Surah Al-Ikhlas (112)

As Salamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu


Surah Al-Ikhlas

In the Name of Allah the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful

1. Say: "He is Allah Almighty, (the) One.

2. Allahus-Samad (Allah - the Self-Sufficient Master, Whom all creatures need, He neither eats nor drinks).

3. He begets not, nor was He begotten.

4. And there is none co-equal or comparable to Him.

Its Name

It has many names, the most famous of which is Surah Al-Ikhlas because it speaks about the pure Tawhid of Allah Almighty, Who is free from all faults, and Who has no partner.

The Subject Matter of This Surah

It discusses the perfect Qualities of Allah, the Exalted, the One qualities that are eternal. He Almighty doesn't need anyone, but all turn to Him with their needs. Far above is He from having any faults and from anyone being similar to, or like Him. This chapter refutes the Christians, who believe in the trinity, and it refutes the polytheists, who believe that He Almighty has children - far, far is Allah Almighty above the evil they attribute to Him.

Its Relation To What is Before It

Surah Al-Kafirun frees one from having any ties with all forms of disbelief and Shirk, while this Surah establishes the opposite of Shirk and disbelief - Tawhid, for indeed Allah Almighty has all perfect qualities that are eternal in their perfection, while He Almighty is free from having a partner or one who is similar to Him. That is why these two Surahs are often recited together in prayer - such as the two units of (the Sunnah prayer for) Fajr and after Tawaf, the Sunnah prayer after Maghrib, the Istikharah prayer, and the traveller's prayer.

The Virtues of this Surah

There are many Ahadith that have been related mentioning the virtues of this Surah, some of which signify that when one recites it, his reward is equal to that for reciting one-third of the Qur'an. Muslim and At-Tirmidhi recorded that Abu Hurairah (Radhi Allahu Anhu), related that Allah's Messenger (Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam) said:

Gather together, for I will recite to you one-third of the Qur'an.

When some people gathered, the Prophet (Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam) came out to them and recited:

Say: "He is Allah, (the) One."

Then he entered, and the Companions said to one another, "The Messenger of Allah (Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam) said, 'I will recite to you one-third of the Qur'an?" Then the Prophet (Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam) came out and said:

Indeed, I said that I would recite one-third of the Qur'an to you; indeed, it is equal to one-third ofthe Qur'an.



In What Context Was This Surah Revealed

Imam Ahmad, At-Tirmidhi, and Ibn Jarir (At-Tabari) recorded that Ubai bin Ka'b said that the polytheists said to the Prophet (Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam), "0 Muhammad, tell us of your Lord's lineage." And Allah Almighty revealed:

Say: "He is Allah, (the) One. Allahus-Samad (Allah - the Self¬Sufficient Master, Whom all creatures need, He neither eats nor drinks). He begets not, nor was He begotten. And there is none coequal or comparable to Him."



The Meanings Of Its Words

Qul Huwallahu Ahad:
Say, (0 Muhammad, to the one who asks you about your Lord,) "He is Allah, the One."

Allahus-Samad: Allah is the only One Who deserves to be worshipped.

As-Samad:
The Self-Sufficient Master, Whom all creatures perpetually ask to have their needs fulfilled.

Lam Yalid:
He Almighty will never perish, for nothing is born except that it dies.

Wa Lam Yoolad:
There was never a time that He Almighty didn't exist and then was brought into being; rather, He Almighty always was and always will be.

Wa Lam Yakullahu Kufuwan Ahad:
There is none that is similar or equal to Him.

The Meaning in Summary

Allah Almighty orders us to say the following with certainty and conviction and understanding: "He is Allah, the One." For He Almighty alone is perfect; He Almighty has the Most Beautiful Names and the Most Perfect and Exalted Attributes, and His Actions are most divine - there is nothing similar or equal to Him. Everyone in the heavens and earth turns to Him Almighty to fulfill their needs, for they are most needy of Him. Indeed Allah Almighty is perfect and complete - His Knowledge is perfect and complete, His mercy is perfect and complete, and so are His other Qualities. From His perfection and completeness is that He begets not, nor was He begotten: He Almighty indeed doesn't need anyone. "And there is none equal or comparable to Him": Not in His Names, not in His Attributes, and not in His Actions, Exalted is He, Most High. This chapter deals with that category of Tawhid that relates to His Names and Attributes.

What Can Be Derived From These Verses

1. In this Surah, we learn about Allah Almighty by learning some of His Names and Attributes.

2. Tawhid and Prophethood are affirmed in this Surah.

3. It is from the greatest of falsehood to ascribe a child to Allah Almighty.

4. We must worship Allah Almighty alone, without associating any partner with Him, for He Almighty alone has the right to be worshipped by His creation.

Surah Ikhlas

Central Theme 
    This surah is among those surahs of the Qur’an the very name of which reveals its central theme. It is called Ikhlas which is precisely what the surah is all about. Ikhlas means to have faith in God's being and His attributes or in the essential requisites of His attributes in a way that eliminates any trace of associating others with Him. As far as accepting God is concerned, the world has always acknowledged the existence of a superior being. In fact, this acceptance must be regarded as a self-evident requirement of human nature. An equally stark reality is that Satan has always remained an eternal enemy of Tawhid (oneness of God). He has persisted in trying to deceive man in this matter by contaminating this concept such that believing Allah at times became tantamount to not believing Him. To illuminate the essentials of Tawhid, God sent forth a long series of Prophets. Unfortunately, time and again, man continued to squander this reality every time he acquired it. It was for the sake of Tawhid that the Prophet Abraham (sws) migrated from his people and established the abode of his children in a barren stretch of land -- where they could truly worship God and also remain shielded from the onslaughts of an idolatrous environment. Quite ironically, his own progeny gradually converted the centre of Tawhid (Ka‘bah) built by himself into a temple of idols, as is mentioned in the Qur’an. The prejudice of their self-carved idols became so intense that they vehemently argued with God and His last Prophet (sws) that until and unless the status of their idols is accepted, they would not acknowledge the rights of God. It was as a result of this outrageous attitude that the Prophet (sws) proclaimed his acquittal from them as is mentioned in Surah Kafirun.  
  
Period of Revelation 
    The proclamation of acquittal was solely meant for the Quraysh and the idolaters of Makkah. Various tribes of the People of the Book also existed in Arab. Although they were the recipients of holy books, Satan had inveigled them too into horrible forms of polytheism. They had considerable influence in Madinah and its whereabouts, and the Arabs had always openly acclaimed their superiority in religious affairs. 
    As long as the Prophet (sws) was in Makkah, their opposition remained clandestine, but it turned into open hostility after he migrated to Madinah. The People of the Book vainly reckoned that since they were the recipients of Holy Books, the Qur’an would definitely regard their beliefs and deeds as superior to those of the idolaters. But the Qur’an made it very clear to them that as far as their beliefs and deeds were concerned, they were a disgrace to mankind. The Christians, particularly, were impelled into open antagonism like the Jews by the criticism of the Qur’an on their forms of polytheism. A united opposition front was thereby created as the Jews, the Christians and the idolaters became allies against the Islamic forces. The situation called for a comprehensive explication of the meaning of Ikhlas that should completely eliminate any shred of polytheism, and as a result of which the People of the Book and the idolaters should have no doubt about the actual truth. It was in these circumstances that this surah was revealed in Madinah. Although a group of scholars believes that its revelation took place in Makkah, the comprehensive nature of the surah, as will be explained later, testifies that it was revealed in Madinah, when the enmity of the people of the Book, especially, the Christians had become evident. 
  
Placement in the Qur’an 
    This surah is placed after Surah Lahab. This is an indication of the fact that after the destruction of the biggest foe of Islam (as depicted in Surah Lahab), time is ripe for the proclamation of the essence of Tawhid once again in this land, for which Abraham (sws) had built the House of God. Hence, in this surah, the basic Islamic teaching of Tawhid is forcefully asserted. Prior to Surah Lahab, the glad tidings of the victory of the Islamic forces are already given in Surah Nasr. 
    The Prophet's struggle against his enemies, as we all very well know, had nothing to do with worldly gains; rather it had the purpose before it of establishing the Kingdom of God in the pagan Arabian society, and in banishing all forms of polytheism from there . Consequently, every aspect of Tawhid is highlighted in this surah. The Qur’an actually ends with it because the last pair of surahs which succeed it are in fact more like two sentinels guarding this treasure of Tawhid from Satan’s tampering.  
     
Relation to the Overall Arrangement 
    The overall arrangement of the Qur’an is such that the beginning and the end are very similar. The end of the Qur’an converges to the topic with which it commences -- Tawhid and Ikhlas. Surah Fatihah and Surah Ikhlas, the beginning and the end of the Qur’an distinctly bring out the reality that the concept of Tawhid encompasses all our beliefs. It is mentioned in Surah Fatihah that God is the sole Cherisher and Sustainer of the worlds and Master of the Day of Judgement, and as such we all must always express our gratitude to Him. Here, in this surah, the attributes that wipe out any trace of polytheism are explained positively as well as negatively, which actually forms the basis of the study of Tawhid. Moreover, it should also be kept in mind that the surahs which constitute this last group are fundamental to the study of Islam.  
  
Meaning 
    Say: That God, is alone. He is with every one. He is neither anyone’s father nor anyone’s son; and there is none like Him. 
  
Explanation 
Say: That God is alone.  (1) 
    The word qul is a command that means "to proclaim", "to declare", "to openly announce something" so that every person becomes fully aware of it and there remains no ambiguity about it, leaving no room for further arguments. The word is used in this very sense in the opening verse of Surah Kafirun as well. 
    The need for such a declaration only arises when after a long period of dialogue and debate, it becomes clear that the truth has been fully disclosed, and people are now indulging in debate only to prolong and complicate matters. In such cases, it is better to say whatever one has to in a stern and decisive manner so that the addressees become aware that everything about the subject has been said; no more time will now be wasted upon the issue and it is equally unlikely that any change in stance shall occur. 
    The word huwa in the opinion of this writer is the pronoun of the fact (Damir al-Sh`an), which is used when the implied meaning or situation is so clearly understood between the speaker and to whom it is addressed that the mind instinctively jumps to it. 
    After the advent of Islam, the concepts of God's being and His attributes were hot subjects of debate. Such was the dominance of these issues that the other Islamic beliefs of Prophethood and Life in the Hereafter were only partially discussed. The question of Tawhid was the most important. The Quraysh had made it their own as well as their forefathers' point of prestige and were in no way willing to bear the defamation of their deities or of their forefathers' who had worshiped them. The Qur’an in many places has cited instances when they would fume with rage and would get ready to pounce upon the preachers of this concept whenever the concept of Tawhid was brought up in front of them. On the one hand, was this vanity and ego of the Quraysh and on the other was the resoluteness of the Qur’an and the Prophet (sws) that there shall be no compromise whatsoever between monotheism and polytheism. 
    As long as this debate continued with the Quraysh, no confusion arose about God's being or His attributes. They had adopted idolatry because it was their ancestral religion. They did not indulge in the `holy' art of fabricating excessively needless distinctions in reasoning to support their beliefs, simply because they were illiterate. In Madinah, however, as soon as the people of the Book became involved in this debate, a new dimension was added to the affair. In spite of being the recipients of Holy Books, they had become incriminated with outrageous forms of polytheism. The only difference was that they had invented a set system to support their beliefs. In this regard, the weird Christian mythology, in particular, was a fantastic production, unrivalled as far as the complications and confusions it had created. The Qur’an challenged all of them and exposed their heresies upon them. Some among them accepted faith while others who did not were intellectually defeated by the Qur’an to the extent that the Arabs were no longer overawed by their religious superiority. 
    The new situation called for the revelation of a surah that would root out all traces of polytheism of both the idolaters and the People of the Book, and would also put a complete halt to Satan's incursions in the concept of Tawhid. Needless to say that it had to be both concise and comprehensive to enable everyone to learn and memorize its contents. As a result, this surah comprising four very short verses was revealed. The profound meanings it encompasses prompted many scholars to regard it as being a third of the Qur’an. A little contemplation shows that there is no exaggeration in this fact. The message of the Qur’an can be divided into three distinct topics: Tawhid (Monotheism), Risalat (Prophethood) and Ma‘ad (The Hereafter) -- which means that Tawhid occupies one third of the Qur’anic content that is scattered in various surahs. Its core is epitomized in this comprehensive surah. In other words, the gist of the Qur’anic arguments by which it refutes polytheism is concisely stated here. 
    One thing that should be kept in mind is that this surah was not necessarily revealed because someone had inquired from the Prophet (sws) about the attributes of God; but as is indicated earlier, the very circumstances in which the question of Tawhid had become a burning topic were enough to cause its revelation. Huwallah means `the God about whom you are debating and arguing has these attributes; hear them from me …', after which these attributes are stated. Suffice it to say that to reform heretical beliefs, only a correct knowledge of these attributes is all that is required after which the path to the appreciation of other attributes of God is opened. 
    The word Allah is a noun used for the personal name of God, and the idolaters of Arabia always regarded it so. The Qur’an ascribes all virtuous and gracious attributes of God to this noun. The verse says that God is Ahad. Linguists clearly differentiate between Ahad and Wahid. Ahad means someone in whose being none can be associated, and Wahid means someone in whose attributes none can be associated. Probably this is the reason why the word Ahad has never been used as an attribute other than that of God. This attribute also necessitates that He have no kin or relations, and at the same time it warrants that He be unique and peerless in every sense. It also follows from this that God is uncreated and has always existed, and that everything else has been created and brought into existence. Naturally, someone who is foremost out of His own accord should always exist because if at one time He never was, then it cannot be said of Him that He always existed. Summing up the discussion, two things must necessarily be accepted: Firstly, God has always existed, and secondly, everything except Him is His creation. These are the two necessary outcomes of His uniqueness and to deny both of these would be against sense and reason. 
  
He is with everyone.  (2) 
    By the word Samad is actually meant a large rock behind which refuge is sought from an enemy attack. It is because of this root meaning that it is also used for the leader of a nation, who is a resort and a refuge for his people. In many holy scriptures, particularly in the Psalms of David, God has been called a rock, and has also been addressed as the rock of help<sup>*</sup>. 
    The attribute Samad is mentioned after Ahad to explain and qualify the meanings of Ahad, just as the attribute Hamid (worthy of all praise) is always mentioned immediately after the attribute, Ghani (free of all needs) in the Qur’an. The attribute, Ghani might create a misconception that since God is free of all needs and is above His creation, no relationship can be established with Him. This may cause people to worship other deities as a means to obtain His nearness. The attribute Hamid is stated immediately afterwards for the reason that this misconception should not even originate. It clarifies that though He does not need any one and is above and beyond His creation, yet He is the fountainhead of all praises and thanksgivings. As such everyone should turn to Him and directly seek Him, and never turn to others in despair. 
    Owing to exactly the same reasons, the attribute Samad here is mentioned immediately after the attribute Ahad. It serves to caution and prod someone who might become overwhelmed with the concept of God's uniqueness and aloofness from all, and regard Him as a detached and an unconcerned Creator. This might subsequently lead him to worship other beings as a means to procure His nearness. This can never happen if the implications of Samad are properly understood. There is no doubt that God is free of all needs and above and beyond His creation, yet at the same time He provides and sustains them, hears and answers their calls of distress and fulfils their physical and spiritual needs. He is a rock behind which refuge can be sought -- a haven and sanctuary for all. 
    It would be appropriate to mention here the cause which has so often led a people astray as regards its religious beliefs and opened for them the way to polytheism. This has been invariably due to the fact that they did not maintain a balance between certain complementary pairs of attributes of God. An acute bias towards one of them often made them to completely overlook the qualifications and stipulations warranted by its counterpart. The Jews and the Christians, in particular, can be cited as examples in this regard. 
     
He is neither anyone’s father nor anyone’s son.  (3) 
    The word Ahad also implies this meaning as pointed out before. Matters which may cause gross misconceptions are stressed more than once in the Qur’an in various styles so that the true concept becomes so evident that no one may have an excuse to deny it. So, the whole issue is restated here in this verse in another way. We must bear in mind that the Arabs also had a mythology of their own which was very similar in detail to the Greek and Hindu mythologies. The idolaters regarded the angels to be the daughters of God. Although the Jews were the recipients of Torah, yet they regarded ‘Uzayr as the son of God. The Christians had established the Trinity of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. Their prejudice for Trinity took them so far that at one time their priests, at whose hands people accepted Christianity, made their converts curse the God whose attributes are spelled out in this surah. Indeed, the anger and the venom they had for this surah was because the concept of Tawhid expressed in it had made a direct hit upon their beliefs. Considering it, God could be regarded neither as a father nor a son, nor could anyone be regarded as His mother. 
    Historically, the Qur’an was the first to kindle the light of Tawhid in this world in such a profound manner. This fact is now being acknowledged even by people who at one time were confined in the shackles of national and religious prejudices, and were in no way willing to come out and face the reality. The Christians, who once cursed the God whose attributes are mentioned in this surah, have now people among them who openly acclaim that the Qur’an was the foremost in enlightening the world with the true concept of Tawhid in such a profound manner. 
    
And there is none like Him.  (4) 
    "Kufuwun" means `equal, like, peer, match, similar'. This verse means that Allah has no parallel or equal. He is the Creator and all other things are His creation. Everyone has needs while He has none. All need Him while He needs none. Everyone is mortal while He is the only immortal. 
  
Summary 
    Summing up, the message of the surah lies in the concept of Tawhid it brings out by mention of certain complementary pairs of attributes of God. The essence of which is that God has always existed and shall always exist; He was when there was nothing and shall remain when everything ceases to be; He is complete and entire in His being and is above all needs; everyone needs Him while He needs none; He is a refuge for all and on Him everyone depends; He brings everything into existence, and by His orders everything is destroyed; He is father to none nor has He a father; He is the Creator and the Cherisher of all and fashions and sustains everything; nothing is from His substance and being; He has no peer or equal and indeed all are His servants and slaves. 

Benefits of Praying Surah Ikhlas (Qul hu wal lahu ahad)

The benefits of praying Surah Ikhlas are that, one recitation of this short Surah is equal to one third of the quran, so to recite the surah 3 times is like having recited the Quran once in its entirety!

Recited 100 times, 25 years of sins are forgiven, constant recitation of this Surah will help keep the heart sincere inshallah, and Allah will also increase ur Rizq, to gain abundant wealth inshAllah.

Best to pray Durood Shareef  11 times, or any number of witr (odd number) (salawat) before and after any dhikr or dua / recitation of the Quran, as Durood Shareef is a dua guranteed to be granted inshAllah, and Allah through mercy will inshallah accept the dua made in between the recitations of the Durood Shareef. Inshallah.

Surat Al-'Ikhlāş (The Sincerity) - سورة الإخلاص

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

112:1

Sahih International

Say, "He is Allah , [who is] One,

112:2

Sahih International

Allah , the Eternal Refuge.

112:3

Sahih International

He neither begets nor is born,

112:4

Sahih International

Nor is there to Him any equivalent."

Qur'anic Treasures Hidden in Surah Ikhlas (Purity) (Holy Qur'an 112:1-4)

Surah Fatiha (The Opening Chapter) of the Holy Qur'an is the important Surah of the Holy Qur'an and no Muslim prayer is complete without it. It is therefore the most repeated Surah of the Holy Qur'an. After the Surah Fatiha, Surah Ikhlas is the most important and most often repeated Surah of the Holy Qur'an. The importance of this Surah has been described in the following hadith of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)¹:

"He (Abud Darda) reported God's messenger as saying, "Is any of you capable of reciting a third of the Qur'an in a night?" On being asked how they could recite a third of the Qur'an he replied, " 'Say, He is God, One' is equivalent to a third of the Qur'an." Muslim transmitted it, and Bukhari transmitted it from Abu Sa'id."

The translation² of Surah Ikhlas (Holy Qur'an 112:1-4) is:

Say: He is Allah, the One and Only! Allah, the Eternal, Absolute; He begetteth not nor is He begotten. And there is none like unto Him.

Surah Ikhlas is a very important Surah from the Holy Qur'an because it proclaims the Oneness (Tawhid) and Absolute nature of Divine Essence. This concept is presented in the first ayat. The second ayat declares that Allah is Eternal, i.e., He is beyond the bounds of time and space. The third ayat describes that Allah does not give birth nor is He is given birth and the last ayat declares that Allah is beyond comparison. Surah Ikhlas directly supports the first declaration (shahadah) of Islam: "There is no god but Allah". In this context, Islam is based on belief in one God (monotheism).
In his memoirs, Imam Sultan Muhammad Shah, also known as Aga Khan III, has defined the principle of Islam as follows³:

"Once man has thus comprehended the essence of existence there remains for him the duty, since he knows the value of his own soul, of making for himself a direct path which will constantly lead his individual soul to and bind it with the universal Soul of which the Universe, as much of it we perceive with our limited vision, is one of the infinite manifestations. Thus Islam's basic principle can only be defined as monorealism and not as monotheism."

This insight into Islam's basic principle sheds a new light into the interpretation of Surah Ikhlas. In the first ayat, Allah commands the Holy Prophet to declare that Allah is One. From the above quotation, the Islamic principle of Oneness is not limited to the the declaration that there is but one God but extends to all realities. In other words, all realities merge into One Reality. This absolute reality is called Monoreality. Therefore, Allah is Monoreal.
The second ayat declares that the Monoreal is Eternal. This means that the Monoreal is above time and space because, in human terms, time is related to the movement of stars and planets. This implies that the Monoreal is not affected by the past, present and future.
The third ayat declares that the Monoreal does not give birth or take birth because it is Eternal and the only reality. The Monoreal is immortal and it does not need to give birth or take birth.
The last ayat declares that there is none equal to the Monoreal because the Monoreal is unique. Human beings live in the world of duality where each object or concept has an opposite. Some examples of duality are good and evil, male and female, small and large, and so on. In contrast to this, the Monoreal is absolutely unique because it consists of all realities and there is nothing left except Itself. Therefore, the Monoreal is beyond comparison.
Surah Ikhlas is a short surah with a powerful message. The Holy Prophet has encouraged Muslims to recite this surah to purify their faith. In addition to this, recitation of this prayer for an extended period results in the forgiveness of sins according to the following hadith⁴:

"Anas reported the Prophet saying, "if anyone recites two hundred times daily, 'Say, He is God, One', the sins of fifty years will be wiped out, unless he is in debt." Tirmidhi and Darimi transmitted it. The latter's version has "fifty times" and he did not mention "unless he is in debt."

Let us now recite this prayer with humility, courage and conviction.

Transliteration	English Translation
A'uzu billahi minashaitanir rajim	I seek refuge in Allah from the outcast Satan
Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim	In the name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful
Qul Hu-walaahu 'Ahad	Say: He is Allah, the Monoreal!
'Allahus-Samad;	Allah (the Monoreal) is Eternal.
Lam yalid, wa lam yuulad;	The Monoreal does not take or give birth.
Walam yakul-la-Huu kufuwan 'ahad.	And there is none comparable to the Monoreal.

surah al-Ikhlâs - The Purity

  In the name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

  Say: He is Allah, the One and Only!
   Allah, the Eternal, Absolute;
  He begetteth not nor is He begotten.
  And there is none like unto Him.
                          
                                 -  translation by Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Al-Ikhlâs is sûrah (chapter) 112 of the Qur'ân, and is said to be one of the earliest revelations that the Prophet Muhammad received from archangel Gabriel.
The Arabic root of the word ikhlâs is kh-l-s which means to be purified, refined, or to express loyal. The very concept of refining and purifying signifies the burning away of all impurities, leaving nothing but the very essence of that which was sought, Allah, the ultimate recipient of our utmost loyalty and sincerity.
Such a purification is the burning away of all of the worldly misunderstandings, concerns and desires that separate us from the One; the One and Only upon whom we depend, the One and Only who is our foundation rock, the Eternal One and Only.
As a further testimony to the unity of the One who has created all of mankind, note the striking similarity in the Bhagavad-Gita written in India a thousand years earlier:

You are the One Creator of all the worlds,
and of that which moves and that which does not move,
You alone are fit for worship, You are the highest Teacher,
In all the worlds there is none equal to You.
                              
                                 - Bhagavad-Gita 11:43
 

A deeper look into al-Ikhlâs:
 
The following is al-Ikhlâs, line-by-line in Arabic, followed by a simple transliteration, and four well-known English translations.
(Pronunciation guide: i as in sit, a as in bat, u as in put,  â as the a in father, î as the ee in reel, û as the oo in moot.)

bismillâh ir-rahmân ir-rahîm

Yusuf Ali:  In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
Pickthall:  In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.
Shakir:  In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.
Muhammed Ali:  In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.

Qul huwa Allâhu ahad 
Yusuf Ali: Say: He is Allah, the One and Only;
Pickthal:  Say: He is Allah, the One!
Shakir: Say: He, Allah, is One. Muhammed Ali: Say: He, Allah, is One.

Allâh s-samad 
Yusuf Ali: Allah, the Eternal, Absolute;
Pickthal: Allah, the eternally Besought of all!
Shakir: Allah is He on Whom all depend. Muhammed Ali: Allah is He on whom all depend.

Lam yalid wa lam yûlad
Yusuf Ali: He begetteth not, nor is He begotten;
Pickthal: He begetteth not nor was begotten.
Shakir: He begets not, nor is He begotten. Muhammed Ali: He begets not, nor is He begotten;

wa lam yakul-la-hû kufu-wan ahad
Yusuf Ali: And there is none like unto Him.
Pickthal: And there is none comparable unto Him.
Shakir: And none is like Him. Muhammed Ali: And none is like Him.

Going even deeper into al-Ikhlâs:

No simple literal translation can capture the magnificence or the delicate nuances of these Arabic verses. Every word has multiple levels of meaning, and each line brings new insights and inspirations with every reading. To begin to discover the deeper meanings of these verses, let's look at the deeper meanings of the words, line by line:
(Pronunciation guide: i as in sit, a as in bat, u as in put,  â as the a in father, î as the ee in reel, û as the oo in moot. ) 

Qul huwa Allâhu ahad 

qul =  say, teach, tell
    root q-w-l ... to speak, say, inspire, point out, tell, relate, teach, assert
huwa =   he
    pronoun, 3rd person, masc, nominative
Allahu =  Allah
    the u at the end indicates that Allah is the subject
ahad =   the one, the only one, one without any partner, one without a second

Allâh s-samad 

Allah =  Allah
s-samad = eternal, absolute, one whom all need, one who is the foundation of all, solid, independent

Lam yalid wa lam yûlad        

lam =  (particle) did not, was not
yalid =  give birth to, generate, produce, sire, beget
  ya is an imperfect prefix, the root is w-l-d  
wa =  and, and also
lam = (particle) not, did not, was not
yulad =  birthed, born, generated, produced, sired, begotten
  yu is imperfect prefix, the root is w-l-d

wa lam yaku llahû kufuwan ahad

wa =  and, and also
lam = (particle) was not, did not
yaku(n) = is, was
    ya is an imperfect prefix, root k-w-n, ( note: the n is not pronounced in this phrase)
llahu = unto Him, with Him
kufuwan = equal, like, comparable, matching, corresponding
    root k-f- ' meaning to be comparable, like, similar to
ahad =   the One, the only One, the One without any partner, the One without a second

Interpretation:
Armed with these definitions and your own inner guidance, you can create your own poetic rendering of al-Ikhlâs... just go through al-Ikhlâs word-by-word, inserting the definition of each word that seems to speak to you. For example, here is a poetic rendering that I enjoy:

For the glory of Allah, the Merciful One Who is endlessly Beneficent, and Who Graciously rewards those who live in Divine harmony,

 1)  (Muhammad,) teach them: He, Allah, is the Only One;
 2)  Allah is the Eternal One upon Whom all depend
 3)  He Who creates without a partner, and Who was not created
 4)  and there is none comparable to the One.
                          - a rendering by wahiduddin

Recitation:
Click this link to hear al-Ikhlas recited by the renowned Saudi qari Shaykh Saad al-Ghamdi.

Hadith relating to the importance of al-Ikhlâs:

According to al-Bukhari, Abu Sa`id narrated that the Messenger of Allah said to his Companions:

Is one of you not able to recite a third of the Qur'an in a single night?

This was something that was difficult for them and they said, "Which of us is able to do that, O Messenger of Allah?''

To which he replied,

Allah al-Wahid as-Samad is a third of the Qur'an.