8. The Excellent Qualities of the Qur'an

وَعَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «مَنْ قَرَأَ (حم) الدُّخَانِ فِي لَيْلَةِ الْجُمْعَةِ غُفِرَ لَهُ» . رَوَاهُ التِّرْمِذِيُّ وَقَالَ: هَذَا حَدِيثٌ غَرِيبٌ وَهِشَام أَبُو الْمِقْدَام الرَّاوِي يضعف

He reported God's messenger as saying, “If anyone recites Hā’ Mīm ad-Dukhān on a Thursday night his sins will be forgiven.” Tirmidhī transmitted it, saying that this is a gharīb da’īf tradition and that Hishām Abūl Miqdām its transmitter is declared to be weak.

وَعَنِ الْعِرْبَاضِ بْنِ سَارِيَةَ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ كَانَ يَقْرَأُ الْمُسَبِّحَاتِ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَرْقُدَ يَقُولُ: «إِنَّ فِيهِنَّ آيَةٌ خَيْرٌ مِنْ أَلْفِ آيَةٍ» . رَوَاهُ التِّرْمِذِيُّ وَأَبُو دَاوُدَ. وَرَوَاهُ الدَّارِمِيُّ عَنْ خَالِدِ بْنِ مَعْدَانَ مُرْسَلًا. وَقَالَ التِّرْمِذِيُّ: هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ غَرِيبٌ

Al-Irbād b. Sāriya said the Prophet used to recite al-Musabbihāt* before going to sleep, and say they contained a verse which is better than a thousand verses. *These are said to be sūras 57, 59, 61, 62, 64, 87 which begin with the perfect, imperfect, or imperative of the verb sabbaha ('to glorify'). Tirmidhī and Abū Dāwūd transmitted it, and Dārimī transmitted it in mursal form on the authority of Khalid b. Ma'dān. Tirmidhī said this is a hasan gharīb tradition.

وَعَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: " إِنَّ سُورَةً فِي الْقُرْآنِ ثَلَاثُونَ آيَةً شَفَعَتْ لِرَجُلٍ حَتَّى غُفِرَ لَهُ وَهِيَ: (تَبَارَكَ الَّذِي بِيَدِهِ الْمُلْكُ) رَوَاهُ أَحْمَدُ وَالتِّرْمِذِيُّ وَأَبُو دَاوُدَ وَالنَّسَائِيُّ وَابْنُ مَاجَه

Abū Huraira reported God’s messenger as saying, “A sūra in the Qur’ān containing thirty verses interceded for a man till his sins were forgiven. It was ‘Blessed is He in whose hand is the kingdom.'” (Qur’ān, 67) Ahmad, Tirmidhī, Abū Dāwūd, Nasā’i and Ibn Mājah transmitted it.

وَعَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ قَالَ: ضَرَبَ بَعْضِ أَصْحَابِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ خِبَاءَهُ عَلَى قَبْرٍ وَهُوَ لَا يَحْسَبُ أَنَّهُ قَبْرٌ فَإِذَا فِيهِ إِنْسَان يَقْرَأُ سُورَةَ (تَبَارَكَ الَّذِي بِيَدِهِ الْمُلْكُ) حَتَّى خَتَمَهَا فَأَتَى النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَأَخْبَرَهُ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «هِيَ الْمَانِعَةُ هِيَ الْمُنْجِيَةُ تُنْجِيهِ مِنْ عَذَابِ الْقَبْر» . رَوَاهُ التِّرْمِذِيّ وَقَالَ: هَذَا حَدِيث غَرِيب

Ibn ‘Abbās said that one of the Prophet's companions set up his tent over a grave without realising that it was a grave, and it contained a man who was reciting the sūra, “Blessed is He in whose hand is the kingdom,” up to the end. He went and told the Prophet, who said, “It is the defender; it is the protector which is protecting him from God's punishment.” Tirmidhi transmitted it, .saying this is a gharīb tradition.

وَعَنْ جَابِرٌ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ كَانَ لَا يَنَامُ حَتَّى يَقْرَأَ: (آلم تَنْزِيل) و (تَبَارَكَ الَّذِي بِيَدِهِ الْمُلْكُ) رَوَاهُ أَحْمَدُ وَالتِّرْمِذِيُّ وَالدَّارِمِيُّ وَقَالَ التِّرْمِذِيُّ: هَذَا حَدِيثٌ صَحِيحٌ. وَكَذَا فِي شرح السّنة. وَفِي المصابيح

Jabir said it was the Prophet’s custom not to go to sleep till he had recited “A. L. M The sending down,” (Qur’ān, 32) and “Blessed is He in whose hand is the kingdom.” Ahmad, Tirmidhī and Dārimī transmitted it, Tirmidhī saying this is a sahīh tradition. The same is said in Sharh as-sunna, but in al-Masābīh it is called gharīb.

وَعَن ابْن عَبَّاس وَأنس بن مَالك رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ قَالَا: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: (إِذا زلزلت) تعدل نصف الْقُرْآن (قل هُوَ الله أحد) تعدل ثلث الْقُرْآن و (قل يَا أَيُّهَا الْكَافِرُونَ) تَعْدِلُ رُبْعَ الْقُرْآنِ ". رَوَاهُ التِّرْمِذِيّ

Ibn ‘Abbās and Anas b. Mālik reported God’s messenger as saying that “When is shaken” (Qur’ān, 99) is equivalent to half the Qur’ān, “Say, He is God, One” (Qur’ān, 112) is equivalent to a third of the Qur’ān, and “Say, O infidels” (Qur’ān, 109) is equivalent to a quarter of the Qur’ān. Tirmidhī transmitted it.

وَعَنْ مَعْقِلِ بْنِ يَسَارٍ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: " مَنْ قَالَ حِينَ يُصْبِحُ ثَلَاثَ مَرَّاتٍ: أَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ السَّمِيعِ الْعَلِيمِ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّجِيمِ فَقَرَأَ ثَلَاثَ آيَاتٍ مِنْ آخِرِ سُورَةِ (الْحَشْرِ) وَكَّلَ اللَّهُ بِهِ سَبْعِينَ أَلْفَ مَلَكٍ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَيْهِ حَتَّى يُمْسِيَ وَإِنْ مَاتَ فِي ذَلِكَ الْيَوْمِ مَاتَ شَهِيدًا. وَمَنْ قَالَهَا حِينَ يُمْسِي كَانَ بِتِلْكَ الْمَنْزِلَةِ ". رَوَاهُ التِّرْمِذِيُّ وَالدَّارِمِيُّ. وَقَالَ التِّرْمِذِيُّ: هَذَا حَدِيثٌ غَرِيبٌ

Ma‘qil b Yasār reported the Prophet as saying, “If anyone says three times in the morning, ‘I seek refuge in God, the Hearer and Knower, from the accursed devil’, and recites three verses at the end of sūra al-Hashr (Qur’ān, 59), God will put in charge of him seventy thousand angels who will invoke blessings on him till the evening, and if he dies that day he will die as a martyr. If anyone says them in the evening he will be in that rank.” Tirmidhī and Dārimī transmitted it, Tirmidhī saying this is a gharīb tradition.

وَعَنْ أَنَسٍ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: «مَنْ قَرَأَ كُلَّ يَوْمٍ مِائَتَيْ مَرَّةٍ (قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ) مُحِيَ عَنْهُ ذُنُوبُ خَمْسِينَ سَنَةً إِلَّا أَنْ يَكُونَ عَلَيْهِ دَيْنٌ» . رَوَاهُ التِّرْمِذِيُّ وَالدَّارِمِيُّ وَفِي رِوَايَتِهِ «خَمْسِينَ مَرَّةٍ» وَلَمْ يَذْكُرْ «إِلَّا أَنْ يَكُونَ عَلَيْهِ دين»

Anas reported the Prophet as saying, 'If anyone recites two hundred times daily, ‘Say, He is God, One’, the sins of fifty years will be wiped out, unless he is in debt.” Tirmidhī and Dārimī transmitted it. The latter’s version has “fifty times”, and he did not mention “unless he is in debt.”

وَعَنْ أَنَسٍ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: " مِنْ أَرَادَ أَنْ يَنَامَ عَلَى فِرَاشِهِ فَنَامَ عَلَى يَمِينِهِ ثُمَّ قَرَأَ مِائَةَ مَرَّةٍ (قل هُوَ الله أحد) إِذا كَانَ يَوْم الْقِيَامَةِ يَقُولُ لَهُ الرَّبُّ: يَا عَبْدِي ادْخُلْ عَلَى يَمِينِكَ الْجَنَّةَ ". رَوَاهُ التِّرْمِذِيُّ وَقَالَ: هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ غَرِيبٌ

He reported the Prophet as saying, “If anyone who is about to sleep on his bed lies on his right side, then recites ‘Say, He is God, One’ a hundred times, the Lord will say to him on the day of resurrection, ‘My servant, enter paradise to your right’.” Tirmidhī transmitted it, saying this is a hasan gharīb tradition.

وَعَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ سَمِعَ رَجُلًا يَقْرَأُ (قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ) فَقَالَ: «وَجَبَتْ» قُلْتُ: وَمَا وَجَبَتْ؟ قَالَ: «الْجنَّة» . رَوَاهُ مَالك وَالتِّرْمِذِيّ وَالنَّسَائِيّ

The Prophet, on hearing a man reciting “Say, He is God, One” remarked, “It is certain.” I asked him what was certain, and he replied that it was paradise. Mālik, Tirmidhī and Nasā’i transmitted it.

وَعَنْ فَرْوَةَ بْنِ نَوْفَلٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ: أَنَّهُ قَالَ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ عَلِّمْنِي شَيْئًا أَقُولُهُ إِذَا أَوَيْتُ إِلَى فِرَاشِي. فَقَالَ: «اقْرَأْ (قُلْ يَا أَيُّهَا الْكَافِرُونَ) فَإِنَّهَا بَرَاءَةٌ مِنَ الشِّرْكِ» . رَوَاهُ التِّرْمِذِيّ وَأَبُو دَاوُد والدارمي

Farwa b. Naufal quoted his father as saying that he had asked God's messenger to teach him something to say when he went to bed, and was told to recite, “Say, O infidels”, for it is a declaration of freedom from polytheism. Tirmidhī, Abū Dāwūd and Dārimī transmitted it.

وَعَنْ عُقْبَةَ بْنِ عَامِرٍ قَالَ: بَيْنَا أَنَا سير مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بَيْنَ الْجُحْفَةِ وَالْأَبْوَاءِ إِذْ غَشِيَتْنَا رِيحٌ وَظُلْمَةٌ شَدِيدَةٌ فَجَعَلَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يُعَوِّذُ ب (أعوذ بِرَبّ الفلق) و (أعوذ بِرَبِّ النَّاسِ) وَيَقُولُ: «يَا عُقْبَةُ تَعَوَّذْ بِهِمَا فَمَا تَعَوَّذَ مُتَعَوِّذٌ بِمِثْلِهِمَا» . رَوَاهُ أَبُو دَاوُدَ

While I was travelling with God's messenger between *al-Juhfa and al-Abwa’ a wind and intense darkness enveloped us, whereupon God’s messenger began to seek refuge in God, reciting “I seek refuge in the Lord of the dawn” and “I seek refuge in the Lord of men.”(Qur’ān, 113 &114) He then said, “Use them, ‘Uqba, when seeking refuge in God, for no one can use anything to compare with them for the purpose.” *Al Juhfa- a village about 82 miles from Mecca. Al Abwa’- a village between twenty and thirty miles nearer Medina than al-Juhfa. Abū Dāwūd transmitted it.

وَعَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ خَبِيبٍ قَالَ: خَرَجْنَا فِي لَيْلَةِ مَطَرٍ وَظُلْمَةٍ شَدِيدَةٍ نَطْلُبُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَأَدْرَكْنَاهُ فَقَالَ: «قُلْ» . قُلْتُ مَا أَقُولُ؟ قَالَ: « (قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ) وَالْمُعَوِّذَتَيْنِ حِينَ تُصْبِحُ وَحِينَ تُمْسِي ثَلَاثَ مَرَّاتٍ تَكْفِيكَ مِنْ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ» . رَوَاهُ التِّرْمِذِيُّ وَأَبُو دَاوُدَ وَالنَّسَائِيُّ

We went out one rainy and intensely dark night to look for God’s messenger, and when we caught up on him he said to me, “Say.” I asked him what I was to say, and he replied, “If you recite ‘Say, He is God, One’ and al-Mu'awidhatān (The last 3 sūras of the Qur’ān) three times morning and evening, they will serve you for every purpose.” Tirmidhī, Abū Dāwūd and Nasā’i transmitted it.

وَعَنْ عُقْبَةَ بْنِ عَامِرٍ قَالَ: قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَقْرَأُ سُورَةَ (هُودٍ) أَوْ سُورَةَ (يُوسُفَ) ؟ قَالَ: " لَنْ تَقْرَأَ شَيْئًا أَبْلَغَ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ مِنْ (قُلْ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ الْفَلَقِ) رَوَاهُ أَحْمد وَالنَّسَائِيّ والدارمي

‘Uqba b. ‘Āmir said that when he asked God’s messenger whether he should recite sūra Hūd (Qur’ān, 11) or sūra Yūsuf (Qur’ān, 12), he told him he could recite nothing more effective with God than “Say, I seek refuge in the Lord of the dawn.” Ahmad, Nasā’i and Dārimī transmitted it.

وَعَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «أَعْرِبُوا الْقُرْآنَ وَاتَّبِعُوا غَرَائِبَهُ وَغَرَائِبُهُ فَرَائِضُهُ وَحُدُودُهُ» . رَوَاهُ الْبَيْهَقِيّ فِي شعب الْإِيمَان

Abū Huraira reported God’s messenger as saying, “Expound the Qur’ān and take as guide its unusual expressions, they being the things made obligatory in it and the limits set in it.” Transmitted by Baihaqī in Shu'ab al-īmān.

وَعَنْ عَائِشَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهَا: أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: «قِرَاءَةُ الْقُرْآنِ فِي الصَّلَاةِ أَفْضَلُ مِنْ قِرَاءَةِ الْقُرْآنِ فِي غَيْرِ الصَّلَاةِ وَقِرَاءَةُ الْقُرْآنِ فِي غَيْرِ الصَّلَاةِ أَفْضَلُ مِنَ التَّسْبِيحِ وَالتَّكْبِيرِ وَالتَّسْبِيحُ أَفْضَلُ مِنَ الصَّدَقَةِ وَالصَّدَقَةُ أَفْضَلُ مِنَ الصَّوْمِ وَالصَّوْمُ جُنَّةٌ مِنَ النَّارِ» . رَوَاهُ الْبَيْهَقِيُّ فِي شُعَبِ الْإِيمَانِ

‘Ā’isha reported the Prophet as saying, “Reciting the Qur’ān during prayer is more excellent than reciting it at other times, and reciting the Qur’ān at a time other than during prayer is more excellent than extolling God and declaring His greatness. Extolling God is more excellent than sadaqa, sadaqa is more excellent than fasting, and fasting is a protection from hell.” Transmitted by Baihaqī in Shu'ab al-īmān.

وَعَنْ عُثْمَانَ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ أَوْسٍ الثَّقَفِيِّ عَنْ جَدِّهِ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «قِرَاءَةُ الرَّجُلِ الْقُرْآنَ فِي غَيْرِ الْمُصْحَفِ أَلْفُ دَرَجَةٍ وَقِرَاءَتُهُ فِي الْمُصحف تضعف عل ذَلِك إِلَى ألفي دَرَجَة» . رَوَاهُ الْبَيْهَقِيّ فِي شعب الْإِيمَان

‘Uthmān b. ‘ Abdallāh b. Aus ath-Thaqafī, on his grandfather’s authority, reported God’s messenger as saying, “A man’s recitation of the Qur’ān without using a copy of it produces a thousand degrees of reward, but his recitation while using a copy is double that, reaching two thousand degrees.” Transmitted by Baihaqī in Shu'ab al-īmān.

وَعَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «إِنَّ هَذِهِ الْقُلُوبَ تَصْدَأُ كَمَا يَصْدَأُ الْحَدِيدُ إِذَا أَصَابَهُ الْمَاءُ» . قِيلَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَمَا جِلَاؤُهَا؟ قَالَ: «كَثْرَةُ ذِكْرِ الْمَوْتِ وَتِلَاوَةِ الْقُرْآنِ» . رَوَى الْبَيْهَقِيُّ الْأَحَادِيثَ الْأَرْبَعَةَ فِي شُعَبِ الْإِيمَانِ

Ibn ‘Umar reported God’s messenger as saying, “These hearts be­come rusty just as iron does when water gets to it.” On being asked what could clear them he replied, “A great amount of remembrance of death and recitation of the Qur’ān.” Transmitted by Baihaqī in Shu'ab al-īmān.

وَعَنْ أَيْفَعَ بْنِ عَبْدٍ الْكَلَاعِيِّ قَالَ: قَالَ رَجُلٌ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَيُّ سُورَةِ الْقُرْآنِ أَعْظَمُ؟ قَالَ: (قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ) قَالَ: فَأَيُّ آيَةٍ فِي الْقُرْآنِ أَعْظَمُ؟ قَالَ: آيَةُ الْكُرْسِيِّ (اللَّهُ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا هُوَ الْحَيُّ الْقَيُّومُ) قَالَ: فَأَيُّ آيَةٍ يَا نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ تُحِبُّ أَنْ تُصِيبَكَ وَأُمَّتَكَ؟ قَالَ: «خَاتِمَةُ سُورَةِ الْبَقَرَةِ فَإِنَّهَا مِنْ خَزَائِنِ رَحْمَةِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى مِنْ تَحْتِ عَرْشِهِ أَعْطَاهَا هَذِهِ الْأُمَّةَ لَمْ تتْرك خيرا من يخر الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ إِلَّا اشْتَمَلَتْ عَلَيْهِ» . رَوَاهُ الدَّارِمِيُّ

Aifa‘ b. ‘Abd al-Kilā‘ī told of a man who asked God’s messenger which sūra of the Qur’ān was greatest and was told that it is “Say, He is God, One.” He asked which verse of the Qur’ān was greatest and was told that it is the Throne Verse, “God, there is no god but He, the Living, he Eternal.” He asked God’s prophet which verse he would like to bring good to him and his people and was told, ‘‘The end of sūra al-Baqara, for it is one of the treasures of God’s mercy from under His Throne which He gave to this people, and there is no good in this world and the next which it does not include.” Dārimī transmitted it.

وَعَنْ عَبْدِ الْمَلِكِ بْنِ عُمَيْرٍ مُرْسَلًا قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «فِي فَاتِحَةِ الْكِتَابِ شِفَاءٌ مِنْ كُلِّ دَاءٍ» . رَوَاهُ الدَّارمِيّ وَالْبَيْهَقِيّ فِي شعب الْإِيمَان

‘Abd al-Mālik b. ‘Umair reported in mursal form that God's mes­senger said, “Fātihat al-Kitāb contains healing for every disease.” Dārimī and Baihaqi, in Shu'ab al-īmān, transmitted it.