Are the Virtues Attributed to the Suras Correct?
Answered by Shaykh Anas Al-Musa
Question
Are the virtues attributed to the suras correct?
Answer
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful,
All praise is due to Allah, Lord of all worlds, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger sent as a mercy to the worlds, our Master and Prophet, Muhammad, and his Family and Companions.
Not everything mentioned regarding the virtues of the suras and verses of the Quran is authentically established. There are certain things that are confirmed and others that are not. Imam Suyuti dedicated a specific type of Quranic science in his book “al-Itqan fi Ulum al-Quran,” calling it the seventy-second type: The Virtues of the Quran. He stated,
“Abu Bakr Ibn Abi Shayba, Nasa’i, Abu Ubayd al-Qasim Ibn Salam, Ibn al-Durays, and others compiled separate works on it. Some hadiths about the virtues of the Quran as a whole and about specific suras are authentic, while many others are fabricated. Therefore, I authored a book named ‘Khama’il al-Zuhr fi Fada’il al-Suwar’ in which I scrutinized the non-fabricated material.” [Suyuti, al-Itqan; ‘Aqilah, al-Ziyadah wa al-Ihsan fi ‘Ulum al-Quran; al-Dakhil fi al-Tafsir Manahij Jami‘at al-Madina al-‘Alamiyya]
Suyuti also mentioned in “Tadrib al-Rawi”:
“There are scattered hadiths about the virtues of the suras, some of which are authentic, some are good (hasan), and some are weak but not fabricated. If it weren’t for the fear of lengthening the discussion, I would have included it here to prevent the misconception that nothing authentic exists regarding the virtues of the suras, especially with Daraqutni’s statement: ’The most authentic report about the virtues of the Quran is the virtue of ‘Say: He is Allah, the One.’ Those who delve into the books of Sunan and their additions will find a substantial amount on this topic.” [Suyuti, Tadrib al-Rawi ]
There are reports in the Sunna from the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) that indicate the virtues of the Quran as a whole, the virtues of specific suras, and the virtues of specific verses. These reports either mention the reward for reciting them, specify a particular time for recitation, or describe their physical and spiritual impact on Muslims.
Confirmed
Among the confirmed reports on the virtues of the Quran in its entirety:
The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) when he delivered a sermon, his eyes would turn red, his voice would rise, and his anger would intensify, as if he were warning of an imminent army. He would say,
“It is morning for you and evening.” And he would say, “I and the Hour have been sent like these two,” and he would join his forefinger and middle finger. And he would say, “As for what follows, the best of speech is the Book of Allah…” [Muslim]
The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said,
“Indeed, Allah has His people among humanity.” It was asked, “Who are they, O Messenger of Allah?” He replied, “The people of the Quran are the people of Allah and His chosen ones.” [Ahmad]
The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said,
“The proficient one with the Quran will be with the honorable and obedient scribes (angels), and the one who recites the Quran and stumbles over it, finding it difficult, will have a double reward.” [Muslim]
The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “The example of a believer who recites the Quran is like that of a citron; its fragrance is pleasant, and its taste is pleasant. The example of a believer who does not recite the Quran is like that of a date; it has no fragrance, and its taste is sweet.
The example of a hypocrite who recites the Quran is like that of basil; its fragrance is pleasant, and its taste is bitter. The example of a hypocrite who does not recite the Quran is like that of a colocynth; it has no fragrance, and its taste is bitter.” [Ibid.]
The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said,
“The best of you are those who learn the Quran and teach it.” [Bukhari]
Established Virtues of a Specific Suras
Regarding the virtue of Fatiha: The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said,
“Allah has not revealed in the Torah or in the Gospel anything like the Mother of the Quran (Fatiha). It is the seven oft-repeated verses, and it is divided between Me and My servant, and My servant shall have what he asks for.” [Ahmad]
Sura Fatiha is distinguished by having both physical and spiritual effects. This is illustrated by the hadith narrated by Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri (Allah be pleased with him), who said:
“A group of the companions of the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) set out on a journey until they were stopped by one of the Arab tribes. They asked the tribe for hospitality, but they refused to host them. Soon, the chief of that tribe was bitten by a snake. They tried everything to cure him but to no avail. Some of them said, ‘Why don’t you go to those people who have camped nearby? Perhaps one of them has something.’
They went to the companions and said, ‘O people, our chief has been bitten, and we have tried everything, but nothing has worked. Do any of you have something for it?’ One of them replied, ‘Yes, by Allah, I am a healer. However, since you refused to host us, I will not heal him unless you give us some sheep.’ They agreed to give them a flock of sheep. The man went to the chief and started spitting on the bite and reciting, ‘All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds’ [Quran, 1:1], until it was as if the chief was freed from shackles, and he stood up and started walking with no pain.
They gave the companions the flock they had promised. Some of the companions suggested, ‘Let’s divide it.’ The one who healed said, ‘Do not do so until we go to the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) and tell him what happened to see what he orders us to do.’ They went to the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) and narrated the story. He said, ‘How did you know it was a cure? You have done the right thing. Divide the flock and give me a share as well.’” [Bukhari]
Among the suras for which a reward is promised for their recitation is Sura Ikhlas. Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri narrated that a man heard another man reciting “Say, ‘He is Allah, (Who is) One,’” repeatedly. When morning came, he went to the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) and mentioned this to him, as if he considered it to be of little significance. The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “By Him in Whose Hand is my soul, it is equal to one-third of the Quran.” [Ibid.]
Regarding the virtues of Sura Baqara and Ali Imran, Jubayr Ibn Nufayr reported that he heard Nawwas Ibn Sam‘an al-Kilabi saying: I heard the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) say,
“On the Day of Resurrection, the Quran and its people who used to act upon it will be brought, with Sura Baqara and Ali Imran preceding them.” The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) likened them to three things which I have not forgotten afterward. He said, “They will come as if they are two clouds, or two shades, or two flocks of birds in rows, pleading for those who recited them.” [Ahmad]
Abu Umama al-Bahili reported: I heard the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) say,
“Recite the Quran, for it will come as an intercessor for its reciters on the Day of Resurrection. Recite the two bright ones, Baqara and Ali Imran, for they will come on the Day of Resurrection as if they were two clouds, or two shades, or two flocks of birds in rows, pleading for those who recite them. Recite Sura Baqara, for taking recourse to it is a blessing, and giving it up is a cause of grief, and the magicians cannot confront it.” Mu‘awiya said: It has reached me that the magicians are the batala (the sorcerers). [Muslim]
Established Virtues of Specific Verses
Regarding specific verses, Abu Mas‘ud al-Ansari reported that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “Whoever recites the last two verses of Sura Baqara at night, they will suffice him.” [Ahmad]
Abu Darda’ reported that the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “Whoever memorizes the first ten verses of Sura Kahf will be protected from the Dajjal.” [Muslim]
Important Notes
The preference between the suras and verses of the Quran must be based on authentic reports, as the virtues of the Quran, its suras, and its verses cannot be understood through mere opinion.
On examining the reports found in the Sunna regarding the virtues of the Quran, it is observed that fewer suras have hadiths confirming their virtues compared to those that do not. Therefore, Suyuti mentioned,
“Know that the suras for which authentic hadiths have confirmed their virtues are: Fatiha, Zahrawan (Baqara and Ali Imran), An‘am, the seven long suras collectively, Kahf, Ya-Sin, Dukhan, Mulk, Zalzala, Nasr, Kafirun, Ikhlas, and Mu‘awwidhatan (Falaq and Nas). Besides these, no other sura has authentic virtues mentioned.” [Suyuti, Tadrib al-Rawi]
The Importance of Authentic Transmission in the Virtues of the Quran
Since the true understanding of the Quran’s virtues must be based solely on authentic reports from the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace), lying about this matter is forbidden. Some ascetics, in their desire to encourage people to read the Quran, resorted to fabrications, falsely claiming that their lies were for the benefit of the Quran, not against it.
Notorious Fabricators in the Virtues of the Quran
- Nuh ibn Abi Maryam, known as Nuh al-Jami‘ (d. 173 AH)
- Maysara Ibn Abd Rabbo. [Tayyar, al-Muharrar fi ‘Ulum al-Quran]
Imam Suyuti mentioned in “al-Itqan” that a long hadith detailing the virtues of each sura of the Quran is fabricated.
Hakim reported in “al-Madkhal” with his chain to Abu ‘Ammar al-Marwazi that it was said to Abu Asma al-Jami‘: “Where did you get the narration from ‘Ikrima from Ibn Abbas regarding the virtues of each sura, which the companions of ‘Ikrima do not have?” He replied, “I saw people turning away from the Quran and engaging in the “fiqh” of Abu Hanifa and the “magazi” of Ibn Ishaq, so I fabricated this hadith out of zeal for the Quran.”
Ibn Hiban also narrated in the introduction of “Tarikh al-Du‘afa” from Ibn Mahdi who said: “I said to Maysara Ibn ‘Abd Rabbih, ‘Where did you get these hadiths (whoever recites such-and-such will get such-and-such)?’ He replied, ‘I fabricated them to encourage people.’” [Suyuti, al-Itqan, Tadrib al-Rawi; Tayyar, al-Muharrar fi ‘Ulum al-Quran]
The Questionable Virtues in Tafsir Works
Many books of tafsir, such as those by Zamakhshari and Baydawi, include the virtues of each sura at the end of their commentary, but many of these virtues are not established. Therefore, caution is advised.
Reliable Sources for Virtues of the Quran
Imam Suyuti mentioned that the tafsir of Ibn Kathir is the most reliable for this purpose, as he included most of what is not fabricated, although some things might have been missed. [Suyuti, Tadrib al-Rawi]
Recommendation for Further Reading
I recommend the inquirer to refer to “Mawsu‘at Fada’il Suwar wa Ayat al-Quran” by Shaykh Muhammad Ibn Rizq al-Tarhuni, one of the most comprehensive encyclopedias on the virtues of the suras and verses. The author divided it into two sections: authentic virtues and weak virtues.
Reflections on the Virtues of the Quran:
Ahmad Ibn Abi al-Hawari said: “I read the Quran and ponder over each verse, and my mind is bewildered by it. I am amazed at those who memorize the Quran—how can they sleep and be preoccupied with worldly matters while they speak the words of the Most Merciful? If they understood what they recited, acknowledged its rights, delighted in it, and found sweetness in conversing with it, sleep would vanish from them out of joy for what they were granted and guided to.”
One of the pious predecessors said: “The more my portion of the Quran increased, the more blessings I found in my time, and I continued to increase until my portion reached ten parts (juz’).”
Ibrahim Maqdisi advised Diya Maqdisi when he sought knowledge: “Increase your recitation of the Quran and do not leave it, for it will facilitate for you what you seek according to the amount you read.” Diya said: “I saw that and experienced it frequently. When I read a lot, I found it easy to hear and write hadiths, and when I did not read, it was not easy for me.”
May Allah bless the Prophet Muhammad and give him peace, and his Family and Companions.
[Shaykh] Anas al-Musa
Shaykh Anas al-Musa, born in Hama, Syria, in 1974, is an erudite scholar of notable repute. He graduated from the Engineering Institute in Damascus, where he specialized in General Construction, and Al-Azhar University, Faculty of Usul al-Din, where he specialized in Hadith.
He studied under prominent scholars in Damascus, including Shaykh Abdul Rahman al-Shaghouri and Shaykh Adib al-Kallas, among others. Shaykh Anas has memorized the Quran and is proficient in the ten Mutawatir recitations, having studied under Shaykh Bakri al-Tarabishi and Shaykh Mowfaq ‘Ayun. He also graduated from the Iraqi Hadith School.
He has taught numerous Islamic subjects at Shari‘a institutes in Syria and Turkey. Shaykh Anas has served as an Imam and preacher for over 15 years and is a teacher of the Quran in its various readings and narrations.
Currently, he works as a teacher at SeekersGuidance and is responsible for academic guidance there. He has completed his Master’s degree in Hadith and is now pursuing his Ph.D. in the same field. Shaykh Anas al-Musa is married and resides in Istanbul.
