Surah Al-Ikhlas (112) in Arabic, transliteration and English
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
قُلْ هُوَ ٱللَّهُ أَحَدٌ ﴿١﴾
Transliteration: Qul huwal-laahu ahad
Meaning: Say, "He is Allah, [who is] One, (112:1)
ٱللَّهُ ٱلصَّمَدُ ﴿٢﴾
Transliteration: Allaahus-samad
Meaning: Allah, the Eternal Refuge. (112:2)
لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ ﴿٣﴾
Transliteration: Lam yalid wa lam yoolad
Meaning: He neither begets nor is born, (112:3)
وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُۥ كُفُوًا أَحَدٌۢ ﴿٤﴾
Transliteration: Wa lam yakul-lahoo kufuwan ahad
Meaning: Nor is there to Him any equivalent." (112:4)
What each verse means, in words a child understands
| Verse | What it tells us | A question to ask your child |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Say: He is Allah, the One. | There is only one God. Nobody shares His power. | "How many Gods are there?" |
| 2. Allah, the Eternal Refuge. | Everyone and everything needs Allah, and He needs nobody. We turn to Him for everything. | "Who do we ask when we need help?" |
| 3. He neither begets nor is born. | Allah has no children and no parents. He was not created. | "Did anyone make Allah?" |
| 4. Nor is there to Him any equivalent. | Nothing and nobody is like Allah. | "Is anything as great as Allah?" |
Keep explanations short and calm. Young children do not need long theology; they need a simple, true picture they can grow into: Allah is One, everyone needs Him, nobody made Him and nothing is like Him.
Virtues of Surah Al-Ikhlas (authentic sources)
- Equal to a third of the Quran. The Prophet ﷺ said that this surah is equal to one third of the Quran (Sahih al-Bukhari 5013; Sahih Muslim 811). Scholars explain this as being about its meaning and reward; it does not replace reading the rest of the Quran.
- Loving it is loved by Allah. A Companion who led prayers always finished his recitation with this surah because "it describes the Most Merciful". The Prophet ﷺ said: "Tell him that Allah loves him" (Sahih al-Bukhari 7375).
- Love of it leads to Paradise. When another man said he recited it in every rak'ah because he loved it, the Prophet ﷺ said: "Your love for it will admit you into Paradise" (Jami' at-Tirmidhi 2901, graded sahih; also mentioned by al-Bukhari).
- Bedtime protection. Every night the Prophet ﷺ recited Al-Ikhlas, Al-Falaq and An-Nas into his cupped hands and wiped over his body three times (Sahih al-Bukhari 5017). See the full routine on our 4 Quls page.
We only list narrations with clear references. You may see other claims online (for example about reciting it a set number of times for a house in Paradise); some of these have weaker chains, so ask a scholar before sharing them with children as certain.
Four pronunciation points to get right
- أَحَدٌ (ahad): the ح is the strong throat letter, not an English "h". When stopping, the final Daal gets a slight bounce (qalqalah).
- ٱلصَّمَدُ (as-samad): the Saad is heavy and full; avoid a thin English "s".
- يَلِدْ and يُولَدْ: the Daal with sukoon bounces lightly.
- يَكُن لَّهُۥ (yakul-lahoo): the Noon merges into the Laam with no nasal sound. This is the idgham rule of Noon Sakinah.
A 4-day plan to memorise Al-Ikhlas
| Day | What to do (5 to 10 minutes) |
|---|---|
| 1 | Listen to the audio three times. Learn verse 1 by repeating after you, phrase by phrase. |
| 2 | Revise verse 1, add verse 2. Talk about "who do we ask when we need help?" |
| 3 | Revise verses 1-2, add verse 3. |
| 4 | Add verse 4, then recite the whole surah at bedtime together. |
After that, keep it alive: recite it in Salah, at bedtime with Al-Falaq and An-Nas, and occasionally ask your child to explain one verse in their own words. Children who learn the meaning early tend to recite with more feeling.
What to learn next
Most children continue with Al-Falaq and An-Nas, then work backwards through Juz Amma. If you would like a patient teacher to check your child's pronunciation, see our Quran classes for kids or book a free trial.