in particular whom the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, had in mind.”

Ibn Battāl also mentioned this. He said:

“It has also been said that Allah graciously multiplies the reward of whoever recites it, with this multiplication reaching an amount equal to one third of the reward he would merit for reciting the Quran without any multiplication of that reward.”

He said: “Some versions of this hadith report that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, gathered the people and said, ‘I shall recite to you a third of the Quran.’ He then recited ‘Say: He is Allah, One.’”

Al-Māzirī said: “This version undermines the interpretation that makes this specific to a particular person.”

Qādī ‘Iyād said:

“Some have said: Allah Most High says, ‘Alif Lām Rā. A Book whose verses have been perfected and then explained in detail, from One who is All-Wise, All-Aware.’ He then sets out this detail, saying, ‘That you worship none but Allah.’ This is the section on divinity. Then He says, ‘Indeed, I am to you from Him a warner and a bearer of good tidings.’ This is the section on prophethood. Then He says, ‘And seek your Lord’s forgiveness, then turn to Him in repentance.’ This is the section on religious obligation and the promises and warnings that follow it. As for the narratives found throughout much of the Quran, they belong to the section on prophethood, since they provide evidence for it and an understanding of it as well. This indicates that ‘Say: He is Allah, One’ encompasses the first section.”

I say:

The substance of this view is that the meanings of the Quran fall into three categories: matters concerning Allah, prophethood, and religious laws; and that this surah covers the matters concerning Allah. The proponent of this view placed promises, warnings, and narratives under the category of