Benefits and Virtues of Surah 57 Al-Hadid

virtues-benefits-surah-al-hadeed

57. Al-Hadid

57.1 Narrated ‘Irbad bin Sariyah (رضي الله عنه)

That the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم) would recite the Musabbihat* (Chapters 17, 57, 59, 61, 62, 64 & 87) before sleep and say “Indeed there is an Ayah in them that is better than one thousand Ayat.”

*Quran Surahs that start with the glorification of Allah

Jami` at-Tirmidhi Vol. 5, Book 42, Hadith 2921

57.2 Imam Ahmad (رحمه الله) recorded

That `Irbad bin Sariyah (رضي الله عنه) said that the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم) used to recite Al-Musabbihat before he went to sleep, saying, “In them there is an Ayah that is better than a thousand Ayat”. Abu Dawud, At-Tirmidhi and An-Nasa’i collected this Hadith; At-Tirmidhi said, “Hasan Gharib.” The Ayah referred to in this Hadith is

﴾ هو الأول والآخر والظاهر والباطن وهو بكل شيء عليم ﴿

He is Al-Awwal and Al-Akhir, Az-Zahir and Al-Batin. And He is the All-Knower of everything (57:3).

-and Allah knows best.

(Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

57.3 Sayyidna Ibn Abbas (رضي الله عنه) said that

if the Shaitan casts an evil scruple in anyone’s heart, and thus causes skepticism about Allah and the religion of truth, he should softly recite the following verse

﴾ هو الأول والآخر والظاهر والباطن وهو بكل شيء عليم ﴿

He is the First and the Last, the Manifest and the Hidden and He is All-Knowing about everything (57:3).

(Ma’ariful Qur’an)

57.4 Narrated Abdullah ibn Abbas (رضي الله عنه)

Abu Zumayl said: I asked Ibn Abbas, saying: What is that I find in my breast? He asked: What is it? I replied: I swear by Allah, I cannot speak about it. He asked me: Is it something doubtful? and he laughed. He then said: No one could escape that, until Allah, the exalted, revealed: “If thou went in doubt as to what we have revealed unto thee, and ask those who have been reading the Book from before thee.” He said: If you find something in your heart, say:

﴾ هو الأول والآخر والظاهر والباطن وهو بكل شيء عليم ﴿

He is the first and the Last, the Evident and the Immanent, and He has full knowledge of all things (57:3).

Sunan Abi Dawud 5110

57.5 Al-Hasan (رضي الله عنه) narrated that:

Abu Hurairah (رضي الله عنه) said: “Once when the Prophet of Allah was sitting with his Companions, a cloud came above them, so the Prophet of Allah said: ‘Do you know what this is?’ They said: ‘Allah and His Messenger know better.’ He said: ‘These are the clouds that are to drench the earth, which Allah [Blessed and Most High] dispatches to people who are not grateful to Him, nor supplicate to Him.’ Then he said: ‘Do you know what is above you?’ They said: ‘Allah and His Messenger know better.’ He said: ‘Indeed it is a preserved canopy of the firmament whose surge is restrained.’ Then he said: ‘Do you know how much is between you and between it?’ They said: ‘Allah and His Messenger know better.’ He said: ‘Between you and it [is the distance] of five-hundred year.’ Then he said: ‘Do you know what is above that.’ They said: ‘Allah and His Messenger know better.’ He said: ‘Verily, above that are two Heavens, between the two of them there is a distance of five-hundred years’ – until he enumerated seven Heavens – ‘What is between each of the two Heavens is what is between the heavens and the earth.’

Then he said: ‘Do you know what is above that?’ They said: ‘Allah and His Messenger know better.’ He said: ‘Verily, above that is the Throne between it and the heavens is a distance [like] what is between two of the heavens.’ Then he said: ‘Do you know what is under you?’ They said: ‘Allah and His Messenger know better.’ He said: ‘Indeed it is the earth.’ Then he said: ‘Do you know what is under that?’ They said: ‘Allah and His Messenger know better.’ He said: ‘Verily, below it is another earth, between the two of which is a distance of five-hundred years.’ Until he enumerated seven earths: ‘Between every two earths is a distance of five-hundred years.’ Then he said: ‘By the One in Whose Hand is the soul of Muhammad! If you were to send [a man] down with a rope to the lowest earth, then he would descend upon Allah.’ Then he recited:

﴾ هو الأول والآخر والظاهر والباطن وهو بكل شيء عليم ﴿

He is Al-Awwal, Al-Akhir, Az-Zahir Al-Batin, and He has knowledge over all things (57:3).”

Jami` at-Tirmidhi Vol. 5, Book 44, Hadith 3298

57.6 Ibn Mas’ud (رضي الله عنه) said

Since our acceptance of Islam and the revelation of this verse in which Allah has shown annoyance to us:”

﴾ ألم يأن للذين آمنوا أن تخشع قلوبهم لذكر الله ﴿

Has not the time yet come for the believers that their hearts should be humble for the remembrance of Allah?” (57:16),

there was a gap of four years.

Sahih Muslim 3027

57.7 ‘Amir bin ‘Abdullah bin Zubair (رضي الله عنه) narrated

That his father told him that there was no more than four years between their becoming Muslim and the revelation of this Verse, by which Allah reprimanded them:

﴾ ولا يكونوا كالذين أوتوا الكتاب من قبل فطال عليهم الأمد فقست قلوبهم وكثير منهم فاسقون ﴿

Lest they become as those who received the Scripture before, and the term was prolonged for them and so their hearts were hardened? And many of them were rebellious. (57:16)

Sunan Ibn Majah Vol. 5, Book 37, Hadith 4192

57.8 Narrated Umar (رضي الله عنه)

In the days of Jahiliyah (ignorance), I was the most harsh against the Messenger of Allah. One day in the heat of afternoon, I met a man in Mecca. And he said, “O Ibn Khattab! It’s strange that Islam has entered into your house while you think of yourself as so and so.
He also said that my sister had become Muslim. So I rushed with extreme anger to her house and knocked at the door. When they saw me, they tried to hide themselves and left the scroll which they were reading. I looked at it and said what is this? The sister said, “You can see it after washing yourself as only purified people can touch this scripture.”
After doing the Ghusl (ritual purification), I opened it and there was written

﴾ بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم ﴿

“Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim”.

(In the name of Allah , the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful).

When I read “ar-Rahman ar-Rahim”, I was terrified. After that, I read

﴾ سبح لله ما في السماوات والأرض وهو العزيز الحكيم ﴿

Whatever is in the heavens and earth exalts Allah , and He is the Exalted in Might, the Wise (57:1).

Whenever I heard about the attributes of Allah, I got afraid. I then reached the ayat

﴾ آمنوا بالله ورسوله وأنفقوا مما جعلكم مستخلفين فيه ﴿

Believe in Allah and His Messenger and spend out of that in which He has made you successors (57:7).

so I said

أشهد أن لا إله إلا الله و أن محمدا رسول الله

“Ashadu ana la ilaha il Allah wa ana Muhammadan Rasulullah”

(I testify that there is no god other than Allah, and Muhammad is the Messenger
of Allah).

On hearing this, they became happy and came out raising the slogan of “Allahu Akbar.”

(Bayhaqi in Dalail Nubuwwah, Dur al-Manthur)

57.9 Mufti Shafi Usmani (رحمه الله) related about

﴾ يوم ترى المؤمنين والمؤمنات يسعى نورهم بين أيديهم وبأيمانهم ﴿

On the Day you see the believing men and believing women, their light proceeding before them and on their right (57:12)

Tafsir Mazhari, on this occasion, has, on the basis of Qur’an and Hadith, described the causes of light and darkness on the Plane of Gathering. Below, we reproduce those causes the knowledge of which is more important than pure academic research, in the hope that Allah will grant us light.

The Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم) said:

[1] “Give glad tidings to those who go to the mosque in the darkness of night that they will receive perfect light on the Day of Judgment.” (Abu Dadwud, Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah)

[2] “He who takes care of his five daily prayers [that is, performs them regularly fulfilling all their essentials], it will serve as light, proof and salvation for him on the Day of Judgment. He who fails to take care of it, there will be no light, nor proof or salvation for him on the Day of Judgment. The latter will be in the company of Qarun, Haman and Fir’aun.” (Ahmad, Tabarani)

[3] “Whoever recites Surah Al-Kahf, there will be so much of light for him on the Day of Judgment that it will spread from his place to Makkah.” In another narration, “Whoever recites Surah Al-Kahf on a Friday, light will extend from his feet to the heights of the heaven on the Day of Judgment.” (Tabarani)

[4] “Whoever recites just a single verse of the Qur’an, it will be a light for him on the Day of Judgment.” (Ahmad)

[5] “Whoever sends salah (durud) to me, it shall be the cause of light on the Bridge of Sirat.” (Dailami)

[6] “The hair, that falls on the ground at the time of shaving it when coming out of the state of ihram, will be a light for him on the Day of Judgment” (Tabarani)

[7] “Stoning the jamarat in Mina will be a light on the Day of Judgment.” (Musnad of Bazzar)

[8] “He whose hair turns gray in Islam, it will be a light for him on the Day of Judgment.” (Tabarani)

[9] “He who shoots even one arrow in Allah’s way while fighting in Jihad, it will be a light for him on the Day of Judgment.” (Bazzar)

[10] “He who remembers Allah in the marketplace will receive light for every strand of hair on the Day of Judgment.” (Baihaqi in Shua’ib-ul-‘Iman)

[11] “He who alleviates the calamity of a Muslim, Allah will create two compartments of light for him at the bridge which will brighten up a whole world. No one besides Allah knows its number.” (Tabarani)

[12] “Beware of zulm [injustice] because that will yield zulumat [layers of darkness] on the Day of Judgment.” (Bukhari, Muslim, Hakim and Tabarani).

(Abridged from Ma’ariful Qur’an)

57.10 Narrated Ibn Umar (رضي الله عنه)

The Prophet said, “Surah al-Hadid was revealed on Tuesday. Allah created iron on Tuesday. Adam’s son killed his brother on Tuesday”. And the Prophet forbade Hijama (cupping) on Tuesday.

(Majma Zawaid, Dur al-Manthur)

57.11 Narrated Jabir (رضي الله عنه)

The Prophet forbade Hijama (cupping) on Tuesday because Surah al-Hadid was revealed on that day.

(Daylami in al-Firdaws bi-Mathur al-Khitab, Dur al-Manthur)

57.12 Abu al-Aswad (رضي الله عنه) narrated

That the chief of Jalut said, “Undoubtedly, the Torah mentioned only halal and haram but your book has everything