sincerity) because whoever has a firm belief in and understanding of the contents of this chapter is regarded as sincere in their faith. It is also referred to as Sūrat al-Tawḥīd (monotheism) because there is nothing but monotheism expressed in this surah. Other names of this surah are Ṣamad (all-embracing) and Nasab al-Rabb (origin of God).
With regards to the context of the revelation of this chapter, it is reported that some Jews asked the Messenger of God to describe for them his Lord. The Prophet did not respond for three days until Sūrat al-Ikhlāṣ was revealed in which a brief but beautiful description of God was given. The author of al-Iḥtijāj narrates that the name of the individual who asked the question was Abd-Allāh ibn Ṣūriyā, chief rabbi of Fadak or Medina. Other accounts relate that the question was asked by the Meccan pagans. There is, however, no disparity between these accounts since the question may have been asked by all of them separately.
This surah describes the reality of monotheism by emphasising the oneness of God in His essence and lack of any potentiality in Him, which makes Him free from all types of need (verses 1-2). The chapter continues by stating that God neither begat, nor was He begotten, therefore disassociating any human attributes from Him and identifying Him as the origin of everything, not by procreation but by creation (verse 3). It ends by stating that He has no equal or like (verse 4), highlighting that He is an absolute transcendent being who cannot be perceived.
It is mentioned in multiple traditions that this chapter equates to a third of the Quran. According to Tabatabai, this is because the Quran contains three main principles, namely, monotheism (tawḥīd), prophethood (nubuwwah), and resurrection (maʿād), and Sūrat al-Ikhlāṣ discusses one of these three (monotheism), which is possibly why it holds weight as a third of the Quran.
[1] Tabrisi, 10/854; Mizan, 20/448. [2] Tabrisi, 10/854. [3] Tabrisi, 10/854. [4] Nur, 5/699; Kafi, 1/71. [5] Ihtijaj, 1/48. [6] Mizan, 20/452.