Question: The hadith states, “Whoever recites Surah Al-Ikhlas three times will receive the reward equivalent to reciting the entire Quran.” (Bukhari: 6643). How should we understand this hadith?
Answer: The Prophet (ﷺ) described Surah Al-Ikhlas as equivalent to one-third of the Quran, highlighting its significant virtue. There are several opinions among scholars regarding what this means. One opinion is that it refers to the content of the Surah. The Quran is based on three types of knowledge: the knowledge of Tawheed (monotheism), the knowledge of Prophethood, and the knowledge of the Hereafter. Surah Al-Ikhlas contains the knowledge of Tawheed, thus representing one-third of the Quranic knowledge. This is supported by a hadith in Sahih Muslim where the Prophet (ﷺ) said: “Allah has divided the Quran into three parts, and He made ‘Say: He is Allah, the One’ one of the parts of the Quran.” (Sahih Muslim: 811).
Another opinion is that reciting Surah Al-Ikhlas three times is equivalent to reciting one-third of the Quran in terms of reward. Abu Sa’id Al-Khudri (رضي الله عنه) narrated that the Prophet (ﷺ) asked his companions, “Is it difficult for any of you to recite one-third of the Quran in one night?” They found this difficult and said, “Who among us can do that, O Messenger of Allah?” He replied, “Allah, the One, the Self-Sufficient (i.e., Surah Al-Ikhlas) is one-third of the Quran.” (Sahih Muslim: 5015).
In summary, the virtue of Surah Al-Ikhlas is established through various pieces of evidence. The statement that it is equivalent to one-third of the Quran can be understood both in terms of its content and the reward for its recitation. However, it is not appropriate to only recite Surah Al-Ikhlas and neglect the rest of the Quran. We should recite the entire Quran and also frequently recite Surah Al-Ikhlas.
Sheikh Maqbool Ahmed Salafi حفظه الله ❪Jeddah Dawah Center, Hayy Al-Salamah – Saudi Arabia❫
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