Chapter 2: CONCLUDING SECTION

Translation: There are a few ahaadith over and above the forty already discussed, which certainly need to be mentioned.

Translation: In this section, some special virtues of certain Surahs are given. These Surahs are short, but have many virtues and rewards. In addition, there are one or two important matters, regarding which the readers of the Qur-aan Shareef need to be warned.

Translation: Hadhrat Abdul Malik ibn Umair رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ reports that Rasulullah ﷺ said, “In Surah Faatihah, there is a cure for all sicknesses.”

Note: The virtues of Surah Faatihah are found in many Ahaadith.

It is reported in one Hadith that while a Sahaabi رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ was reading Nafl Salaah, Rasulullah ﷺ called him. Since he was reading Salaah he did not answer. After completing the Salaah he went to Rasulullah ﷺ , who asked him why he did not answer as soon as he was called. He replied that he could not do so because he was reading Salaah. Rasulullah ﷺ asked if he did not read the following Aayah in the Qur-aan Shareef:

Translation: “O you who believe! Answer the call of Allah Ta’ala and His Messenger whenever they call you.” (Surah Anfaal – Aayah 24)

Rasulullah ﷺ then said, “I will tell you of a Surah which is the greatest and the most virtuous in the Qur-aan Shareef. It is Surah Faatihah, which has seven aayaat. These are the Sab’ul Masaani (seven aayaat that are often repeated) and represent the Glorious Qur-aan Shareef.” Some pious Ulama have mentioned that whatever was in the earlier Books revealed by Allah Ta’ala is found in the Qur-aan, and the message of the Qur-aan is found in Surah Faatihah, and that which is in Surah Fatihah is found in Bismillaah and that which is in Bismillah is to be found in its first letter (ba). It is explained that (ba) is a letter used to join and stands for uniting. Surely the final aim is to unite an aabid (worshiper) with Allah Ta’ala. Some Sufia have gone still further and have said that whatever there is in (ba) is to be found in its dot, which signifies the Unity of Allah Ta’ala, a thing which is undividable or united as a single dot.

Some Ulama are reported to have said that the following Aayah is a Dua for fulfilling both our worldly and Deeni objects.;

Translation: “Only You do we worship and only Your help do we seek.” (Surah Faatihah – Aayah 4)

According to another Hadith, Rasulullah ﷺ said, “By Him Who is the owner of my life, a Surah like this has neither been revealed in the Torah nor in the Injeel nor in the Zaboor nor in the rest of the Qur-aan.”

The Ulama have stated that the reading of Surah Faatihah with firm Imaan and Yaqeen cures all sicknesses whether spiritual or worldly, external or internal. To use its aayaat as a taaweez (amulet) and also licking its writing is useful in the treatment of diseases.

It is mentioned in the Sihaah books of Hadith (the six authentic books of Hadith) that the Sahaabah رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُمْ used to read Surah Faatihah and blow upon those bitten by a snake or a scorpion and even on the person suffering from fits and on the mentally ill. Rasulullah ﷺ had also allowed this. There is another narration to the effect that Rasulullah ﷺ recited this surah and blew on Saa’ib bin Yazeed رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ and applied his saliva on the spot where he had some pain.

According to another Hadith it is said that if, at the time of going to sleep, one reads surah Faatihah and Surah Ikhlaas and blows on himself, he will be protected from all dangers except death.

According to one narration, Surah Faatihah is equivalent to two-thirds of the Qur-aan Shareef in reward.

It is also reported that Rasulullah ﷺ has said, “I have been given four things from the special treasure of the Arsh, from which nothing has ever been given to anyone before. These are Surah Faatihah, Aayatul Kursi, the last few aayaat of surah Baqarah and Surah Kausar.”

Hadhrat Hasan Basri رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ عَلَيْهِ reports the saying of Rasulullah ﷺ that whoever reads Surah Faatihah is like one who reads the Torah, the Zaboor, the Injeel and the Qur-aan Shareef.

It is reported in one Hadith that shaytaan cried, wept and threw dust on his head four times; (1)

When he was cursed. (2)

When he was thrown out of Jannah onto the earth. (3)

When Hadhrat Muhammad ﷺ was made a Nabi. (4)

When Surah Faatihah was revealed.

Sha’bi رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ عَلَيْهِ says that once a man came to him and complained of pain in his kidney. Sha’bi رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ عَلَيْهِ asked him to read Asaasul Qur-aan (the foundation of the Qur-aan) and blow on the aching spot. When he asked what was meant by Asaasul Qur-aan, Sha’bi رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ عَلَيْهِ replied, Surah Faatihah.

It is written in the established practices of Mashaa’ikh that Surah Faatihah is the Isme A’zam (اِسْمِ اَعْظَمْ ), the Most Glorious Name of Allah Ta’ala and it should be read for achieving all our objects. There are two ways of reading it:

One method is to read this surah forty-one times for forty days, in the time between the sunnat and fardh of the Fajr Salaah. The meem of

Translation: (Bismillaahir rahmaanir raheem) should be read jointly

Translation: (Alhamdu lillaahi). Whatever it is intended for, with the laam of it will Insha-Allah (if Allah Ta’ala wills) be fulfilled. In the treatment of a patient or of one who is affected by sihr (black magic), it should be recited and blown on water to be used for drinking.

Translation: The second method is to read it seventy times between the sunnat and fardh of the Fajr Salaah on the first Sunday of a new moon, after which the number is reduced by ten every day until the course ends with a reading of ten times on the seventh day. This weekly course should be repeated for four weeks. If the purpose is achieved at the end of the first month, well and good, otherwise this course should be repeated for the second and, if necessary, for the third month.

The surah is also written with rosewater, musk and saffron, on a porcelain plate, then the writing is washed off and the water is given to the patient for drinking for forty days. This is a sure treatment of chronic diseases. To read it seven times and blow on the patient is a good treatment for toothache, headache and pain in the stomach. All these points have been briefly quoted from the kitaab ‘Mazaahir-e-Haq’.

‘Muslim Shareef’ has a Hadith in which Ibn Abbaas رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُمَا says that once Rasulullah ﷺ was sitting amongst us and said; “Today, a door has been opened in Jannah which was never opened before, and out of it came down an angel who had never come down before. The angel said to me, ‘Receive the good news of two anwaar (two lights) which have not been given to anyone before you. One is Surah Faatihah and the other is the last few aayaat of Surah Baqarah.’” These two Surahs have been called Noor because on the Day of Qiyaamah they will travel in front of their readers (brightening up their path).

Translation: Hadhrat Ata ibn Abi Rabaah رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ says that Rasulullah ﷺ said, “Whoever reads Surah Yaaseen in the beginning of the day, all his needs for that day are fulfilled.”

Note: Many rewards of surah Yaaseen are mentioned in the Ahaadith. It is said in one Hadith;

“Everything has a heart, and the heart of the Qur-aan is Surah Yaaseen. Whoever reads Surah Yaaseen, Allah Ta’ala records for him a reward equal to that of reading the entire Qur-aan Shareef ten times.”

According to another Hadith, Allah Ta’ala recited Surah Yaaseen and Surah Taaha 1000 years before the creation of the Heavens and the Earth, and after hearing this, the Malaaikah said, “Blessed be that Ummah onto whom the Qur-aan Shareef will be sent down, and blessed be the hearts that will memorise it, and blessed be the tongues that will recite it.”

Nabi ﷺ said, “Whoever reads Surah Yaaseen only for the pleasure of Allah, all his earlier sins are forgiven. Therefore, make it a practice of reading this Surah for your dead.”

According to one Hadith, Surah Yaaseen is named in the Torah as Mun’imah (giver of good things), because it contains benefits for its reader in this life as well as in the Aakhirah, it removes from him the afflictions of this world and the next and takes away the fear of the next life.

This Surah is also known as Raafi’ah and Khaafidah, i.e. that which gives honour and respect to the believers and disgraces the disbelievers.

According to a Hadith, Rasulullah ﷺ said, “My heart wishes that Surah Yaaseen be in the heart of every person of my Ummah.”

According to another Hadith, if anybody reads Surah Yaaseen every night and then dies, he dies as a shaheed (martyr).

It is reported in yet another Hadith, “Whoever reads Surah Yaaseen is forgiven. Whoever reads it in hunger, is satisfied. Whoever reads it having lost his way, finds the way. Whoever reads it on losing an animal, finds it. When one reads it, fearing that the food will run short, that food becomes enough. If one reads it next to a person who is suffering the pain of death, his death is made easy for him. If anyone reads it for a woman experiencing difficulty in child-birth, her delivery becomes easy.”

Muqri (rahmatullahi alaih) said, “If Surah Yaaseen is read by one who fears the ruler or an enemy, he gets rid of this fear.”

According to another Hadith, if somebody reads Surah Yaaseen and Surah Was-Saaffaat on Friday and begs of Allah Ta’ala for something, his Dua is granted. (Most of the above has been drawn from ‘Mazaahir-e-Haq’, though the Ulama of Hadith have questioned some of the narrations).

Translation: Hadhrat Ibn Mas’ood رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ reports that Rasulullah ﷺ said, “Whoever reads Surah Al-Waaqi’ah every night will never starve.” Hadhrat Ibn Mas’ood رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ used to instruct his daughters to recite this Surah every night.

Note: The rewards of Surah Waaqi’ah are also reported in many Ahaadith. There is a narration to the effect that whoever reads Surah Hadeed, Waaqi’ah and Ar-Rahmaan, is counted amongst the dwellers of Jannatul-Firdaus (the highest level of Jannah).

There is a Hadith in which it is stated that Surah Waaqi’ah is Surah Al-Ghina (wealth, contentment). Read it and teach it to your children. Another narration says: “Teach it to your wives.” Hadhrat Aa’ishah رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهَا is reported to have emphasised its reading. It is foolish of us to read it only for the sake of worldly wealth. If instead, it is read for the contentment of the heart and for the sake of the next world, then worldly wealth will come to us without asking.

Translation: Hadhrat Abu Hurayrah رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ narrates that Rasulullah ﷺ said, “In the Qur-aan there is a Surah consisting of thirty aayaat which will intercede for its reader until he is forgiven. This is Surah Tabaarakal-lazi.”

Note: About Surah Mulk, there is also a narration that Rasulullah ﷺ said, “My heart wishes that this surah be in the heart of every believer.”

According to a Hadith, a person who reads Surah Mulk and Surah Sajdah between Maghrib and Esha Salaah, is like a person who stands in Salaah throughout Laylatul-Qadr.

It is also reported that if someone reads these two Surahs, seventy rewards are added to his account and seventy sins are wiped out.

According to another narration, if one reads these two surahs, a reward equal to that of standing in Salaah throughout Laylatul Qadr is written for him. This is also mentioned in ‘Mazaahir’.

Tirmizi رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ عَلَيْهِ reports from Ibn Abbaas رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُمَا , “Some Sahaabah رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُمْ put up a tent at a place without knowing that there was a grave there. Suddenly, they heard someone reading Surah Tabaarakal-lazi. They reported this to Rasulullah ﷺ who explained to them that this Surah guards a person against Allah’s punishment and frees him (from Jahannam).”

Hadhrat Jaabir رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ reports that Rasulullah ﷺ would not go to sleep until he had recited Surah Alif-Laam-Meem Sajdah and Tabaarakal-Lazi.

Khalid bin Ma’daan رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ has said that a narration reached him as follows; “There was a man who was a great sinner, but he used to recite Surah Sajdah. He never read anything else besides this. This Surah spread its wings over that man and submitted to Allah Ta’ala, ‘O My Rabb! This man used to recite me very frequently. So the intercession of this surah was accepted. It was ordered that each sin in his account should be replaced by a reward.”

Khalid bin Ma’daan رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ has also reported; “This Surah pleads for its reader in the grave and says, ‘O, Allah Ta’ala! If I am contained in Your Book, then accept my intercession, otherwise write me off from Your Book.’ This Surah appears in the form of a bird, spreads its wings over the dead and guards against the punishment in the grave.” He has reported all these rewards for Surah Tabarakal-lazi as well. He himself would never go to sleep unless he had read these two surahs.

Taa’oos رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ عَلَيْهِ has said, “These two surahs carry sixty virtues more than that of those carried by any other surah.”

The punishment in the grave is not an ordinary thing. After death, the first stage that one has to pass through is the grave. Whenever Hadhrat Usmaan رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ stood by a grave, he used to weep so much that his beard would become wet with tears. Somebody asked him why he wept more at the mention of the grave than he did at the mention of Jannah and Jahannam. He replied, “I have heard from Rasulullah ﷺ that the grave is the first stage towards the Aakhirah.

Whoever is saved from the punishment in the grave, the stages that follow will become easy for him, and whoever is not saved from the punishment in it, the coming stages will be more difficult for him. I have also heard that no scene is more horrible than that of the grave.”

Translation: “O, Allah Ta’ala! save us from this punishment through Your Mercy and Grace.”

Translation: Hadhrat Ibn Abbaas رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُمَا says, “Somebody asked Rasulullah ﷺ as to which act is the most rewarding. Rasulullah ﷺ replied, ‘Al-haal wal-murtahil.’ The man asked, ‘O,

Translation: Rasulullah! What is Al-haal wal-murtahil?’ Rasulullah ﷺ replied, ‘It is that reader of the Qur-aan who starts reading from the beginning and continues till he reaches its end, and after the end, he starts at the beginning again. Whenever he stops, he starts again.’”

Note: The Arabic word الْحَالُّ (al-haal) means one who reaches a halting place and the word الْمُرْتَجِلُ (al-murtahil) means one who departs. In other words, as soon as the reading of the Qur-aan Shareef is finished, one should begin another recitation. It should not be that when one reading is finished the next may be started later on. The term الْحَالُّ وَالمُرْتَحِلُ al-haal wal murtahil is explained in a narration in ‘Kanzul-Ummaal’ to mean (ا خَاتِمُ الْمِفْتَاحُ ) al-khaatimatul miftaah (one who concludes and opens), i.e. one who completes the whole reading of the Qur-aan Shareef and then immediately starts another. Probably this has led to the practice generally prevalent in our country, according to which, when the reader finishes the entire Qur-aan Shareef, he does not stop after reading the last surah (مُفْلِحُوْنَ ) but also reads from the beginning of the Qur-aan up to (muflihoon). Doing so has only become a custom and the people do not care to continue further and complete the next reading.

This Hadith teaches us that as soon as one reading of the Qur-aan Shareef is completed, a new reading should be started immediately and brought to completion.

It is written in ‘Sharhul Ihya’ as well as in Allamah Suyuti’s رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ عَلَيْهِ ‘Al-Itqaan’ that according to Daarami رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ عَلَيْهِ whenever Rasulullah ﷺ read surah Naas (the last surah), he would also read surah Baqarah up to (مُفْلِحُوْنَ() ) muflihoon after which he would make dua which is read on completion of the entire Qur-aan.

Translation: Hadhrat Abu Musa Ash’ari عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ reports that Rasulullah ﷺ said, “Guard the Qur-aan well. I swear by Him in Whose hands my life is, the Qur-aan escapes from the hearts more quickly than camels do from their strings.”

Note: If a man becomes careless when looking after an animal and the animal frees itself from the string, it will escape. Similarly, if the Qur-aan Shareef is not looked after and it is neglected, it will not be remembered and will disappear from the heart. The fact that the Qur-aan Shareef is memorised is a miracle of the Qur-aan Shareef itself. Otherwise memorising a book half or even one-third its size is not only difficult but rather impossible. Therefore, the fact that the Qur-aan Shareef is memorised is mentioned by Allah Ta’ala as a favour in Surah Qamar, where it is repeated over and over:

Translation: “We have made the Qur-aan easy for memorising it, so is there anyone who will memorise it?” (Surah Qamar – Aayah 17)

The author of ‘Jalalain’ writes that the question in this aayah is in fact a command. Therefore, Allah Ta’ala has stressed over and over again the importance of memorising the Qur-aan Shareef, but if we Muslims are so foolish as to think that this act is useless and a waste of time and energy, then this mistake on our part is sufficient to justify our destruction. It is a matter of surprise indeed that, when Hadhrat Uzair عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ recited the Torah from memory, he was raised to such a level that he was called the “Son of God”. Indeed we are ungrateful to Allah Ta’ala for His blessing and favour on us, where He has made the memorising of the Qur-aan Shareef so easy for all of us (and not only for an individual as in the case of Taurah). It is for such people that the Qur-aan Shareef says;

Translation: “And those who do wrong will come to know to which place they will return.” (Surah Shua’raa – Aayah 227)

It is only through the grace and blessing of Allah Ta’ala that the Qur-aan Shareef gets memorised. Afterwards, if a person neglects it, he is made to forget it. There are severe warnings for those who forget the Qur-aan Shareef after having memorised it. Rasulullah ﷺ is reported to have said, “The sins of my Ummah were shown to me. I did not find any sin as great as that of forgetting the Qur-aan after having learnt it.” In another Hadith it is mentioned, “The one who forgets the Qur-aan after having learnt it, will appear in the Court of Allah Ta’ala as a leper (a person with a very bad skin disease).” According to a narration of Razeen رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ عَلَيْهِ in ‘Jam’ul-Fawaa’id’, the following Aayah refers to it:

Translation: “But whosoever turns away from My advice (the Qur-aan and zikr), shall surely have a narrowed (difficult) life and We shall raise him up blind on the Day of Qiyaamah. He will say: ‘O my Rabb, why have You raised me blind, when indeed I was one who could see.’ He (Allah Ta’ala) will say, ‘This (is how it shall be for you) Our Aayaat came to you, but you forgot them.

Translation: In the same way you will be forgotten today.’” (Surah Taahaa – Aayah 124 - 126)

Translation: Hadhrat Buraydah رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ reports that Rasulullah ﷺ said, “He who reads the Qur-aan so that he might get something to eat from the people, will come on the Day of Qiyaamah in such a condition that his face will only be of bones, on which there will be no flesh.”

Note: This means that those who read the Qur-aan Shareef to fulfill the needs of this world will get no share in the Aakhirah. Rasulullah ﷺ said, “We read the Qur-aan. There are amongst us Arabs as well as non-Arabs. Go on reading the Qur-aan as you do now. Soon, some people will come who will put right the pronunciation of the letters of the Qur-aan as an arrow (i.e. they will work hard to beautify it and spend hours in improving the pronunciation of each and every letter), but all this will be for a worldly reason. They will not be concerned about the Aakhirah.” This Hadith further shows that recitation in a pleasing voice is of no use if there is no sincerity and if the purpose is only to earn worldly benefit. ‘There will be no flesh’ means that when a person uses the best of all things (i.e. the Qur-aan) for earning the lowly things of this world, the best of all parts of the body i.e. his face, will lose its beauty.

Once, Imraan bin Husain رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ happened to pass by a person giving advices after reciting the Qur-aan Shareef and then begging from the people. He was sorry to see this painful sight and recited Innaa lillaahi wa innaa ilaihi raaji’oon (verily we are from Allah Ta’ala and will return to Him). He said that he had heard from Rasulullah ﷺ that whoever recites the Qur-aan Shareef should beg for his needs only from Allah Ta’ala. Shortly, there will come a time when people will recite the Qur-aan Shareef and then beg of the people. It is reported from some Ulama that the example of a person who earns the things of this world through the knowledge of Deen is like a person who cleans his shoes with his cheeks. The shoes will no doubt be cleaned, but this act is most stupid. It is such people who are referred to in the following Aayah of the Qur-aan Shareef:

Translation: These are the people who have purchased misguidance (error) at the price of guidance. So their trade shall neither be profitable nor will they be guided.” (Surah Baqarah – Aayah 16)

Hadhrat Ubayy ibn Ka’b رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ says, “I taught a Surah of the Qur-aan to a man who gave me a bow as a gift. I mentioned this to Rasulullah ﷺ who said that I had accepted a bow from Jahannam.”

A similar story has been mentioned by ‘Ubaadah ibn Saamit رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ in whose case Rasulullah ﷺ said, “You have hung between your shoulders a spark from Jahannam.”

According to another Hadith Rasulullah ﷺ said, “If you are prepared to put a yoke (steel buckle) of Jahannam around your neck, you may accept it.”

Some words of advice for Huffaaz who are working in Madrasahs only for the sake of money. It is humbly requested that they should think about their position and responsibility. This improper conduct on their part is being made an excuse by some people for stopping the reading or memorising of the Qur-aan Shareef. Those people are not only responsible for the evil consequences, but the huffaaz are also responsible for stopping the teaching of the Qur-aan Shareef. These huffaaz think that they are engaged in the propagation of the Qur-aan, but in reality they are obstructing it through their misconduct and bad intentions. The Ulama have not permitted the acceptance of salary for teaching the Qur-aan Shareef so that it becomes the primary motive. In fact, the real motive of the teachers should only be to promote the teaching and propagation of the knowledge of the Qur-aan. No salary can be a return for the noble act of teaching the Qur-aan. The salary is only for meeting personal needs and has been permitted when forced by circumstances, in case of dire necessity.