One Friday, when I was around seventeen years old, I had gone to the Carrahpasha Mosque opposite our house in Carrahpasha, Istanbul. I was newly taking up interest in such topics… Somebody tapped my shoulder and said “The master is calling you.” This was a man whom I heard was 104 years old and was generally referred to as the Friday Sheikh… I later found out he was a sheikh of the Naqshibandi order. I don’t know how he saw me from such a distance that day, given he had very poor sight. Anyway, I went next to him and kissed his hands. He asked me, “If I were to give you a task, will you do it?” Full of the vigor and enthusiasm of my age, I aptly responded, “Yes, of course!” But I had no idea about anything at that time. Then he said, “Recite the chapter al-Ikhlas 100 thousand times, however long it may take you, and then come back to me.”
Unfortunately, he passed away a week after this incident. But I kept my word and finished the recital of 100 thousand al-Ikhlas in twenty days. I pray and hope that Allah will forgive me and enable me to reach the secrets of this chapter for the sake of these recitals.
This is why I recommend all my believing brethren to recite this chapter as much as they can. May Allah ease it!
The Rasul of Allah (saw) told his companions:
“Gather you all, I’m going to recite to you one-third of the Quran.” So all the companions gathered. Then the Rasul of Allah (saw) came to his house, recited the chapter al-Ikhlas and then went back inside. The companions all looked at each other and said, “He must have received a revelation to have gone back inside;” they thought was receiving a new revelation… Then the Rasul of Allah (saw) came out again and said, “I told you I was going to recite one-third of the Quran to you and I did… The chapter al-Ikhlas is equivalent to one-third of the Quran!”[1]
Abu Hurairah (ra) narrates:
“We came somewhere with the Rasul of Allah (saw) and saw a man reciting Kul huwallahu ahad allahus samad lam yalid wa lam yulad walam yakun lahu kufuwan ahad… The Rasul of Allah (saw) said, ‘It has become a requisite.’ So, I asked, ‘What has become requisite, O Rasul of Allah?’ And he said, ‘Paradise!’ I wanted to run and give the good news to the man, but I feared losing the honorable chance of eating with the Rasul of Allah… I went later, but unfortunately the man had gone.”[2]
Abu Darda (ra) narrates:
“The Rasul of Allah (saw) said, ‘Can any of you be lacking ability to read one-third of the Quran at night?’ Upon which his companions asked, ‘How can we read one-third of the Quran?’ and the Rasul of Allah (saw) said, ‘Allah has divided the Quran into three sections. Kulhuwallahu ahad is one of these!’”[3]
In another hadith, the Rasul of Allah (saw) says in regards to the chapter al-Ikhlas:
“Whoever recites one thousand Ikhlas and blows it to his spirit, Allah will emancipate him from Hell.”[4]
Thus, if we make it a habit to recite a thousand Ihklas on special nights or for our kin who have passed away, both them and us will benefit immensely.