hadith 8564–9729

Amr bin Salamah (may Allah have mercy on him) said: We were sitting at the door of Sayyiduna Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) between Maghrib and Isha when Sayyiduna Abu Musa (may Allah be pleased with him) came and asked: Has Abu Abd al-Rahman come out to you? (The narrator said:) Then Sayyiduna Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) came out, and Sayyiduna Abu Musa (may Allah be pleased with him) asked: What has brought you at this hour? He said: "No, by Allah, except that I saw something that alarmed me, even though it appears to be good; it alarmed me, though it appears to be good: some people are sitting in the mosque and a man is saying to them: Glorify Allah so many times, praise Him so many times." The narrator said: So Sayyiduna Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) set off, and we set off with him, until he came to them, and he said: "How quickly you have gone astray, while the Companions of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) are still alive, his wives (peace and blessings be upon him) are still young, and his (peace and blessings be upon him) clothes and vessels have not even changed! Count your sins, and I guarantee on Allah's behalf that He will count your good deeds."

Amr bin Zurarah said: Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) came and stopped by me while I was preaching in the mosque, and he said: O Amr, you have introduced a misguided innovation (bid'ah); or are you better guided than Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) and his Companions? The narrator said: I saw the people disperse from around me until I saw my place empty, with no one left in it.

News reached Sayyiduna Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) that Amr bin Zurarah was admonishing some of his companions, so Sayyiduna Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) came to them and said: "Are you better guided, or the Companions of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him)? You are clinging to the edge of misguidance."

The narrator said: People mentioned a preacher to Sayyiduna Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him), so he came among the people, and I heard him (the preacher) saying: Say 'Subhan Allah' so many times. When he heard this, he stood up and said: "Do you not hear?" When the people looked at him, he said: "Are you better guided than Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) and his Companions? You are clinging to the edge of misguidance."

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "When people fall into evil, say: 'I have no example to follow in evil.'"

Sayyiduna Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "When people fall into tribulation and they say: 'Come out, it is enough of an example for you to go along with others,' then say: 'I have no example to follow in evil.'"

Sayyiduna Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "This Qur'an is the banquet of Allah, so whoever among you is able to learn something of it, let him learn it. For the house in which there is nothing of the Book of Allah is the smallest of houses in goodness, and the house in which there is nothing of the Book of Allah is like a ruined house that has no one to inhabit it. And Satan leaves the house in which he hears Surah al-Baqarah."

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Recite Surah al-Baqarah in your houses, for Satan does not enter a house in which Surah al-Baqarah is recited."

Sayyiduna Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Everything has a peak, and the peak of the Qur'an is Surah al-Baqarah. Everything has a core, and the core of the Qur'an is the Mufassal surahs. The devils leave the house in which Surah al-Baqarah is recited, and the smallest of houses is the breast in which there is nothing of the Book of Allah."

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) used to say: "The smallest house is the one in which there is nothing of the Book of Allah, and the house in which there is nothing of the Book of Allah is ruined, just as a house that has no one to inhabit it is ruined."

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Indeed, this Qur'an is the banquet of Allah, so learn from His banquet as much as you are able. Indeed, this Qur'an is the rope of Allah which He has commanded to be held fast, and it is the clear light and the beneficial cure. It is a protection for whoever holds fast to it and a salvation for whoever clings to it. It does not become crooked so that it must be straightened, nor does it deviate so that it must be asked to make amends; its wonders never come to an end, and it does not wear out through repeated recitation. Recite it, for Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, rewards you with ten good deeds for every letter of it. I do not say that Alif-Lam-Mim is one letter; rather, Alif is a letter, Lam is a letter and Mim is a letter."

Sayyiduna Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Whoever recites the Qur'an receives ten good deeds for every letter of a verse. I do not say that Alif-Lam-Mim equals ten good deeds; rather, Alif, Lam and Mim are thirty good deeds, each separately."

Sayyiduna Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Learn the Qur'an and recite it, for you are rewarded with one good deed for every letter of it. Listen, I do not say that Alif-Lam-Mim is one good deed; rather, Alif, Lam and Mim are thirty good deeds, each separately, because Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, says: 'Whoever brings a good deed shall have ten times the like thereof' [Surah al-An'am: 160]."

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Learn the Qur'an and recite it; you will be rewarded with ten good deeds for every letter. Listen, I do not say that Alif-Lam-Mim (is one letter); rather, I say: Alif, and Lam, and Mim (are separate letters)."

Sayyiduna Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "A man died, and the angels of punishment came to him and sat at his head. It (the head) spoke up: 'You have no way to him; he used to recite Surah al-Mulk.' They sat at his feet, and they (the feet) spoke up: 'You have no way to him; he used to stand upon us (in prayer) reciting Surah al-Mulk.' Then they sat at his belly, and it (the belly) spoke up: 'You have no way to him; he kept Surah al-Mulk preserved within me.' So this surah was named al-Mani'ah (the Protector)."

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said: A man is approached in his grave (for punishment). He is approached from the side of his legs, and they say: 'You have no way through us; he used to recite Surah al-Mulk upon us.' Then he is approached at his belly, and it says: 'You have no way over me; he kept Surah al-Mulk preserved within me.' Then he is approached from the side of his head, and it says: 'You have no way through me; he used to recite Surah al-Mulk with me.' Sayyiduna Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "This is al-Mani'ah (the Protector); it prevents the punishment of the grave. In the Torah it is this Surah al-Mulk; whoever recites it in a night has done much and done well."

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "When a man recites Surah al-Mulk every night and is then placed in his grave, angels come to him in his grave, and they first come from the side of his feet, and his feet say: 'You have no way through me,'" then the narrator mentioned the rest of the hadith in the same way as above.

A similar hadith is also narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him).

A similar hadith is also narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him).

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "The Qur'an is an intercessor whose intercession is accepted, and a witness whose testimony is believed. Whoever puts it in front of him, it will lead him to Paradise, and whoever casts it behind him, it will drive him to the Fire."

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Whoever loves the Qur'an and delights in it is upon goodness."

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Whoever wishes to know whether he loves Allah and His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), let him look: if he loves the Qur'an, then he loves Allah and His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him)."

Shutayr bin Shakal and Masruq bin al-Ajda' sat together, and Shutayr said to Masruq: "You narrate what you heard from Sayyiduna Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) and I will confirm it, or I will narrate and you confirm it." Masruq said: I heard Sayyiduna Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) say: "The most comprehensive verse in the Qur'an for good and evil is this verse of Surah al-Nahl: 'Indeed, Allah commands justice, excellence and giving to relatives, and He forbids indecency, wrongdoing and transgression. He admonishes you so that you may take heed' [Surah al-Nahl: 90]." Shutayr said: "You have spoken the truth." Masruq said: I heard Sayyiduna Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) say: "The greatest verse in the Qur'an in terms of joy is this verse of Surah al-Ghuraf (that is, Surah al-Zumar): 'Say: O My servants who have transgressed against themselves, do not despair of the mercy of Allah; indeed, Allah forgives all sins, if He wills' [Surah al-Zumar: 53]." Shutayr said: "You have spoken the truth."

Al-Sha'bi narrated: Masruq and Shutayr bin Shakal sat in the great mosque, and people saw them and turned towards them. Masruq said to Shutayr: "These people have turned towards us only so that we may narrate something to them, so either you narrate and I confirm you, or I narrate and you confirm me." Masruq said: "You narrate, and I will confirm you." Shutayr said: Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) told us that the greatest verse in the Book of Allah is: 'Allah, there is no true god except Him, the Ever-Living, the Sustainer of all' [Surah al-Baqarah: 255] to the end of the verse. Masruq said: "You have spoken the truth." Sayyiduna Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) also told us that the most comprehensive verse in the Book of Allah is: 'Indeed, Allah commands justice and excellence' [Surah al-Nahl: 90] to the end of the verse. Masruq said: "You have spoken the truth." And he also told us that the greatest, or the most abundant, verse in the Book of Allah in terms of joy is: 'O My servants who have transgressed against themselves, do not despair of the mercy of Allah' [Surah al-Zumar: 53] to the end of the verse. Masruq said: "You have spoken the truth." And he also told us that the most forceful verse in the Book of Allah in terms of reliance (upon Allah) is: 'And whoever fears Allah, He will make for him a way out, and will provide for him from where he does not expect' [Surah al-Talaq: 3] to the end of the verse. Masruq said: "You have spoken the truth."

Masruq (may Allah have mercy on him) and Shutayr bin Shakal al-Absi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: We were sitting in the mosque when people thronged towards the two of them, and one of them said to the other: "These people have stood up towards us only so that we may narrate something to them, so either I narrate and you confirm me, or you narrate and I confirm you." One of them said: I heard Sayyiduna Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) say: "The greatest verse in the Qur'an is Ayat al-Kursi." The other said: "You have spoken the truth." The other said: I heard Sayyiduna Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) say: "The most comprehensive verse in the Qur'an is: 'Indeed, Allah commands justice and excellence' [Surah al-Nahl: 90]." He said: "You have spoken the truth." He said: And I also heard him say: "The most forceful verse in the Qur'an in terms of reliance (upon Allah) is: 'And whoever fears Allah, He will make for him a way out' [Surah al-Talaq: 2]." He said: "You have spoken the truth." The other said: And I also heard him say: "The greatest verse in the Qur'an in terms of joy is: 'O My servants who have transgressed against themselves' [Surah al-Zumar: 53]." He said: "You have spoken the truth."

Abu al-Duha (may Allah have mercy on him) said: Masruq and Shutayr bin Shakal met in the mosque, and the study circles of the mosque turned towards the two of them. Masruq said: "I think these people have sat with us only to hear something good from us, so either you narrate what you heard from Sayyiduna Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) and I confirm you, or I narrate and you confirm me." (Shutayr) said: "O Abu Aishah, you narrate." Masruq said: I heard Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) say: "The eyes commit adultery, the feet commit adultery and the hands commit adultery, and then the private part confirms it or denies it." (Shutayr) said: "Yes, I too have heard this." Then (Masruq) said: "Did you hear Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) say: 'The most comprehensive verse in the Qur'an with regard to the lawful, the unlawful, commands and prohibitions is: Indeed, Allah commands justice, excellence and giving to relatives, and He forbids indecency [Surah al-Nahl: 90] to the end of the verse'?" He said: "Yes." (The questioner) said: "And I too have heard it." Then he said: "Did you hear Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) say: 'The greatest verse in the Qur'an in terms of reliance (upon Allah) is: And whoever fears Allah, He will make for him a way out, and will provide for him from where he does not expect [Surah al-Talaq: 3]'?" He said: "Yes." (The questioner) said: "And I too have heard it." Then he said: "And did you hear Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) say: 'The most intense verse in the Qur'an in terms of joy is: O My servants who have transgressed against themselves, do not despair of the mercy of Allah [Surah al-Zumar: 53] to the end of the verse'?" He said: "Yes." (The questioner) said: "And I too have heard it." This wording is that of the narration of Hammad bin Zayd.

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "If one of you were told: 'If you go to such-and-such a village in the morning, you will receive four hundred young she-camels,' he would say: 'The time has come for me to set out in the morning.' Yet if one of you went out in the morning and learned a single verse of the Book of Allah, it would be better for him than four, and four, and four" until he counted a great many.
Abu Ishaq said: Abu Ubaydah told me that when Sayyiduna Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) came out in the morning, people would come to his house, and he would say: "Stay in your places." Then he would pass by those whom he taught the Qur'an and say: "O Abu so-and-so, which surah are you on?" He would tell him. Then he would say: "On which verse?" He would tell him, and he would teach him the verse that follows it, then say: "Learn it, for it is better for you than everything between the heavens and the earth." The narrator said: So the man would think that there was no verse in the Qur'an better than it. Then he would pass by another and say the same to him, until he had said it to all of them.

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) would teach a man a verse and then say: "This is better than everything upon which the sun rises" or he would say: "better than everything on the earth" until he would say this about every verse of the whole Qur'an.

Sayyiduna Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Whoever wants the good of the earlier and the later generations, let him search the Qur'an thoroughly, for in it is the good of the earlier and the later generations."

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Whoever wants knowledge, let him search the Qur'an thoroughly, for it is the good of the earlier and the later generations."

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Whoever wants knowledge, let him search the Qur'an thoroughly, for in it is the knowledge of the earlier and the later generations."

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Every letter has a limit, and every limit has a glimpse (a point from which it is perceived)."

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "There is no letter of the Qur'an except that it has a limit, and every limit has a glimpse (a point from which it is perceived)."

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Whoever recites 'Qul huwa Allahu ahad' (Say: He is Allah, the One), it is as though he has recited a third of the Qur'an."

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "The example of the one who recites the Qur'an but does not act upon it is like a fragrant flower whose scent is pleasant but which has no taste. The example of the one who acts upon the Qur'an but does not recite it is like a date whose taste is pleasant but which has no scent. The example of the one who learns the Qur'an and teaches it is like a citron whose taste is pleasant and whose scent is pleasant. And the example of the one who neither recites the Qur'an nor acts upon it is like a colocynth whose taste is bad and whose scent is bad."

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Whoever recites Surah al-Baqarah in a night has done both much and well."

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Whoever recites three verses of Surah al-Baqarah in a night has done much and done well."

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Whoever recites ten verses of Surah al-Baqarah in a house, no devil will enter that house that night until morning: four verses from its beginning, Ayat al-Kursi, the two verses after it, and the closing verses of the surah."

Sayyiduna Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) used to recite the verse of Surah al-Naml in this way: 'wa kullun atawhu dakhirin' (and all will come to Him in humility).

Tamim bin Hadhlam narrated: I recited the Qur'an before Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him), and he corrected me in only two places. I recited: 'wa kullun atawhu dakhirin', and he said: "Recite: 'wa kullun aatawhu dakhirin'." And I recited: 'hatta idha istay'asa al-rusulu wa zannu annahum qad kudhibu', and he said: "Recite: 'wa zannu annahum qad kadhabu'."