Benefits of the Recitation of the Chapters of the Holy Qur’an

The Verse "Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim":

If we were to give an exhaustive account of the benefits of the recitation of “Bismillah…” we would need more than a single volume to do justice to it. Apart from being part of every chapter in the Holy Qur’an (except the chapter of repentance [Surah at-tawba]), it is also the most often repeated verse in the Holy Qur’an.

*It is narrated in Tafsir-al-Burhaan that the Holy Prophet (PBUH) has said, that when a person recites “Bismillah…” then five thousand ruby palaces are built for him in Jannah. Each palace has a thousand chambers made of pearls and each chamber has seventy thousand thrones of emerald and each throne has seventy thousand carpets made from special fabrics and upon each carpet is seated a Hur-ul-Ain. A person asked for the condition necessary to get this great reward and the Holy Prophet (PBUH) replied, that the person should recite the “Bismillah…” with conviction and understanding.

*The Holy Prophet (PBUH) has also said that when a believer will have to cross the Pul-e-Siraat on the Day of Judgement, and he will say “Bismillah…” then the flames beneath him will start dying down until Jahannam will cry out, ‘O believer, pass through quickly, your presence is causing my fire to die out !’

*When a teacher teaches a child to recite “Bismillah…” the child, his parents and the teacher are all guaranteed freedom from hellfire.

*It is narrated that Prophet Isa (a.s.) was once passing by a graveyard and he saw a grave upon which the Wrath and Punishment of Allah was descending, so he quietly walked past. When he passed the same place after some time, he noticed that the Mercy and Blessings of Allah was being showered on the same grave. He was surprised at this and asked Allah about what has happened, and it was revealed to him that the man inside the grave was a sinner and was thus being punished for his sins. When he died, his wife was pregnant and soon gave birth to a son. When the boy grew older, his mother took him to a teacher who taught him to recite “Bismillah…” and I felt that it would not be justice that this man’s son was calling My Name and I was punishing his father in the grave.

*It is also mentioned that recitation of “Bismillah…” with a loud voice is the signs of a true believer. Imam Ali Ridha (a.s.) said that “Bismillah…” is very close to the chosen name of Allah[Isma A’adham].



1.Surah-al-Fatihah (The Opening):

There are 7 verses in this Surah (chapter) and it is said that this Surah is both "makki" and "madani"; i.e. it was revealed in both Makkah and Madinah.

*In the commentary of Majma’ul Bayan, it is narrated that the Holy Prophet (PBUH) said that whoever recites this Surah, he will get the reward for reciting two thirds (2/3) of the whole Qur’an, and will get the reward equivalent to what would be gained by giving charity to all the believing men and women in the world.

*One of the companions of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) narrates that he once recited this Surah in the presence of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) and the Prophet said, ‘By Him in whose hand is my soul, a similar revelation to this has not been included in the Taurat (Torah), Injeel (Bible), Zabur (Psalms)or even the Qur’an itself.’

*The Holy Prophet (PBUH) once asked Jabir ibn Abdallah Ansari, “Should I teach you a Surah that has no other comparison to it in the whole Qur’an ?” Jabir replied, “Yes, and may my parents be ransom upon you, O prophet of Allah.” So the Holy Prophet (PBUH) taught him Surah-al-Fatihah. Then the Holy Prophet (PBUH) asked, “Jabir, should I tell you something about this Surah ?” Jabir answered, “Yes, and may my parents be ransom upon you, O prophet of Allah.” The Prophet (PBUH) said, “It (Surah-al-Fatihah) is a cure for every ailment except death.”

*Imam Abu Abdullah Ja’far-as-Sadiq (razi allahu anhu) has said that whoever cannot be cured by Surah al-Fatihah, then there is no cure for that person. In the same narration it is written that if this Surah is recited 70 times on any part of the body that is paining, the pain will surely go away. In fact, the power of this Surah is so great that it is said that if one were to recite it 70 times over a dead body, you should not become surprised if that body starts moving (i.e. comes back to life).

Surah al-Fatihah is a cure for physical and also spiritual ailments. Without this Surah, even the daily prayers are incomplete. It is indeed a great treasure that has been given to us by Allah through the Holy Prophet (PBUH) and no previous prophet has been given anything like it. This Surah is also known as "Ummul Kitab" and "Sab’a mathani".


2.Surah al-Baqarah (The Cow):

This Surah has 286 verses and is a "madani" Surah; i.e. it was revealed in Madinah. It is also the longest Surah in the Holy Qur’an.

*The Holy Prophet (PBUH) has said that whoever recites the first four verses of Surah-al-Baqarah, accompanied by the "ayat-ul-kursi" together with the last three verses of this Surah - and makes a habit of reciting these verses daily – his life, property and family will be protected and no evil shall come upon them. Shaitan will not come close to him and he will not be from those who forget Allah.

3.Surah Al-e-Imran (The Family of Imran):

*In this Surah, there are a total of 200 verses and it was revealed in Madinah.

*The Holy Prophet (PBUH) has said that whoever recites Surah Al-e-Imran on Friday, then until the setting of the sun, he will be showered by the Mercy of Allah and the angels will beg for his forgiveness.

*Imam Ja’far-as-Sadiq (razi allahu anhu) has said that if a person faces hardship in earning his livelihood, he should write this Surah and wear it as a talisman and Allah will increase his sustenance greatly. The Imam (razi allahu anhu) also said that if anyone recites both Surah-al-Baqarah and Al-e-Imran, then these Surahs will come in the shape of clouds on the day of judgment to protect him from the scorching heat.


4.Surah-an-Nisa (The Women):

This Surah was revealed in Madinah and has a total of 176 verses.

*In Tafsir-al-burhan it is written that Imam Ali (razi allaho anhu) has said that whoever recites this Surah on every Friday, he will remain safe from the squeezing in the grave.

5.Surah-al-Maeda (The Table-spread):

There are 120 verses in this Surah and it is a "makki" Surah; i.e. it was revealed in Makkah.

*It is narrated from the Holy Prophet (PBUH) that whoever recites this Surah, he will get a reward equivalent to ten times the number of Jews and Christians alive in the world, and will be forgiven the same amount of sins and will be raised in status by the same amount.


6.Surah-al-Anaam (The Cattle):

This Surah was revealed in Makkah and contains a total of 165 verses.

*Imam Ridha (razi allahu anhu) has said that this Surah was revealed accompanied by the descending of seventy thousand angels. These angels will ask forgiveness from Allah for any person who recites this Surah, and they will continue doing so until the Day of Judgment.

*Imam Ja’far-as-Sadiq (razi allahu anhu) has said that if a person writes this Surah using musk or saffron and then drinks it (i.e. puts the written Surah in water for its writing to dissolve) for six consecutive days, that person will be blessed abundantly and will be free from all problems and ailments. He will not loose his health or fall sick.

*Imam Abu Abdullah Ja’far-as-Sadiq (razi allahu anhu) also said that this Surah must be accorded due respect as the name of Allah appears 70 times in it. If people knew the benefits of reciting this Surah, they would never leave it.