Virtues of the Musabbihāt: Surahs Beginning with "Sabbaha" in Light of Authentic Ahadith
Adapted from the book “Virtues of Surahs and Verses” by Shaykh Ghulam Mustafa Zaheer Amunpuri
✿ What Are the Musabbihāt?
The Musabbihāt are the seven Surahs of the Qur'an that begin with the glorification of Allah using the root word سَبَّحَ (to glorify/praise). These are:
◈ Surah Al-Isrā’ (17)
◈ Surah Al-Ḥadīd (57)
◈ Surah Al-Ḥashr (59)
◈ Surah As-Ṣaff (61)
◈ Surah Al-Jumu‘ah (62)
◈ Surah At-Taghābun (64)
◈ Surah Al-A‘lā (87)
✿ ❶ Prophet ﷺ Used to Recite the Musabbihāt Before Sleeping
Sayyiduna ‘Irbaḍ ibn Sāriyah رضي الله عنه narrated:
إن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم كان يقرأ المسبحات قبل أن يرقد ويقول : إن فيهن آية أفضل من ألف آية.
Musnad Aḥmad 4/128, Sunan Abī Dāwūd: 5057, Sunan al-Tirmidhī: 2921, Shuʿab al-Īmān by al-Bayhaqī: 2273 – Chain: Hasan
“The Prophet ﷺ used to recite the Musabbihāt before going to sleep and would say: ‘Indeed, within them is a verse that is better than a thousand verses.’”
Imām al-Tirmidhī رحمه الله graded this narration as ḥasan ṣaḥīḥ (sound and authentic).
Summary:
① The seven Musabbihāt are special chapters that begin with the glorification of Allah.
② The Prophet ﷺ made it his habit to recite them before sleeping.
③ Within these surahs is a verse more virtuous than a thousand verses.
④ This emphasizes the spiritual weight and immense reward associated with these chapters.
