SURAH AL-BAQARAH: 139

قُلۡ أَتُحَآجُّونَنَا فِى ٱللَّهِ وَهُوَ رَبُّنَا وَرَبُّڪُمۡ وَلَنَآ أَعۡمَـٰلُنَا وَلَكُمۡ أَعۡمَـٰلُكُمۡ وَنَحۡنُ لَهُ ۥ مُخۡلِصُونَ.

"SAY: WOULD YOU ARGUE WITH US ABOUT ALLAH, WHEN HE IS OUR LORD AS WELL AS YOUR LORD? FOR US OUR DEEDS, AND FOR YOU YOUR DEEDS! AND TO HIM WE ARE FAITHFUL." (SURAH AL-BAQARAH:139)

This verse brings out the essential and unique characteristic of the Islamic Ummah (community) - it has purified itself of all possible admixture of Shirk (association), and devoted itself, externally and internally, to Allah.

The Arabic word in the text is (Mukhlisun), the plural of Mukhlis which signifies "one who has purified himself", and which is allied to the word Ikhlas, "the act of purifying oneself."

According to Hazrat Sa'id ibn Jubayr RE Ikhlas consists of worshipping no one but Allah, associating no one with Allah, and doing good deeds only for the sake of obeying Allah, and not for the purpose of winning the admiration of the people. Certain spiritual teachers have said that Ikhlas is a deed which can be identified neither by men, nor by angels or Satan, and that it is a secret between Allah and His servant.

From Ma'ariful Quran, Interpretation of Surah Al-Baqarah, by Mufti Muhammad Shafi RE