The word kufuw is translated as equal. It comes from the root kāf fāʾ wāw/hamza which was used for ● A screen covering the rear of the house from the top to bottom ● Inverting or turning something over The central meaning is to overlap or fit something precisely to its measure like the screen covering the rear of the house from the top to bottom. When you cover something top to bottom, you basically invert or change its appearance because from the outside, it’s appearance is the same as of the cover that covers it. In doing so, you changed or inverted the way it looked.115 The word kufuw has been universally understood to mean an equal because the screen was perfectly equal in length to the rear of the house i.e, like for like; but this is not its whole meaning. Covering something top to bottom implies overshadowing it as well. It implies the ability to overpower and overshadow something. Therefore, kufuw does mean an equal, but its primary meaning also includes overshadowing and overpowering something.
But firstly, we need to look at the way this verse is structured which is quite complex. I will transcribe it below to show the structure in play. The standard way this sentence is to be said is: ولم يكن أحد كفوا له Wa lum yakun ahad kufuwan lahu But the ayah is structured as
ولم يكن له كفوا أحد
Wa lum yakun lahu kufuwan ahad Before anything else, ahad in this verse, is used in a negative context. We covered at the beginning that this is quite normal.
Now, you can see that the words lahu (to Him) and ahad are not in their standard places. Lahu is advanced while ahad is delayed to the end. This is because the central point of the surah is the oneness and singularity of Allah in all aspects. Lahu (to Him) is advanced as it is the most important and central point. Allah has no equal. Lahu emphasizes that. Therefore, it is brought first because most important things are given precedence. Al- Razi says:
The first question is: in eloquent Arabic, a non essential adverbial phrase is delayed, not placed first as Sibawayh writes in his book, then how come it is placed first in the most eloquent of all speeches? (the Qurʾān) The answer: it was structured specifically to negate any equal to Allah and the word that carries this essential meaning is the adverbial phrase (lahu) itself. The correct thing to do is to place the most important part of the speech first. For this reason, the adverbial phrase deserved to be placed first.116 What Sibawayh said only holds true for non essential adverbial phrases, not for those that are an essential part of the sentence or speech. Lahu (to Him) in this verse, is an essential part of speech as al- Alusi points out: لَمْ يَكُنْ . لَمْ يَكُنْ كُفُوًا أحَدٌ : إنَّ الظَّ رْفَ هُنا وإنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ خَيِّرًا مُبْطِلٌ سُقُوطُهُ مَعْنى الكَلامِ ؛ لِأنَّ كَ لَوْ قُلْتَ فَلَمّا احْ تِيجَ إلَيْهِ صارَ بِمَنزِلَةِ الخَبَرِ فَحَسُنَ ذَلِكَ ، لَهُ مَعْنًى
Had the adverbial phrase (lahu) in this verse not been there, the text would have no meaning because if you said “There is no equal - anyone”, it would be meaningless. Since it is an integral part of the sentence, it takes the role of a khabar (predicate) and thus, it is permissible to advance it.117 Hence, by advancing the adverbial phrase, Allah is emphasizing His oneness and singularity. A simple way to understand this emphasis is by means of these two sentences:
There is no equal to Him.
TO HIM, there is no equal The first sentence is just a normal statement of fact. The second sentence is emphatic. TO ALLAH, there is no equal. A better way to read this sentence is to raise your voice when you read “TO HIM” but say the rest of the sentence “there is no equal” in a normal tone. This captures the emphasis being placed.
Now, if you go back up, you will see that I translated this last verse as:
To Him, no equal is there.
Not as:
To Him, there is no equal Only a slight difference but I wanted to capture another aspect and meaning present inside the verse. The sentence “to Him, there is no equal” only covers one aspect. The word ahad is delayed beyond its standard place which creates another layer of emphasis. I tried to reflect this in English without having to resort to explaining complex Arabic structures.
If you want to emphasize the sentence ‘There is no equal to Allah’ onefold, you’d say
To Allah, there is no equal.
If you want to emphasize it twofold, you’d say
To Him, no equal is there!
With this explained, we will come back to the word kufuw which means an equal and an entity that can overshadow or overpower. The first verse describes Allah as ahad - the one and only. Then it describes Allah as al samad and states that being ahad necessarily entails that Allah is al samad by repeating the name of God instead of a conjunction or a pronoun. Then it stated that Allah does not beget, negating the existence of a parent child relationship for Allah which entails that Allah is not born either. These qualities are not found in anyone except Allah. Everything we know of, is not perfect, has a beginning in time, and an end. Since this is not the case with Allah, there is no equal to Allah. Everything besides Him lacks these attributes. Since Allah alone possesses these qualities, there is no one like Him; which takes us back full circle to the first verse - Allah is ahad. The first and the last verse of this Surah mean exactly the same thing. The fact that Allah is ahad means that there is no equal to Him. If there is an equal or an entity like Allah, Allah cannot be the one and only. This last verse of this surah, is just another way of stating that Allah is ahad. The two verses between the first and the last verse, prove that this is the case. It is as if the surah is saying
Allah is ahad because Allah is al- samad. Allah is al- samad because He did not beget nor is He born; and this all proves the first point that Allah is Ahad.
Now the question is if the intention was to say the same thing as the first verse, why not repeat it with the same wording? Why not simply repeat “Allah is ahad” rather than saying “To Him, no equal is there!”
This is because rephrasing it this way refutes any likeness to Allah in the attributes mentioned inside the Surah as well as with regards to attributes that are not mentioned inside it because the wording is more generic as Ibn Ashur points out:
This verse is a concluding statement to what came before in this surah because it is more generic and vast than them in its meaning. This is because the attributes mentioned previously, whether expressed explicitly, allusively or implicitly belong to no one other than Allah;
whereas this sentence conveys additionally the negation of any likeness to Him in matters beyond those attributes such as the attributes of action (creating, providing etc)118 Kufuw can also be in the meaning of overshadowing and overpowering. The first verse has already stated that Allah is one and only; which necessarily implies that He has no equal. After stating that Allah does not have any equal in His essence, attributes, and qualities; the only question that remains is if there is an entity that can strip Allah of some or all of His capabilities, powers or attributes. This verse negates the existence of any such entity. Allah is perfect, His attributes, qualities and powers reach the ultimate degree of perfection, and there is no one that can overshadow or overpower Him or any of His powers, capabilities or attributes. If Allah has decreed a matter, no power can overshadow or override His decree. If Allah has decided to do something, nothing can stop Him. Allah is all hearing, all seeing, all powerful, all loving, all just etc... and there is no power that can affect Him or any of His attributes in any way. It is perfect and constant perfection that cannot be affected in any shape or form, small or big, by anyone or anything. His will alone rules. Next, the sentences ‘He did not beget’, ‘Nor is He born’, and ‘To Him, No equal is there!’ are connected with each other with the conjunction waw. This is because that which is similar to Allah can only be a child or a parent, or a counterpart other than these two. Since these categories are distinct from each other yet fall under the same general heading, it became necessary to join them with the conjunction waw. The Surah started by calling Allah ahad. It now ends with the same word ahad, but now, ahad is used in a negative context and means anyone other than Allah. In the first verse, it used ahad in an affirmative context because of which it meant one and only. So first it uses Ahad in an affirmative context to describe the absolute singularity of Allah; then it uses it in a negative context to negate the existence of any equal to Allah.
The central point of this surah revolves around the word ahad. I explained above that this verse means the same thing as the first verse, but since its wording is more generic, it negates any likeness to Allah in attributes not mentioned inside this surah.
This also means that special emphasis has been placed on Allah being al- samad, not begetting and not being born. Why? Why are these attributes mentioned and highlighted specifically and not other attributes? Because these attributes form the bedrock of the correct creed regarding Allah. Once you understand these attributes of Allah, correct understanding of other attributes of Allah naturally follows. When you hear or read any attribute of Allah, you will now know that Allah is firstly ahad the one and only in that attribute. Secondly, because Allah is al- samad, He is perfect and flawless in that attribute. Then because Allah is neither born nor gives birth, Allah has always had and will always have that attribute, with no beginning or end. Then there is no one who can subjugate or overpower Allah or take away this attribute from Him.
Hence, you now have a complete understanding of the God of the Qurʾān and His attributes. The one and only in all His attributes, perfect in every way, with no beginning nor end; and no one who can equal or overpower Him. I ask you, is this better, or the trinity, paganism, or the Hebrew Bible with constant anthropomorphic descriptions of God? This is monotheism in its purest, unadulterated form that is recognized by sound human nature too. The innate human knowledge of good and bad, refuses to accept any notion of God, but the one presented in this surah.
Connection to the Surahs Before and After it We need to start from surah al- Kāfirūn which was a declaration of separation from all religions and supposed gods other than Allah. Once one does this, accepts Islam and rejects other religions, victory and help from Allah will come to him. Hence, the next surah is al- naṣr which describes the help and victory of Allah with the words “When God’s help and victory comes”
When this victory comes, what happens to the disbelievers? That is shown in the next surah - al-Masad - which presents Abu Lahab as a case study. Abu Lahab embodies enmity to Allah and His messenger ﷺ . Anyone who opposes Allah, His Messenger ﷺ and His religion, will suffer defeat and Abu Lahab is presented as an example of it. Then comes this surah - al- Ikhlās Victory has come and disbelievers have been defeated. What was the defining cause of victory? Why did the Muslims win and the disbelievers lose? Because they accepted Islam and rejected other religions in surah al- kāfirūn. Now this religion of the Muslims, that they accepted in surah al Kāfirūn, and which led to their victory in surah al-Naṣr, and to the defeat of the disbelievers in surah al-Masad, is defined in surah al-Ikhlās. Their religion is believing in the only true God, who is the one and only in all His attributes. Hence, al-Ikhlās represents the very core and essence of the Qurʾān.
The next two surahs, surah al-Falaq and surah al-Nās, are both prayers directed to Allah, seeking His protection from various forms of evil and harm. Their placement after Surah al-Ikhlās is deeply meaningful.
The name al-Samad in surah al-Ikhlās conveys that Allah is the One to whom all creation turns in need. He is accessible to His servants; we call upon Him, and He hears and responds to our prayers. It is therefore fitting that the Qurʾān concludes with two supplications directed to Him.
Surah al-Falaq begins by seeking Allah’s protection from the evil of all that He has created. It then highlights specific forms of evil that stand among the most dangerous and destructive dangers a person may face. Thus, its meaning is broad and comprehensive, while also drawing attention to certain especially harmful dangers.
Surah al-Nās focuses on an even greater threat: the devils who seek to distance people from the truth contained in surah al-Ikhlās. Through whispers, doubts, temptations, and false ideas, they try to turn people away from pure monotheism and sincere devotion to Allah mentioned in al-Ikhlās. Since the message of surah alIkhlās is the foundation of salvation, the devils strive to corrupt it. They wish to lead people astray so that they perish, just like Abu Lahab. Therefore, we seek Allah’s protection from their whispers and deception.
The Qurʾān began with a prayer in surah al-Fātihah: “Guide us the straight path.” Everything that follows in the Qurʾān is an answer to that prayer, culminating in the profound declaration of Allah’s oneness in surah al-Ikhlās. Once the truth has been made clear and guidance has been shown, the final step is to ask Allah to preserve us upon it.
Thus, after learning the essence of guidance in surah al-Ikhlās, we conclude by asking Allah to protect us from every force that seeks to pull us away from that guidance. We ask Him to guard us from external evils in surah al-Falaq and from the internal and spiritual danger of satanic whispers in Surah al-Nās
115 Al-Muʿjam al-Ishtiqāqī al-Muʾaṣṣal li-Alfāẓ al-Qurʾān al-Karīm, vol. 1, p. 1905 116 al-Rāzī, Mafātīḥ al-Ghayb, vol. 32, p. 184 117 al-Ālūsī, Rūḥ al-Maʿānī, vol. 29, p. 452 118 Ibn ʿĀshūr, al-Taḥrīr wa al-Tanwīr, vol. 30, p. 619
To Him, no equal is there!
The word kufuw is translated as equal. It comes from the root kāf fāʾ wāw/hamza which was used for ● A screen covering the rear of the house from the top to bottom ● Inverting or turning something over The central meaning is to overlap or fit something precisely to its measure like the screen covering the rear of the house from the top to bottom. When you cover something top to bottom, you basically invert or change its appearance because from the outside, it’s appearance is the same as of the cover that covers it. In doing so, you changed or inverted the way it looked.115 The word kufuw has been universally understood to mean an equal because the screen was perfectly equal in length to the rear of the house i.e, like for like; but this is not its whole meaning. Covering something top to bottom implies overshadowing it as well. It implies the ability to overpower and overshadow something. Therefore, kufuw does mean an equal, but its primary meaning also includes overshadowing and overpowering something.
But firstly, we need to look at the way this verse is structured which is quite complex. I will transcribe it below to show the structure in play. The standard way this sentence is to be said is: ولم يكن أحد كفوا له Wa lum yakun ahad kufuwan lahu But the ayah is structured as
ولم يكن له كفوا أحد
Wa lum yakun lahu kufuwan ahad Before anything else, ahad in this verse, is used in a negative context. We covered at the beginning that this is quite normal.
Now, you can see that the words lahu (to Him) and ahad are not in their standard places. Lahu is advanced while ahad is delayed to the end. This is because the central point of the surah is the oneness and singularity of Allah in all aspects. Lahu (to Him) is advanced as it is the most important and central point. Allah has no equal. Lahu emphasizes that. Therefore, it is brought first because most important things are given precedence. Al- Razi says:
سِيبَوَيْهِ
وقَدْ نَصَّ ، الكَلامُ العَرَبِيُّ الفَصِ يحُ أنْ يُؤَخَّ رَ الظَّرْفُ الَّذِي هو لَغْوٌ غَيْرُ مُسْ تَقِرٍّ ولا يُقَدَّ مَ : السُّ ؤالُ الأوَّ لُ
هَذا الكَلامُ إنَّ ما سِيقَ لِنَفْ يِ المُكافَأةِ عَنْ : فَما بالُهُ ورَدَ مُقَدَّ مًا في أفْصَ حِ الكَلامِ ؟ والجَوابُ ، عَلى ذَلِكَ في كِتابِهِ فَلِهَذا السَّبَبِ كانَ هَذا ، وتَقْدِيمُ الأهَمِّ أوْلى ، واللَّ فْظُ الدّالُّ عَلى هَذا المَعْنى هو هَذا الظَّرْفُ ، ذاتِ اللَّهِ الظَّرْفُ مُسْ تَحِ قًّا لِتَّ قْدِيمِ .
The first question is: in eloquent Arabic, a non essential adverbial phrase is delayed, not placed first as Sibawayh writes in his book, then how come it is placed first in the most eloquent of all speeches? (the Qurʾān) The answer: it was structured specifically to negate any equal to Allah and the word that carries this essential meaning is the adverbial phrase (lahu) itself. The correct thing to do is to place the most important part of the speech first. For this reason, the adverbial phrase deserved to be placed first.116 What Sibawayh said only holds true for non essential adverbial phrases, not for those that are an essential part of the sentence or speech. Lahu (to Him) in this verse, is an essential part of speech as al- Alusi points out: لَمْ يَكُنْ . لَمْ يَكُنْ كُفُوًا أحَدٌ : إنَّ الظَّ رْفَ هُنا وإنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ خَيِّرًا مُبْطِلٌ سُقُوطُهُ مَعْنى الكَلامِ ؛ لِأنَّ كَ لَوْ قُلْتَ فَلَمّا احْ تِيجَ إلَيْهِ صارَ بِمَنزِلَةِ الخَبَرِ فَحَسُنَ ذَلِكَ ، لَهُ مَعْنًى
Had the adverbial phrase (lahu) in this verse not been there, the text would have no meaning because if you said “There is no equal - anyone”, it would be meaningless. Since it is an integral part of the sentence, it takes the role of a khabar (predicate) and thus, it is permissible to advance it.117 Hence, by advancing the adverbial phrase, Allah is emphasizing His oneness and singularity. A simple way to understand this emphasis is by means of these two sentences:
There is no equal to Him.
TO HIM, there is no equal The first sentence is just a normal statement of fact. The second sentence is emphatic. TO ALLAH, there is no equal. A better way to read this sentence is to raise your voice when you read “TO HIM” but say the rest of the sentence “there is no equal” in a normal tone. This captures the emphasis being placed.
Now, if you go back up, you will see that I translated this last verse as:
To Him, no equal is there.
Not as:
To Him, there is no equal Only a slight difference but I wanted to capture another aspect and meaning present inside the verse. The sentence “to Him, there is no equal” only covers one aspect. The word ahad is delayed beyond its standard place which creates another layer of emphasis. I tried to reflect this in English without having to resort to explaining complex Arabic structures.
If you want to emphasize the sentence ‘There is no equal to Allah’ onefold, you’d say
To Allah, there is no equal.
If you want to emphasize it twofold, you’d say
To Him, no equal is there!
With this explained, we will come back to the word kufuw which means an equal and an entity that can overshadow or overpower. The first verse describes Allah as ahad - the one and only. Then it describes Allah as al samad and states that being ahad necessarily entails that Allah is al samad by repeating the name of God instead of a conjunction or a pronoun. Then it stated that Allah does not beget, negating the existence of a parent child relationship for Allah which entails that Allah is not born either. These qualities are not found in anyone except Allah. Everything we know of, is not perfect, has a beginning in time, and an end. Since this is not the case with Allah, there is no equal to Allah. Everything besides Him lacks these attributes. Since Allah alone possesses these qualities, there is no one like Him; which takes us back full circle to the first verse - Allah is ahad. The first and the last verse of this Surah mean exactly the same thing. The fact that Allah is ahad means that there is no equal to Him. If there is an equal or an entity like Allah, Allah cannot be the one and only. This last verse of this surah, is just another way of stating that Allah is ahad. The two verses between the first and the last verse, prove that this is the case. It is as if the surah is saying
Allah is ahad because Allah is al- samad. Allah is al- samad because He did not beget nor is He born; and this all proves the first point that Allah is Ahad.
Now the question is if the intention was to say the same thing as the first verse, why not repeat it with the same wording? Why not simply repeat “Allah is ahad” rather than saying “To Him, no equal is there!”
This is because rephrasing it this way refutes any likeness to Allah in the attributes mentioned inside the Surah as well as with regards to attributes that are not mentioned inside it because the wording is more generic as Ibn Ashur points out:
في مَعْنى التَّ ذْ لِيلِ لِلْ جُمَلِ الَّ تِي قَبْلَها لِأنَّ ها أعَمُّ مِن مَضْ مُونِها؛ لِأنَّ تِلْكَ الصِّ فاتِ المُتَقَدِّمَةَ صَرِيحَها وكِنايَتَها وضِ مْنِيَّ ها مَعَ إفادَةِ هَذِهِ انْتِفاءَ شَبِيهٍ لَهُ فِيما عَداها مِثْلَ صِفاتِ الأفْعالِ ، لا يُشْ بِهُهُ فِيها غَيْرُهُ
This verse is a concluding statement to what came before in this surah because it is more generic and vast than them in its meaning. This is because the attributes mentioned previously, whether expressed explicitly, allusively or implicitly belong to no one other than Allah;
whereas this sentence conveys additionally the negation of any likeness to Him in matters beyond those attributes such as the attributes of action (creating, providing etc)118 Kufuw can also be in the meaning of overshadowing and overpowering. The first verse has already stated that Allah is one and only; which necessarily implies that He has no equal. After stating that Allah does not have any equal in His essence, attributes, and qualities; the only question that remains is if there is an entity that can strip Allah of some or all of His capabilities, powers or attributes. This verse negates the existence of any such entity. Allah is perfect, His attributes, qualities and powers reach the ultimate degree of perfection, and there is no one that can overshadow or overpower Him or any of His powers, capabilities or attributes. If Allah has decreed a matter, no power can overshadow or override His decree. If Allah has decided to do something, nothing can stop Him. Allah is all hearing, all seeing, all powerful, all loving, all just etc... and there is no power that can affect Him or any of His attributes in any way. It is perfect and constant perfection that cannot be affected in any shape or form, small or big, by anyone or anything. His will alone rules. Next, the sentences ‘He did not beget’, ‘Nor is He born’, and ‘To Him, No equal is there!’ are connected with each other with the conjunction waw. This is because that which is similar to Allah can only be a child or a parent, or a counterpart other than these two. Since these categories are distinct from each other yet fall under the same general heading, it became necessary to join them with the conjunction waw. The Surah started by calling Allah ahad. It now ends with the same word ahad, but now, ahad is used in a negative context and means anyone other than Allah. In the first verse, it used ahad in an affirmative context because of which it meant one and only. So first it uses Ahad in an affirmative context to describe the absolute singularity of Allah; then it uses it in a negative context to negate the existence of any equal to Allah.
The central point of this surah revolves around the word ahad. I explained above that this verse means the same thing as the first verse, but since its wording is more generic, it negates any likeness to Allah in attributes not mentioned inside this surah.
This also means that special emphasis has been placed on Allah being al- samad, not begetting and not being born. Why? Why are these attributes mentioned and highlighted specifically and not other attributes? Because these attributes form the bedrock of the correct creed regarding Allah. Once you understand these attributes of Allah, correct understanding of other attributes of Allah naturally follows. When you hear or read any attribute of Allah, you will now know that Allah is firstly ahad the one and only in that attribute. Secondly, because Allah is al- samad, He is perfect and flawless in that attribute. Then because Allah is neither born nor gives birth, Allah has always had and will always have that attribute, with no beginning or end. Then there is no one who can subjugate or overpower Allah or take away this attribute from Him.
Hence, you now have a complete understanding of the God of the Qurʾān and His attributes. The one and only in all His attributes, perfect in every way, with no beginning nor end; and no one who can equal or overpower Him. I ask you, is this better, or the trinity, paganism, or the Hebrew Bible with constant anthropomorphic descriptions of God? This is monotheism in its purest, unadulterated form that is recognized by sound human nature too. The innate human knowledge of good and bad, refuses to accept any notion of God, but the one presented in this surah.
Connection to the Surahs Before and After it We need to start from surah al- Kāfirūn which was a declaration of separation from all religions and supposed gods other than Allah. Once one does this, accepts Islam and rejects other religions, victory and help from Allah will come to him. Hence, the next surah is al- naṣr which describes the help and victory of Allah with the words “When God’s help and victory comes”
When this victory comes, what happens to the disbelievers? That is shown in the next surah - al-Masad - which presents Abu Lahab as a case study. Abu Lahab embodies enmity to Allah and His messenger ﷺ . Anyone who opposes Allah, His Messenger ﷺ and His religion, will suffer defeat and Abu Lahab is presented as an example of it. Then comes this surah - al- Ikhlās Victory has come and disbelievers have been defeated. What was the defining cause of victory? Why did the Muslims win and the disbelievers lose? Because they accepted Islam and rejected other religions in surah al- kāfirūn. Now this religion of the Muslims, that they accepted in surah al Kāfirūn, and which led to their victory in surah al-Naṣr, and to the defeat of the disbelievers in surah al-Masad, is defined in surah al-Ikhlās. Their religion is believing in the only true God, who is the one and only in all His attributes. Hence, al-Ikhlās represents the very core and essence of the Qurʾān.
The next two surahs, surah al-Falaq and surah al-Nās, are both prayers directed to Allah, seeking His protection from various forms of evil and harm. Their placement after Surah al-Ikhlās is deeply meaningful.
The name al-Samad in surah al-Ikhlās conveys that Allah is the One to whom all creation turns in need. He is accessible to His servants; we call upon Him, and He hears and responds to our prayers. It is therefore fitting that the Qurʾān concludes with two supplications directed to Him.
Surah al-Falaq begins by seeking Allah’s protection from the evil of all that He has created. It then highlights specific forms of evil that stand among the most dangerous and destructive dangers a person may face. Thus, its meaning is broad and comprehensive, while also drawing attention to certain especially harmful dangers.
Surah al-Nās focuses on an even greater threat: the devils who seek to distance people from the truth contained in surah al-Ikhlās. Through whispers, doubts, temptations, and false ideas, they try to turn people away from pure monotheism and sincere devotion to Allah mentioned in al-Ikhlās. Since the message of surah alIkhlās is the foundation of salvation, the devils strive to corrupt it. They wish to lead people astray so that they perish, just like Abu Lahab. Therefore, we seek Allah’s protection from their whispers and deception.
The Qurʾān began with a prayer in surah al-Fātihah: “Guide us the straight path.” Everything that follows in the Qurʾān is an answer to that prayer, culminating in the profound declaration of Allah’s oneness in surah al-Ikhlās. Once the truth has been made clear and guidance has been shown, the final step is to ask Allah to preserve us upon it.
Thus, after learning the essence of guidance in surah al-Ikhlās, we conclude by asking Allah to protect us from every force that seeks to pull us away from that guidance. We ask Him to guard us from external evils in surah al-Falaq and from the internal and spiritual danger of satanic whispers in Surah al-Nās
115 Al-Muʿjam al-Ishtiqāqī al-Muʾaṣṣal li-Alfāẓ al-Qurʾān al-Karīm, vol. 1, p. 1905
116 al-Rāzī, Mafātīḥ al-Ghayb, vol. 32, p. 184
117 al-Ālūsī, Rūḥ al-Maʿānī, vol. 29, p. 452
118 Ibn ʿĀshūr, al-Taḥrīr wa al-Tanwīr, vol. 30, p. 619