“Your Allah is One Allah; there is no Allah save Him, the Beneficent, the Merciful.” — M. M. Pickthall
Taberî9-10. c.✓ Citation verified
According to Taberî, this verse conveys that the only true deity is Allah, the Creator of the heavens and the earth, and that nothing other than Him is worthy of worship. The idols and partners worshipped by the polytheists are merely creations of Allah, therefore worship must be devoted solely to Him and religion must be performed with sincere devotion to Him. This is a message informing Allah's servants that divinity is exclusive to Him, and He has no partner or equal in the universe.
فإنه خبر من الله جل وعز، أخبر عباده أن الألوهية خاصة به دون ما سواه من الآلهة والأنداد، وأن العبادة لا تصلح ولا تجوز إلا له لانفراده بالربوبية، وتوحده بالألوهية، وأن كل ما دونه فملكه، وأن كل ما سواه فخلقه، لا شريك له في سلطانه وملكه
Kurtubî13. c.✓ Citation verified
According to Kurtubî, this verse conveys that there is no creator and bestower of form other than Allah, and this is evidence of His oneness; it is questioned how Jesus, who himself is a being to whom form was given, could be divine. Furthermore, the verse, after explaining the impossibility of polytheism, demonstrates that the only being worthy of worship is Allah, that the truth should not be concealed, and that monotheism is the matter that must first be explained.
قال بن عباس رضي الله عنهما : قالت كفار قريش : يا محمد أنسب لنا ربك فأنزل الله تعالى سورة الإخلاص وهذه الآية وكان للمشركين ثلاثمائة وستون صنما فبين الله أنه واحد
İbn Kesîr14. c.✓ Citation verified
According to Ibn Kesîr, the polytheists of Mecca questioned the doctrine of monotheism by asking 'how is one deity sufficient for people?' and demanded a miracle/sign. Thereupon, Allah revealed this verse, reinforcing the emphasis on monotheism mentioned earlier; He conveyed that worship can only be directed to a single deity who has no partner and has no equal or equivalent in any of His attributes. Furthermore, it is stated that the names 'Ar-Rahman' and 'Ar-Rahim' refer to the vast mercy encompassing all creation, and that Allah is merciful both in this world and in the hereafter.
كيف يسع الناس إله واحد فأنزل الله تعالى إلى آخر الآية قال المشركون إن كان هكذا فليأتنا بآية
Beydâvî13. c.✓ Citation verified
According to Beydâvî, the phrase 'your deity is one deity' is a general address conveying that there is only one worthy of worship and that no partner can be associated with Him. The expression 'there is no deity except Him' reinforces this oneness and eliminates any misconception that a deity might exist but not be worthy of worship. 'Ar-Rahman, Ar-Rahim' serves as evidence for this monotheism, for since He is the possessor of all blessings, nothing other than Him is worthy of worship.
الرحمن الرحيم كالحجة عليها، فإنه لما كان مولى النعم كلها أصولها وفروعها وما سواه إما نعمة أو منعم عليه لم يستحق العبادة أحد غيره
Comparison
Common ground
All four scholars agree that the verse emphasizes monotheism, that worship must be devoted solely to Allah, and that He has no partner or equal. Furthermore, most of them also mention reports regarding the verse's revelation in the context of the polytheists' objection and questioning.
Differences
Taberî and Ibn Kesîr emphasize narrative and contextual reading, while Kurtubî and Beydâvî focus more on linguistic/grammatical analysis and logical reasoning. Kurtubî places special emphasis on the refutation of the claim that Jesus is divine, while Ibn Kesîr elaborates more on the dimension of mercy in the names 'Ar-Rahman' and 'Ar-Rahim'; these differences stem from the methodological preferences of the exegetes (narrative-focused tafsir versus language and creed-focused tafsir).
Historical context
From Taberî to Beydâvî, the emphasis on monotheism remained constant, while the method of interpretation gradually shifted from the axis of narrative transmission to linguistic and logical reasoning; this reflects a development related to the deepening of tafsir methodology over time, with no fundamental change in content.