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In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

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A gentle commentary on the book *Profile Cards*

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*of the Chapters of the Noble Qur'an*

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by Dr. Muhammad ibn Abdulaziz ibn Umar Naseef,

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may Allah preserve him.

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Surah al-Ikhlas.

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In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds,

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and peace and blessings be upon the Seal of the Prophets and Messengers,

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and upon all his family and Companions.

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We continue our gentle commentary on the chapter profile cards,

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and by the grace of Allah, we have reached Surah al-Ikhlas.

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We have three points of reflection to consider.

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The first pause concerns the hadith cited regarding its virtue,

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wherein it is mentioned that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

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"Gather around,"

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meaning, assemble,

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"for I shall recite to you a third of the Qur'an."

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So whoever was able to gather gathered,

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then the Prophet of Allah (peace be upon him) came out,

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recited: "Say, He is Allah, the One," and then re-entered his home.

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Thereupon, some of us said to one another—

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and the narrator is Abu Hurayrah, who relates this—

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so some of us said to one another:

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"I suspect that this

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was news that just came to him from the heavens,

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and that is what made him go back inside."

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That is, they assumed the Prophet (peace be upon him)

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had not yet finished reciting the full third of the Qur'an.

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This was a subtle, masterful teaching method of his (peace be upon him),

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which placed the noble Companions receiving his words

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in a state of high alertness

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and eager anticipation

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to hear what

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he was about to recite to them.

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In fact, whoever ponders the hadiths transmitted

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clarifying that

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Surah al-Ikhlas equals a third of the Qur'an

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will find in them a rich diversity

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that demonstrates an immense emphasis

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on the part of the Prophet (peace be upon him)

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on confirming this profound reality—

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confirming that al-Ikhlas

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equals a third of the Qur'an.

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These are

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hadiths truly worthy

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of being compiled and studied

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regarding the pedagogical methods of teaching

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this fundamental truth.

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Then comes the second pause,

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which addresses this very reality: that al-Ikhlas equals a third of the Qur'an.

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It is inconceivable that such intense emphasis from the Prophet (peace be upon him)

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was merely because it equals in reward

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a third of the Qur'an—

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though it certainly does—

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rather,

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he also perceived

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the vital need of the young and the old,

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the scholar and the layman alike,

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for this surah

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and the profound meanings it contains.

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And indeed, this surah,

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as stated here in the book

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regarding its theme,

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provides a concise yet exquisitely eloquent introduction

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to the Creator, the Exalted and Majestic.

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Every Muslim needs to know their Creator,

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and the Qur'an

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contains surahs that are long and others of medium length;

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however, that a surah spanning merely a single line

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introduces the Creator, the Exalted, is an immense facilitation

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from Allah, Glorified and Exalted.

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Thus, we must be diligent in

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explaining the virtue of this surah and teaching its meanings to every single

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Muslim.

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Suffice it to consider His words, Glorified and Exalted:

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﴿Allah, the Eternal Refuge (as-Samad)﴾.

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For the statements of the scholars regarding it

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are truly profound,

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and they have clarified

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the deep meanings it encompasses.

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*As-Samad* is the One Who is absolute and complete in His sovereignty, glory, knowledge,

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and all other attributes of perfection, Glorified and Exalted.

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Hence, all creation ought to turn exclusively to Him in their needs

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and take refuge in Him alone.

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And He stated: ﴿Allahu as-Samad﴾,

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which is a phrasing of exclusive restriction (hasr),

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meaning:

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there is none who is *as-Samad* except Allah,

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and none is to be turned to in ultimate reliance

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except the Creator, Glorified and Exalted. Thus, the surah introduces Allah

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and calls to His absolute oneness (Tawhid).

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Every Muslim ought to give it great care,

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and as I mentioned,

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it is very short;

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perhaps,

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that is, virtually every Muslim has memorized it—

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indeed, this is the default for every Muslim—

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but what remains is for us to understand its meanings

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and give it its due share of contemplation,

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so that it may be

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an aid to us

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in affirming the oneness of Allah and devoting sincere worship purely to Him.

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As for the third pause,

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it concerns what is mentioned regarding the placement of the surah

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and its structural harmony with Surah al-Masad,

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where the author notes,

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among other points,

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the phonetic harmony between the two surahs in their verse endings (fawasil).

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You may well know that the *fasilah*

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is the closing rhyme

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of the verse.

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From: ﴿Perish the hands of Abu Lahab, and perish he!﴾

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to where He says:

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﴿Around her neck is a rope of twisted palm fiber﴾,

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followed immediately by: ﴿Say, He is Allah, the One﴾.

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We find

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a clear rhyme similarity in the *fasilah*

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at the end of Surah al-Masad

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and the beginning of Surah al-Ikhlas.

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Likewise, the unvoweled *ba'* at the ends of verses in the early part

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of Surah

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al-Masad when stopping

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is phonetically close to the *dal*,

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both being among the letters of *Qalqalah* (echoing bounce), as is well known.

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This phonetic affinity, my brothers,

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and this contextual resonance,

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is not a mere coincidence.

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If we wish to understand the Qur'an, we must remember that it was revealed in a clear,

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lucid Arabic tongue,

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and the Arabic ear delights in—

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and indeed,

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this is human nature,

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I believe, but it is especially pronounced in the Arabic language—

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they delight in

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phonetic harmony and euphony.

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Thus, alongside the coherence in meaning, there is harmony in phrasing.

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For Surah

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al-Masad,

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along with

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its thematic continuity, as has been clarified,

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with Surah

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al-Ikhlas—

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or let us say, Surah al-Ikhlas,

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with its connection to Surah al-Masad preceding it—

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likewise resembles it in its end-rhymes,

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which enables a person

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to transition smoothly from one surah to the next

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through

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words

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that settle deeply in the soul,

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please the ear,

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and captivate the mind,

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so that one may truly comprehend

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what is being recited to them.

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I ask Allah to grant success to me and to you in all that He loves and is pleased with. May Allah bless our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and all his Companions.

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All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds.