Ayah 1
قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ ١
Qul huwa-llāhu ahad
Say, "He is Allah, [who is] One,
| Arabic | Say it | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| قُلْ | Qul | Say |
| هُوَ | huwa | He is |
| اللَّهُ | Allāhu | Allah |
| أَحَدٌ | ahad | One |
Free lesson · Quran word by word
Surah Al-Ikhlas word by word
سُورَةُ الْإِخْلَاصِ
You recite it in almost every salah. In this free lesson you'll learn what each of its 15 words means, so you understand it while you pray.
- Surah number112
- Ayahs4
- Words15
- Name meansSincerity
The full surah
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ
Bismillāhi-r-Rahmāni-r-Rahīm — In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Especially Merciful.
قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ ١ اللَّهُ الصَّمَدُ ٢ لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ ٣ وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُ كُفُوًا أَحَدٌ ٤
Arabic text: Hafs ‘an ‘Asim. English translation of each ayah: Saheeh International, as published on the King Saud University Quran site (quran.ksu.edu.sa). The word-by-word meanings are a simple guide for learners.
Word by word
Reading the transliteration: ā, ī, ū are long vowels. An apostrophe (’) marks a sound from the throat (hamza or ‘ayn). Listening to a teacher is the best way to get each sound right.
Ayah 2
اللَّهُ الصَّمَدُ ٢
Allāhu-s-samad
Allah, the Eternal Refuge.
| Arabic | Say it | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| اللَّهُ | Allāhu | Allah |
| الصَّمَدُ | as-Samad | the Eternal Refuge |
Ayah 3
لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ ٣
Lam yalid wa lam yūlad
He neither begets nor is born,
| Arabic | Say it | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| لَمْ | lam | did not |
| يَلِدْ | yalid | beget (have a child) |
| وَلَمْ | wa lam | and not |
| يُولَدْ | yūlad | was begotten (born) |
Ayah 4
وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُ كُفُوًا أَحَدٌ ٤
Wa lam yakun lahū kufuwan ahad
Nor is there to Him any equivalent."
| Arabic | Say it | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| وَلَمْ | Wa lam | And not |
| يَكُن | yakun | is |
| لَّهُ | lahū | to Him |
| كُفُوًا | kufuwan | equal, comparable |
| أَحَدٌ | ahad | anyone |
Arabic spotlight
Two words for “one”
أَحَدٌ (ahad) appears twice. In ayah 1 it means Allah is One — unique, with no partner. In ayah 4 it means anyone: no one at all is equal to Him.
A word you will meet again
لَمْ (lam) makes a verb negative and past: يَلِدْ (yalid, “he begets”) becomes لَمْ يَلِدْ (lam yalid, “he did not beget”). You will meet this pattern all over the Quran.
Questions
What does Al-Ikhlas mean?
Al-Ikhlas (الْإِخْلَاصُ) means “sincerity” or “purity”. The surah describes Allah purely: He is One, everything depends on Him, He has no child and no parent, and nothing is equal to Him.
How many ayahs and words are in Surah Al-Ikhlas?
Surah Al-Ikhlas is surah 112 of the Quran. It has 4 ayahs and 15 words.
What does As-Samad mean?
As-Samad (الصَّمَدُ) is one of the names of Allah. It means the Eternal Refuge: the One everyone and everything turns to and depends on, while He depends on no one.
Is Surah Al-Ikhlas equal to a third of the Quran?
Yes. The Prophet ﷺ said that Surah Al-Ikhlas is equal to a third of the Quran (Sahih al-Bukhari 5013).
How can I learn to read it myself?
Start with the Arabic letters and harakat (short vowels). In KALIMO's Level 1 live classes you learn to read words like these in small groups. You can book a free 30-minute trial class on Telegram.