Quran are the words of Allah that He has termed as a mercy for mankind. The remainder of this section highlights some virtues of Quran as they are mentioned in the Quran and Ahadith of the Prophet (s.a.w.).
1. Quran on “Virtues of the Quran”
1. Alif-Lam-Meem. (These letters are one of the miracles of the Quran and none but Allah (alone) knows their meanings).
2. This is the Book (the Quran), whereof there is no doubt, a guidance to those who are Al-Muttaqoon (the pious and righteous persons who fear Allah much (abstain from all kinds of sins and evil deeds which He has forbidden) and love Allah much (perform all kinds of good deeds which He has ordained)).
3. Who believe in the Ghaib and perform As-Salat (Iqamat-as-Salat), and spend out of what we have provided for them (i.e. give Zakat , spend on themselves, their parents, their children, their wives, etc., and also give charity to the poor and Also in Allahs Cause, etc.).
4. And who believe in (the Quran and the Sunnah) which has been sent down (revealed) to you (Muhammad (s.a.w.)) and in (the Taurat (Torah) and the Injeel (Gospel), etc.) which were sent down before you and they believe with certainty in the Hereafter (Resurrection, recompense of their good and bad deeds, Paradise and Hell, etc.).
5. They are on (true) guidance from their Lord, and they are the successful. [Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:1- 5]
The Quran provides guidance which makes it possible for man to lead life in the manner acceptable to his Creator and Sustainer. Allah says in the Quran:
“Perform As-Salat (Iqamat-as-Salat) from mid-day till the darkness of the night (i.e. the Zuhr, Asr, Maghrib, and Isha prayers), and recite the Quran in the early dawn (i.e. the morning prayer). Verily, the recitation of the Quran in the early dawn is ever witnessed (attended by the angels in charge of mankind of the day and the night). [Surah Al-Isra, 17:78]
And indeed We have fully explained to mankind, in this Quran, every kind of similitude, but most mankind refuse (the truth and accept nothing) but disbelief. [Surah Al-Isra, 17:89]
2. The word of the Lord of the worlds
Quran is the word of the Lord of the worlds that Allah revealed to His messenger Muhammad, to guide and bring mankind out of darkness into light:
Allah says in the Quran:
“It is He, Who sends down manifest ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) to His slave (Muhammad (s.a.w.)) that He may bring you out from darkness into light. And verily, Allah is to you full of kindness, Most Merciful.” [Surah Al-Hadid, 57:9]
“And (remember) the Day when We shall raise up from every nation, a witness against them from amongst themselves. And We shall bring you (O Muhammad (s.a.w.)) as a witness against these. And We have sent down to you the Book (the Quran), as an exposition of everything, a guidance, a mercy, and glad tidings for those who have submitted themselves (to Allah as Muslims).” [Surah An-Nahl, 16:89]
3. Quran as a divine healing and a mercy
Allah describes the Quran as a ‘healing and a mercy to believers’. Allah says:
And We send down from the Quran that which is a healing and a mercy to those who believe (in Islamic Monotheism and act on it), and it increases the Zalimoon (polytheists and wrong-doers) nothing but loss. [Surah Al-Isra, 17:82]
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said about the merits of Quran and Dhikr (remembrance of Allah):
We and others have tried this on many occasions and we have seen that it works in ways that physical remedies do not. Indeed we now regard physical medicine as the doctors regard folk medicine. This is in accordance with the law of divine wisdom, not contrary to it, but the causes of healing are many and varied. When the heart is in contact with the Lord of the Worlds, the Creator of the disease and the remedy, the Controller of nature Who directs it as He wills, he has other remedies apart from the remedies that are sought by the heart that is far away from Him and that turns away from Him. It is known that when a person’s spirits are high and his body is in good shape, they cooperate in warding off disease and suppressing it, so if a person is in high spirits and physical good shape, finds comfort in being close to his Creator, loving Him, enjoying remembrance of Him (dhikr), devoting all his strength and power for His sake and focusing on Him, seeking His help, putting his trust in Him, how can anyone deny that this (Quran) is the greatest medicine or that this spiritual power gives him the means to ward off pain and defeat it completely? No one would deny this but the most ignorant of people, those who are furthest away from Allah and the most hard-hearted and unaware of human nature.
Read more on the topic of Quranic healing in IqraSense.com’s book: “Healing and Shifa from Quran and Sunnah” available from HilalPlaza.com.
4. The Rewards of Reciting Quran in Qiyaam Al-Layl (Night prayers before Fajr)
We all know from the Quran and the Ahadeeth about the countless rewards and benefits of praying and reciting Quran during the nightly prayers (last one third of the night).
As is stated in the hadeeth narrated by ‘Abd-Allah ibn ‘Amr ibn al-‘Aas (may Allah be pleased with them both), in which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
Whoever recites ten aayaat (verses) in qiyaam will not be recorded as one of the forgetful. Whoever recites a hundred aayaat (verses) in qiyaam will be recorded as one of the devout, and whoever prays a thousand aayaat (verses) in qiyaam will be recorded as one of the muqantareen (those who pile up good deeds).” (Reported by Abu Dawood and Ibn Hibbaan. It is a hasan report. Saheeh al-Targheeb, 635).
5. Reciting Quran in Ramadan
Quran has even more of an important significance in the month of Ramadan, the month of fasting. Allah says:
The month of Ramadan in which was revealed the Quran, a guidance for mankind and clear proofs for the guidance and the criterion (between right and wrong) [Surah al-Baqarah 2:185]
Jibreel used to come to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) every night in Ramadan, and study the Quran with him. Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 5; Muslim, 4268.
6.Benefits of reciting certain Quranic surahs (chapters)
The following are authentic Ahadeeth regarding the benefits of certain Surahs. It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
There is a surah of the Quran containing thirty verses which have interceded for a man until he was forgiven. It is the soorah Tabaarak alladhi bi yadihi’l-mulk. Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2891; Ahmad, 7634; Abu Dawood, 1400; Ibn Maajah, 3786. This hadeeth was classed as hasan by al-Tirmidhi and by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi, 3/6.
Regarding the healing power of The Surah al-Fatiha, it was narrated that Abu Sa’eed (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
“A group of the companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) set out on a journey and traveled until they stopped in (the land of) one of the Arab tribes. They asked them for hospitality but they refused to welcome them. The chief of that tribe was stung by a scorpion and they tried everything but nothing helped them. Some of them said, ‘Why don’t you go to those people who are camped (near us), maybe you will find something with them.’ So they went to them and said, ‘O people, our chief has been stung by a scorpion and we have tried everything but nothing helped him. Can any of you do anything?’ One of them said, ‘Yes, by Allah, I will recite ruqyah for him, but by Allah we asked you for hospitality and you did not welcome us, so I will not recite ruqyah for you until you give us something in return.’ Then they agreed upon a flock of sheep.’ Then he went and spat drily and recited over him Al-hamdu Lillaahi Rabb il-‘Aalameen [Soorat al-Faatihah]. (The chief) got up as if he was released from a chain and started walking, and there were no signs of sickness on him. They paid them what they agreed to pay. Some of them (i.e. the companions) then suggested to divide their earnings among themselves, but the one who performed the ruqyah said, ‘Do not divide them until we go to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and tell him what happened, then wait and see what he tells us to do.’ So they went to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and told him what had happened. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) asked, ‘How did you know that it (al-Faatihah) is a ruqyah?’ Then he added, ‘You have done the right thing. Share out (the flock of sheep) and give me a share too.’ And the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) smiled.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 2156; Muslim, 2201
A note about certain fabricated Ahadeeths narrating the benefits of some Quran Soorahs
Although there are authentic Ahadeeth regarding the rewards and benefits of reciting certain Quranic Soorahs, unfortunately there are even more fabricated Ahadeeth that highlight the benefits of other Soorahs. Therefore, not all Ahadeeth highlighting the benefits of reciting all Soorahs are authentic, even though some of those Ahadeeth mention a chain of narrators. Many scholars have proven the weakness of the narration chain of those Ahadeeth. As quoted at islam-qa.com, “Many ahaadeeth were fabricated about the virtues of various soorahs of the Quran. Their fabricators’ intention was to encourage people to read Quran and devote themselves to that, and they claimed that they were doing good thereby. But their intentions were misguided because that is undoubtedly subject to the stern warning contained in the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): “Whoever tells a lie about me deliberately, let him take his place in Hell.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 10; Muslim, 4. It makes no difference whether the lie is intended for good or for evil.”
7.A Muslim’s Status is Raised by the Quran
A Musilm’s status is raised by the Quran. So, the more you recite Quran and follow its commandments and make Quran part of your life, the more Allah will elevate your status in this life and hereafter.
Saheeh Muslim mentions a story where some men came to question Umar ibn Al-Khattaab during his khilaafah about the leadership of Makkah, they asked, “Who do you use to govern Makkah?” He said, “Ibn Abzaa.” They asked, “And who is Ibn Abzaa?” Umar replied, “A freed slave from those we freed.” They remarked, “You left a freed slave in charge of the people of the Valley (the noble tribes of the Quraysh)?” So he answered them, “Verily he is a reader of the Book of Allah and is knowledgeable about the obligations of the Muslims. Haven’t you heard the statement of your Messenger: “Verily Allah raises some people by this Book and lowers others by it.”
‘Uthmaan, may Allah be pleased with him, said that the Prophet (sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said:
The best of you are the ones who learn the Qur’an and teach it to others” [Al-Bukhari]
Narrated Aisha: The Prophet said,
Such a person who recites the Quran and masters it by heart, will be with the noble righteous scribes (in Heaven). And such a person exerts himself to learn the Quran by heart, and recites it with great difficulty, will have a double reward." (book #60, Hadith #459)
8.Allah’s Gift of Guidance
The Quran is the Book of Allah for all of mankind:
“Verily, We have sent down to you (O Muhammad (s.a.w.)) the Book (this Quran) for mankind in truth. So whosoever accepts the guidance, it is only for his own self, and whosoever goes astray, he goes astray only for his (own) loss. And you (O Muhammad (s.a.w.)) are not a Wakeel (trustee or disposer of affairs, or keeper) over them.” [Surah Al-Zumar, 39:41]
2.Allah’s Final Revelation to Mankind
Muslims believe that Quran is in its exact form as was revealed by Allah on Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.). All other revealed books except the Quran have been changed and distorted over time. The Quran is and will remain, intact in its original form till the Day of Judgment. Allah has sent down Quran to us and has guaranteed to preserve it, taking upon Himself the responsibility of preserving it till the last day. Allah says:
“It is We Who have sent down the Dhikr (i.e. the Quran) and surely, We will guard it (from corruption).” [Surah Al-Hijr, 15: 9]
The Quran is the only religious sacred writing that has been in circulation for such a long time and yet remains as pure as it was in the beginning. It has been kept intact. Nothing has been added to it; nothing has been changed in it; and nothing has been taken away from it ever since its revelation more than 1400 years ago. The words in the Quran are Allah’s.
Allah says:
“And this Quran is not such as could ever be produced by other than Allah (Lord of the heavens and the earth), but it is a confirmation of (the revelation) which was before it (i.e. the Taurat (Torah), and the Injeel (Gospel), etc.), and a full explanation of the Book (i.e. laws and orders, etc, decreed for mankind) – wherein there is no doubt from the Lord of the alameen (mankind, jinns,and all that exists).” [Surah Yunus, 10:37]
The Quran calls upon humanity to examine and ponder over the signs of Allah in the universe and in the Verses of the Quran:
“Say: "Behold all that is in the heavens and the earth," but neither ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) nor warners benefit those who believe not.” [Surah Yunus, 10:101]
“Do they not then think deeply in the Quran, or are their hearts locked up (from understanding it)?” [Surah Muhammad, 47:24]
Allah says:
“Had We sent down this Quran on a mountain, you would surely have seen it humbling itself and rending asunder by the fear of Allah. Such are the parables, which We put forward to mankind that they may reflect.” [Surah Al-Hashr, 59:21]‘
10. A Miracle Revealed on Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.)
Allah has declared that there is nothing like the Quran and He has challenged others to produce anything similar to it. Allah says in the Quran:
“And if you (Arab Pagans, Jews, and Christians) are in doubt concerning that, which We have sent down (i.e. the Quran) to Our slave (Muhammad (s.a.w.)), then produce a Surah (chapter) of the like thereof and call your witnesses (supporters and helpers) besides Allah, if you are truthful.” [Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:23]
Allah has challenged mankind and the jinn to produce something like it, even one surah or one aayah (verse), but they could not do that and will never be able to do that, as Allah says:
Say: "If the mankind and the jinns were together to produce the like of this Quran, they could not produce the like thereof, even if they helped one another." [Surah Al-Isra, 17:88]
Ahadith on the “Virtues of Quran”
The following are some of the ahadith highlighting the virtues of the Quran.
Abu Huraira (RA) narrated: The Prophet (s.a.w.) said:
“Every Prophet (s.a.w.) was given miracles because of which people believed, but what I have been given is Divine Inspiration which Allah has revealed to me. So I hope that my followers will out-number the followers of the other Prophets (AS) on the Day of Resurrection.” [Narrated by Saheeh Al-Bukhari: The Book of the Virtues of the Quran, 4981]
Abu Sa’id Al-Mu’Alla narrated: The Prophet (s.a.w.) said:
“Shall I not teach you the most superior Surah in the Quran?” He said: (It is) “Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds” i.e. Surah Fatiha which consists of seven repeatedly recited Verses and the Magnificent Quran was given to me.” [Narrated by Saheeh Al-Bukhari: The Book of the Virtues of the Quran, 5006]
Abu Mas’ud narrated: The Prophet (s.a.w.) said:
“If somebody recites the last two Verses of Surah Al-Baqara at night, that will be sufficient for him.” [Narrated by Saheeh Al-Bukhari: The Book of the Virtues of the Quran, 5009]
Umar bin Al-Khattab narrated that the prophet (s.a.w.) said:
“Tonight there has been revealed to me a Surah which is dearer to me than that on which the sun shines (i.e. the world).” Then he (s.a.w.) recited:
“Verily! We have given you (O Muhammad (s.a.w.)) manifest victory.” [Surah Al-Fath, 48:1]
[Narrated by Saheeh Al-Bukhari: The Book of the Virtues of the Quran, 5012]
Abu Sa’id Al-Khudri (RA) narrated:
A man heard another man reciting:
“Say. He is Allah, (the) One.” [Surah Al-Ikhlas, 112:1] repeatedly. The next morning he came to Allah’s Apostle (s.a.w.) and informed him about it as if he thought that it was not enough to recite. On that Allah’s Apostle (s.a.w.) said: “By Him in Whose Hand my life is, this Surah is equal to one-third of the Quran!”
[Narrated by Saheeh Al-Bukhari: The Book of the Virtues of the Quran, 5013]
Aisha (RA) narrated:
Whenever Allah’s Apostle (s.a.w.) became sick, he would recite Surah Al-Falaq and Surah An-Nas and then blow his breath over his body. When he became seriously ill, I used to recite (these two Surahs) and rub his hands over his body for its blessings.
[Narrarted by Saheeh Al-Bukhari: The Book of the Virtues of the Quran, 5016]
Aisha (RA) narrated:
Whenever Allah’s Apostle (s.a.w.) went to bed every night, he used to cup his hands together and blow over it after reciting Surah Al-Ikhlas, Surah Al-Falaq and Surah An-Nas, and then rub his hands over whatever parts of his body he was able to rub, starting with his head, face, and front of his body. He used to do that three times. [Narrated by Saheeh Al-Bukhari: Book of the Virtues of the Quran, 5017]
Uthman bin Affan (RA) narrated: The Prophet (s.a.w.) said:
“The most superior among you (Muslims) are those who learn the Quran and teach it.” [Narrated by Saheeh Al-Bukhari: Book of the Virtues of the Quran, 5028]
It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (s.a.w.) said:
“A surah from the Quran containing thirty verses will intercede for a man so that he will be forgiven. It is the Surah Tabaarak Alathi bi yadihi’l-mulk [i.e., Surah Al-Mulk].” [Narrated by Al-Tirmidhi, 2891; Abu Dawood, 1400; Ibn Maajah, 3786. Al-Tirmidhi said, this is a hasan hadith. It was classed as Saheeh by Shaykh Al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah in Majmoo’ Al-Fataawa, 22/277 and by Shaykh Al-Albaani in Saheeh Ibn Maajah, 3053]
It was narrated that ‘Abd-Allah ibn Mas’ood said:
Whoever reads Tabaarak Allahi bi yadihi’l-mulk [i.e., Surah Al-Mulk] every night, Allah will protect him from the torment of the grave. At the time of the Messenger of Allah, we used to call it Al-maani’ah (that which protects). In the Book of Allah it is a surah which, whoever recites it every night has done very well. [Narrated by Al-Nasaa’i, 6/179; classed as hasan by Al-Albaani in Saheeh Al-Targheeb wa’l-Tarheeb, 1475]
Gathering to recite and study the Quran, whereby one person recites, the others listen and they study it together and explain the meanings is something that is prescribed in Islam and is an act of worship that Allah loves and for which He rewards greatly.
It was narrated by Muslim in his Saheeh and by Abu Dawood from Abu Hurayrah (RA) that the Prophet (s.a.w.) said: