Al-Aḥad
The Unique, The Indivisible One
Root أ ح د (ʾ-ḥ-d). According to Lisān al-ʿArab, al-Aḥad means the Single who has always been alone, with no other beside Him. The root ʾ-ḥ-d is associated with oneness. The term aḥad means ‘one’ or ‘anyone’, while iḥdā refers to ‘one’ in the feminine form as seen in Qur'an 74:35. Similarly, aḥada ʿashar is ‘eleven’, as in Qur'an 12:4. Lisān says the hamza replaces an original wāw (waḥad), from waḥda; the Quranic Arabic Corpus files it under ʾ-ḥ-d. In the Qur'an it occurs indefinite. ‘He is Allah, [who is] One’ (112:1).
The root
أ ح دʾ-ḥ-d
Oneness. Lisān al-ʿArab explains al-Aḥad as the Single who has always been alone with no other beside Him, and says the hamza replaces an original wāw (waḥad), from waḥda.
- أَحَدaḥadone; anyone
- إِحْدَىiḥdāone (fem.) (74:35)
- أَحَدَ عَشَرَaḥada ʿashareleven (12:4)
Pronunciation
الْأَحَدُ
al-A-had
In the Qur'an
قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ
Say, "He is Allah, [who is] One,
112:1 · Sahih International