Surah Al-Ikhlas (Chapter 112) is one of the shortest Surahs in the Quran, yet it encapsulates the entire concept of Islamic monotheism in just four verses. Its grammatical structure is deceptively simple on the surface but reveals profound precision upon analysis.
قل هو الله أحد: قل is a فعل أمر (imperative verb — "say"), with the فاعل being the hidden pronoun أنت (you, referring to the Prophet ﷺ). هو is a ضمير منفصل (detached pronoun) functioning as مبتدأ. الله is either a بدل (substitute) of هو or a خبر (predicate). أحد is the خبر (predicate, مرفوع with damma). The entire clause هو الله أحد is the مقول القول (content of what is to be said). The use of أحد rather than واحد emphasizes absolute, incomparable uniqueness.
الله الصمد: This is a concise nominal sentence. الله is the مبتدأ (subject) and الصمد is the خبر (predicate), both مرفوع. The word الصمد is one of the most discussed words in Tafseer — it means the One who is sought by all creation, the Eternal, the Self-Sufficient. Grammatically, it's a صفة مشبهة (resemblance adjective) used as a proper description of Allah.
لم يلد ولم يولد: لم is a حرف جزم ونفي (particle causing jussive mood and negation — "did not"). يلد is a فعل مضارع مجزوم (present tense verb in jussive mood, with sukoon as the sign of jazm). The فاعل is the hidden pronoun هو (He). ولم يولد follows the same structure, but يولد is in the passive voice (مبني للمجهول), meaning "He was not begotten." The use of the present tense with لم negates the past with a finality that extends to all time.
ولم يكن له كفوًا أحد: لم يكن is a مضارع مجزوم of كان. له is a جار ومجرور functioning as the خبر مقدم (fronted predicate) of كان. كفوًا is a حال (state/condition, منصوب with fat-ha). أحد is the اسم كان المؤخر (delayed subject of كان, مرفوع with damma). The fronting of له before the subject creates emphasis: there is absolutely no one comparable to Him. This verse beautifully ties the Surah's message together, and its grammar perfectly serves its theological meaning.