Reason of revelation of Surah Al-Ikhlaas

22-2-2010 | IslamWeb

Question:

Salaamu Alaykum, Shiekh, I was watching an Question & Answer session on T.v. conducted by Dr.Zakir Naik where he said that : "A Christian man came to Prophet (Peace and blessings be upon him) and said what is ALLAH (Almighty)? The Prophet (Peace and blessings be upon him) was quiet for some moment and then Jibreel (As) ascended with revelation concerning that particular matter and that was Surah-Al-Ikhlas." I want to know that whether this incident can be found in Hadith? Jazaak ALLAHu Khairun.

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Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His Slave and Messenger.

 

Perhaps the speaker meant what happened between the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, and the polytheists. It was narrated on the authority of Ubayy ibn Ka’b that the polytheists said to the Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, "Tell us the lineage of your Lord." In response, Allaah The Almighty revealed (what means): {Say, "He Is Allaah, [Who Is] One, Allaah, the Eternal Refuge. He neither Begets nor Is Born. Nor is there to Him any equivalent.}[Quran 112:1-4][Ahmad and At-Tirmithi]

This Hadeeth shows that there is an origin for the story, but the polytheists, not a Christian man, were the ones who asked the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. This is supported by the fact that Surah Al-Ikhlaas is a Makkan Surah which was revealed before Hijrah, and that the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, first met the People of the Book in Madeenah.

Allaah Knows best.