Hadith 5
ʿĀʾishah (may Allah be pleased with her) reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ appointed a man to lead a detachment. When he led his companions in prayer he would always finish the recitation with “Qul Huwa Allahu Ahad” (Say: He is Allah, the One).
When they returned, they told the Messenger of Allah ﷺ what he had been doing. He said, “Ask him: for what reason does he do that?”
They questioned him and he replied, “Because it describes the Most Merciful, and I love to recite it.”
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “Inform him that Allah, exalted is He, loves him.”
Overall meaning:
The Prophet ﷺ placed a Companion in command of an expedition. Commanders customarily serve as imams and legal advisors for their men, so he led them in prayer, reciting Surah al-Ikhlāṣ (“Qul Huwa Allahu Ahad”) in the second rakʿah of every prayer. When the detachment returned to the Prophet ﷺ, the Companions mentioned this practice to him. He asked them to find out why the leader did it—was it mere coincidence or for a particular reason? The commander explained that the surah contains the attributes of the Most Merciful, and he loved to repeat it for that reason. The Prophet ﷺ then said, “Tell him that, just as he repeatedly recited this surah out of love for the attributes of the Most Merciful, Allah loves him.” What an exalted virtue that is!
Legal rulings derived from the hadith:
1- It is permissible to recite from the short sūrahs of al-mufaṣṣal even in obligatory prayers other than maghrib.
2- Surah al-Ikhlāṣ possesses great merit, and its recitation is recommended.
3- Preferring some parts of the Quran over others is valid when the preferred passage contains greater glorification and praise of Allah. This noble surah affirms monotheism in belief and knowledge, establishing what must be affirmed for the Lord: His oneness that rules out any partner, His self-sufficiency that confirms every attribute of perfection, His freedom from begetting or being begotten—which follows from His absolute independence—and the negation of any equal, implying the absence of resemblance or likeness. For that reason it equals one-third of the Quran.
4- Deeds are rewarded according to the righteous intention that accompanies them; hence the Prophet ﷺ asked about the motive for the repetition.
5- Those entrusted with authority and leadership should be people of knowledge, virtue, and religious commitment.