Surah Al Ikhlas

Surah Ikhlas actually deals with Tauhid, it helps us understand our Creator. Narrations are there, that this Surah was revealed when our Prophet Muhammad(pbuh) was asked regarding the attributes of our God. It actually mentions 4 attributes or characteristics of God:

1. Say, “He is Allah, [who is] One, (and only)
2. Allah, the Eternal Refuge (means He is independent of all and everyone and everything are dependent on Him)
3. He neither begets nor is He born, (means Neither He has an offspring nor is He the offspring of anyone – there’s no lineage)
4. Nor is there to Him any equivalent (means none is equal with Him in Rank)”

Surah Al Kafirun

Surah Kafirun actually protects us from Shirk. In order to understand this, we need to understand the pre-Quranic situation of Makkah. The Arabs of that time used to believe in Allah but they also worshipped idols / false Gods beside Allah SWT.

In Surah Az-Zukhruf Ayat 87 it has been said that: “If you ask them (means the pre-Islamic Arabs) who created them, they would surely respond, ‘Allah’.” 

Surah Al-`Ankabuut Ayat 61 mentions “If you would ask the Pagans, `Who created the heavens and earth and subjected the sun and the moon?’ They would surely respond: Allah

In Surah Al-Mu’minun: Ayat 84-89 it is mentioned that when they were asked “To whom belongs the earth and whoever dwells in it?’ Who is Lord of the seven heavens and Lord of the Great Throne?  They used to respond “[All belongs] to Allah.”

So, when they were asked, then why do you worship other false Gods beside Allah? They would respond, that they did so in order to get closer to Allah and take them as their intercessors. Even now, people are there, who consider themselves to be so sinful, that they feel ashamed to reach out to Allah, so they try to consider another Holy person, Idol, etc. to act their intercessors to Allah – which should not be case in accordance to Islam.

Surah Az Zumar Ayat 3 states, that those Pagans used to take protectors besides Allah mentioning, “We only worship them that they may bring us nearer to Allah in position.” Actually they were not guided.

Surah Yunus Ayat 18 mentions that they used to worship other than Allah saying, “These are our intercessors with Allah ” But Allah is Exalted and high above what they associate with Him.

So, Muhammad (pbuh) didn’t introduce them to a completely new God. They already considered Allah to be their Principal of all Gods. The only new message that he preached was, do not worship any other God beside Allah.

If anyone claims to worship Allah, but also raises any other entity to the level, that is considered as worship, this will result in committing the greatest crime in Islam, that is known as Shirk. With Surah Kafirun, a strong message is delivered that, if Shirk is done – the person is no longer considered to be worshiping Allah – even if he claims to worship Allah by His name. Allah SWT must be worshipped alone with utmost purity in Tauhid – that is oneness in Allah.

Taking all of these into consideration, with the help of the both of these Surahs, the concept of God becomes crystal clear to us and the importance of Tauhid and the danger of Shirk become apparent to us. Both of these Surahs together are called as Ikhlasayn, which brings about complete purity of faith.

Surah Al Falaq

This Surah protects us from any kind of Physical and Psychological harms that affects our life in this world. With this Surah we seek refuge in Allah SWT to protect us from all sort of worldly harms.

Surah An Nas

The meaning of the Surah centrally deals in seeking refuge in Allah to protect us from the whispers of the Shaitan. Such protection from the evil whisperings helps with spiritual protection. Spiritual harm primarily affects our hereafter and If we can save ourselves from spiritual harm we might end up protecting ourselves from the hellfire as well.

So, with the combination of both of these Surahs, which are combinedly called as the Mu’awwidhatayn, we are protected Physically, Psychologically as well as Spiritually and thus we are saved in this world and also in the hereafter.

How can we tie all these Surahs with Surah Al-Fatiha

This Surah starts with praising Allah SWT and then in the central part of the Surah we say we Worship you and we need your Help. What is that help? Right after this Ayat we make our Dua to Allah SWT to Guide us to the straight path. Allah’s Help and Guidance is the most crucial requirement to us. We can not live and protect ourselves without the Help of Allah. As we are given free will, so we need His Guidance – to act in the best way in this life. We also need right Guidance to save ourselves in the true justice of the Judgement day and also get the best in the hereafter. Now let’s see how this Surah centrally relates to four Qul Surahs.

• We need Guidance to correctly understand Tauhid and Ikhlaas
• We need Guidance to protect ourselves from Shirk
• We need Help to protect ourselves physically and psychologically in this life
• And Finally we need Guidance and Help to protect ourselves from the whispers of the Shaitan and any misguidance that might destroy our hereafter – so Surah Fatiha covers all of these issues.