(Revealed before Hijrah)
That this is one of the earliest Meccan Chapters is the view of Hasan, ‘Ikrimah and above all Ibn Mas‘ud, one of the earliest Companions of the Holy Prophet. But Ibn ‘Abbas, though much younger than Ibn Mas‘ud, and regarded as one of the most learned of the Companions, thinks that the Surah was revealed at Medina. In view of these conflicting opinions of the two very respected Companions of the Holy Prophet, some Commentators of the Qur’an are inclined to think that the Surah was revealed twice, first at Mecca and then at Medina. Among Orientalists Muir places it among the earliest Meccan Chapters while Noldeke assigns it to the end of the first period—about the fourth year of the Call. In view of the importance of its subject-matter, the Surah has come to be known by several names, of which more important are: At-Tafrid; At-Tajrid; At-Tauhid; Al-Ikhlas; Al-Ma‘rifah; As-Samad; Al-Ahad; An-Nur, etc. Because it deals with the basic belief of Islam—Unity of God—the Surah has the distinction of being called by the Holy Prophet as the greatest of all the Qur’anic Surahs (Ma‘ani). ‘A’ishah is reported to have said that before going to bed the Holy Prophet used to recite this and the last two Chapters at least thrice (Dawud). The Surah is entitled Ikhlas, because its recitation and deliberation over its subject-matter is calculated to foster in the reader a deep attachment to God. What adds to its great importance is the fact that while Al-Fatihah is considered to be the resume of the whole of the Qur’an, the present Surah, together with the two following Chapters, repeats and rehearses the subject-matter of Al-Fatihah. It deals with the four principal transcendent Divine attributes while Surah Al-Fatihah deals with the four main attributes of similitude.