Surah Al-Ikhlas: Equivalent to One-Third of the Quran?
Question: Is this correct? Abu Sa’id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) saw his brother Qatadah bin Nu’man (may Allah be pleased with him) repeatedly reciting Surah “Qul Huwa Allahu Ahad” one night. In the morning, he mentioned this to the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ).
The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said: “By Him in Whose Hand my soul is, it is equal to one-third of the Quran.” (Sahih Bukhari)
Answer: The hadith mentioned from Sahih Bukhari is indeed correct that Surah Al-Ikhlas is equivalent to one-third of the Quran. However, this does not mean that one should abandon the recitation of the Quran and only recite Surah Al-Ikhlas once. This hadith highlights the virtue of Surah Al-Ikhlas. Therefore, we can recite this Surah frequently in our prayers, but it is not correct to recite only this Surah and neglect the rest of the Quran.
Have you ever seen anyone in Ramadan recite only this Surah and abandon Taraweeh or the recitation of the Quran? Certainly not.
✍ Sheikh Maqbool Ahmed Salafi
(Jeddah Dawah Center – Al-Salamah – Kingdom of Saudi Arabia❫