How do we reconcile the fact that Surat Al-Ikhlas is equivalent to one-third of the Quran and that reciting it three times grants the blessing of reciting the entire Quran, with the encouragement to recite the entire Quran?

Surah al-Ikhlas (Say: He is Allah, the One) is considered equivalent to one-third of the Qur’an in terms of reward and merit—not in terms of sufficiency or replacement for reading a third of the Qur’an. This is due to Allah’s grace upon the Ummah, given its short lifespan and multiplied reward.

“Reward” refers to the merit earned, while “sufficiency” means that something can substitute for something else.The Qur'an has three main divisions: rulings, promises and warnings, and names and attributes. Surat Al-Ikhlas combines the names and attributes. Its reward for recitation is great, but it is of one type and does not suffice for the other types of the Qur'an, which contain other benefits such as rulings and stories. Therefore, if someone prays with it alone without Al-Fatiha, their prayer is invalid, because Al-Fatiha contains fundamental and essential needs for the servants.