Book 8: The Excellent Qualities of the Qur'an

‘Uthmān b. ‘Affān said, “If anyone recites the end of Āl ‘Imrān (Qur’ān, 3) on a night, the reward for a night spent in prayer will be recorded for him.” Transmitted by Dārimī.

Makhūl said, “If anyone recites Āl ‘Imrān on a Friday, the angels will invoke blessings on him till night comes.” Transmitted by Dārimī.

Jubair b. Nufair reported God’s messenger as saying, “God finished sūra al Baqara with two verses which I have been given from His treasure which is under the Throne ; so learn them and teach them to your womenfolk, for they are a blessing, a means of approach [to God] and a supplication.” Dārimī transmitted it in mursal form.

Ka‘b reported God's messenger as saying, “Recite sūra Hūd (Qur’ān, 9) on Fridays.” Dārimī transmitted it in mursal form.

Abū Sa'id reported the Prophet (ﷺ) as saying, “If anyone recites sūra al-Kahf (Qur’ān, 18) on Friday, light will shine brightly for him till the next Friday.” Baihaqī transmitted it in [Kitāb] al-Da‘awāt al-kabir.

Khālid b. Ma'dān said: Recite the rescuer, which is A.L.M. The sending down (Qur’ān, 32) for I have heard that a man who had committed many sins used to recite it and nothing else. It spread its wing over him and said, “My Lord, forgive him, for he often used to recite me so the Lord most high made it an intercessor for him and said, “Record for him a good deed and raise him a degree in place of every sin.” Khālid said also: It will dispute on behalf of the one who recites it when he is in his grave saying, “O God, if I am a part of Thy Book, make me an intercessor for him; but if I am not a part of Thy Book, blot me out of it.” It will be like a bird putting its wing on him, it will intercede for him and will protect him from the punishment in the grave. He said the same about “Blessed is He.” (Qur’ān, 67) Khālid did not go to sleep at night till he had recited them. Tā’ūs said they were given sixty virtues more than any other sūra in the Qur’ān. Dārimī transmitted it.

‘Atā b. Abū Rabāh told of hearing that God’s messenger said, “If anyone recites Yā’ Sīn at the beginning of the day, his wants will be supplied.” Dārimī transmitted it in mursal form.

Ma'qil b. Yasār al-Muzanī reported the Prophet (ﷺ) as saying, “If anyone recites Yā’ Sīn (Qur’ān, 36) out of a desire for God's favour, his past sins will be forgiven him; so recite it over those of you who are dying.” Baihaqī transmitted it in Shu'ab al-īmān.

‘Abdallāh b. Mas'ūd said, “Everything has a hump, and the hump of the Qur’ān is sūra al-Baqara. Everything has a kernel, and the kernel of the Qur’ān is al-Mufassal.* *A title given to the sūras from 49 to the end, but several other sūras are also mentioned: 37, 45, 47, 48, 50, 61, 67, and 93. The name is most appropriately explained as meaning that this is the section of the Qur’ān which contains many shorter sūras. Dārimī transmitted it.

‘Alī told that he heard God’s messenger say, “Everything has an adornment, and the adornment of the Qur’ān is ar-Rahmān” (Qur’ān, 57) Transmitted by Baihaqī in Shu'ab al-īmān.

Ibn Mas’ūd reported God’s messenger as saying, “He who recites sūra al-Waqi'a (Qur’ān, 56) every night will never be afflicted by want.” Ibn Mas’ūd used to order his daughters to recite it every night. Transmitted by Baihaqī in Shu'ab al-īmān.

‘Alī said that God's messenger used to like this sūra, “Glorify the name of thy most high Lord.”(Qur’ān, 87) Ahmad transmitted it.

‘Abdallāh b. ‘Amr told of a man coming to the Prophet (ﷺ) and asking him to teach him to recite. On being told to recite three of the sūras with A. L. R (Qur’ān, 10, 11, 12, 14, and 15) he replied, “I am old, my heart has difficulty in remem­bering, and my tongue is sluggish.” When told that in that case he should recite three with Hā’ Mīm (Qur’ān, 40 to 46) he gave the same reply and then asked God’s messenger to teach him to recite a comprehensive sūra. He taught him to recite “When is shaken” (Qur’ān, 99) up to the end, and the man said, “I swear by Him who has sent you with the truth that I shall never recite more than that.” Then when the man turned away God's messenger said twice, “The little man has come into a state of felicity.” Ahmad and Abū Dāwūd transmitted it.

Ibn ‘Umar reported God’s messenger as saying, “Can one of you not recite a thousand verses daily?” Then when he was asked who could recite a thousand verses daily he replied, “Can one of you not recite ‘Rivalry has distracted you’?”(Qur’ān, 102) Baihaqi transmitted it in Shu'ab al-īmān.

Sa'īd b. al-Musayyib reported in mursal form that the Prophet (ﷺ) said, “If anyone recites ten times ‘Say, He is God, One’, a palace will be built for him in paradise because of it; if anyone recites twenty times two palaces will be built for him in paradise because of it; and if anyone recites it thirty times three palaces will be built for him in paradise be­cause of it.” ‘Umar b. al-Khattāb said, “I swear by God, messenger of God, that we shall then produce many palaces for ourselves;” to which he replied, “God's abundant grace is even more comprehensive than that.” Dārimī transmitted it.

Al-Hasan reported in mursal form that the Prophet (ﷺ) said, “If anyone recites a hundred verses in a night the Qur’ān will not argue against him that night; if anyone recites two hundred verses in a night he will be recorded as having spent a night standing in prayer; and if anyone recites five hundred to a thousand verses in a night, in the morning he will have a reward equivalent to a qintār*. He was asked what a qintar was and replied that it was twelve thousand [dīnārs]. *This is the measure to which many different values have been ascribed. Dārimī transmitted it.

Abū Mūsā al-Ash’arī reported God’s messenger as saying, “Keep refreshing your knowledge of the Qur’ān, for I swear by Him in whose hand my soul is that it is more liable to escape than camels which are tethered.” (Bukhārī and Muslim.)

Ibn Mas’ūd reported God’s messenger as saying, “It is wrong for one to say that he has forgotten such and such a verse, for he has been made to forget. Study the Qur’ān, for it is more apt to escape from men’s minds than animals.” (Bukhārī and Muslim, Muslim adding "which are tethered”.)

Ibn ‘Umar reported the Prophet (ﷺ) as saying, “He who studies the Qur’ān is like the owner of tethered camels. If he pays attention to them he keeps hold of them, but if he lets them loose they go away." (Bukhārī and Muslim.)

Jundub b. ‘Abdallāh reported God’s messenger as saying, “Recite the Qur’ān as long as you can concentrate on it, but when your concentra­tion flags give it up.” (Bukhārī and Muslim.)