His perfection, and denies that He has any partner whatsoever. These principles encompass affirming Allah’s oneness in knowledge and belief (1), which sets those who uphold it apart from all sects of misguidance and shirk.
For this reason, this surah is equivalent to one-third of the Quran. The Quran consists of informative and prescriptive discourse. Prescriptive discourse comprises three categories: commands, prohibitions, and permissions. Informative discourse is of two kinds: information about the Creator Most High, His names, attributes, and rulings; and information about His creation. Surah al-Ikhlās is devoted exclusively to information about Him, His names, and His attributes; hence it is equivalent to one-third of the Quran. It frees those who recite it and believe in it from shirk in matters of knowledge, just as the surah beginning “Say: O disbelievers” frees them from shirk in action, will, and intention. Since knowledge precedes action, leading, guiding, and driving it, judging it and assigning it its proper place, the surah beginning “Say: He is Allah, the One” is equivalent to one-third of the Quran. The hadiths concerning this almost reach the level of mass transmission.
The surah beginning “Say: O disbelievers” is equivalent to one-quarter of the Quran. The hadith concerning this appears in al-Tirmidhī (2), narrated by Ibn ‘Abbās and attributed to the Prophet: “‘When the earth is shaken’ is equivalent to half the Quran; ‘Say: He is Allah, the One’ is equivalent to one-third of the Quran; and ‘Say: O disbelievers’ is equivalent to one-quarter of the Quran.” Al-Hākim also narrated it in al-Mustadrak and said: “Its chain of transmission is authentic.”
Since shirk in action and will has a stronger hold over souls because they follow their desires—and many commit it (3) despite knowing its harm and falsehood, because it enables them to attain their aims—and since eliminating and uprooting it from their souls is harder and more difficult than uprooting and eliminating shirk in matters of knowledge,