(Excerpt taken from Shaykh Ghulam Mustafa Zaheer Amunpuri’s book: “Virtues of Surahs and Verses”)
Narration of ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿAmr ibn al-ʿĀṣ رضي الله عنهما:
أتى رجل رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم فقال: أقرئني يا رسول الله، فقال له رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: اقرأ ثلاثًا من ذات الراء، فقال الرجل: كبرت سني، واشتد قلبي، وغلظ لساني. قال: اقرأ ثلاثًا من ذات حم، فقال مثل مقالته الأولى، قال: اقرأ ثلاثًا من المسبحات، فقال مثل مقالته، ثم قال الرجل: ولكن أقرئني سورة جامعة، قال: فاقرأ إِذَا زُلْزِلَتِ الْأَرْضُ زِلْزَالَهَا، حتى فرغ منها، فقال الرجل: والذي بعثك بالحق لا أزيد عليها شيئًا أبدًا، ثم أدبر الرجل، فقال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: أفلح الرويجل، أفلح الرويجل.
A man came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and said, “O Messenger of Allah, teach me (some part of) the Qur’an.”
The Prophet ﷺ said, “Recite three surahs beginning with ‘الر’ (Alif-Lam-Ra).”
The man replied, “I have grown old, my heart has hardened, and my tongue is heavy.”
The Prophet ﷺ said, “Then recite three surahs beginning with ‘حم’ (Ha-Meem).”
He repeated the same response. The Prophet ﷺ then said, “Recite three surahs beginning with ‘سبح’ (Subh).”
He again said the same, and then added, “O Messenger of Allah, teach me a comprehensive surah.”
The Prophet ﷺ recited to him Surah Az-Zalzalah (إِذَا زُلْزِلَتِ الْأَرْضُ زِلْزَالَهَا).
When the Prophet ﷺ finished, the man swore, saying,
“By the One Who sent you with the truth, I will never add anything to this!” Then he departed.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “That little man has succeeded, that little man has succeeded.”
Musnad Ahmad: 2/169; Sunan Abu Dawud: 1999 – Chain Hasan (sound)
Scholarly Authentication:
Narration of ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿAmr ibn al-ʿĀṣ رضي الله عنهما:
أُنْزِلَتْ: إِذَا زُلْزِلَتِ الْأَرْضُ زِلْزَالَهَا، وَأَبُو بَكْرٍ الصِّدِّيقُ قَاعِدٌ، فَبَكَى أَبُو بَكْرٍ، فَقَالَ لَهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم: مَا يُبْكِيكَ يَا أَبَا بَكْرٍ؟ فَقَالَ: أَبْكَانِي هَذِهِ السُّورَةُ، فَقَالَ لَهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم: لَوْ أَنَّكُمْ لَا تُخْطِئُونَ وَلَا تُذْنِبُونَ، فَيُغْفَرَ لَكُمْ، لَخَلَقَ اللَّهُ أُمَّةً مِنْ بَعْدِكُمْ يُخْطِئُونَ وَيُذْنِبُونَ فَيَغْفِرُ اللَّهُ لَهُمْ.
When Surah Az-Zalzalah was revealed, Abu Bakr al-Siddiq رضي الله عنه was sitting beside the Prophet ﷺ. Upon hearing it, Abu Bakr began to weep.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ asked, “O Abu Bakr, what makes you weep?”
He replied, “This surah has made me weep.”
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“If you did not err and sin — and Allah forgave you — He would create another people who would err and sin, and then Allah would forgive them.”
Tafsir al-Tabari: 24/553 – Chain Hasan (sound)
① Surah Az-Zalzalah is short yet comprehensive — a reminder of accountability and the Day of Judgment.
② Its recitation was enough to bring success for the man who learned it with sincerity.
③ It moved the heart of Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه, showing its deep message of humility, repentance, and divine mercy.
④ Allah loves those who repent; sin and forgiveness are part of the believer’s spiritual journey.
① The Surah that Ensures Success for Its Reciter
Narration of ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿAmr ibn al-ʿĀṣ رضي الله عنهما:
أتى رجل رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم فقال: أقرئني يا رسول الله، فقال له رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: اقرأ ثلاثًا من ذات الراء، فقال الرجل: كبرت سني، واشتد قلبي، وغلظ لساني. قال: اقرأ ثلاثًا من ذات حم، فقال مثل مقالته الأولى، قال: اقرأ ثلاثًا من المسبحات، فقال مثل مقالته، ثم قال الرجل: ولكن أقرئني سورة جامعة، قال: فاقرأ إِذَا زُلْزِلَتِ الْأَرْضُ زِلْزَالَهَا، حتى فرغ منها، فقال الرجل: والذي بعثك بالحق لا أزيد عليها شيئًا أبدًا، ثم أدبر الرجل، فقال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: أفلح الرويجل، أفلح الرويجل.
A man came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and said, “O Messenger of Allah, teach me (some part of) the Qur’an.”
The Prophet ﷺ said, “Recite three surahs beginning with ‘الر’ (Alif-Lam-Ra).”
The man replied, “I have grown old, my heart has hardened, and my tongue is heavy.”
The Prophet ﷺ said, “Then recite three surahs beginning with ‘حم’ (Ha-Meem).”
He repeated the same response. The Prophet ﷺ then said, “Recite three surahs beginning with ‘سبح’ (Subh).”
He again said the same, and then added, “O Messenger of Allah, teach me a comprehensive surah.”
The Prophet ﷺ recited to him Surah Az-Zalzalah (إِذَا زُلْزِلَتِ الْأَرْضُ زِلْزَالَهَا).
When the Prophet ﷺ finished, the man swore, saying,
“By the One Who sent you with the truth, I will never add anything to this!” Then he departed.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “That little man has succeeded, that little man has succeeded.”
Musnad Ahmad: 2/169; Sunan Abu Dawud: 1999 – Chain Hasan (sound)Scholarly Authentication:
- Imām Ibn Ḥibbān (Hadith no. 773) declared it Sahih (authentic).
- Imām al-Ḥākim (1/532) said it meets the conditions of al-Bukhārī and Muslim,
and Ḥāfiẓ al-Dhahabī also graded it Sahih.
② The Surah That Moved Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه to Tears
Narration of ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿAmr ibn al-ʿĀṣ رضي الله عنهما:
أُنْزِلَتْ: إِذَا زُلْزِلَتِ الْأَرْضُ زِلْزَالَهَا، وَأَبُو بَكْرٍ الصِّدِّيقُ قَاعِدٌ، فَبَكَى أَبُو بَكْرٍ، فَقَالَ لَهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم: مَا يُبْكِيكَ يَا أَبَا بَكْرٍ؟ فَقَالَ: أَبْكَانِي هَذِهِ السُّورَةُ، فَقَالَ لَهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم: لَوْ أَنَّكُمْ لَا تُخْطِئُونَ وَلَا تُذْنِبُونَ، فَيُغْفَرَ لَكُمْ، لَخَلَقَ اللَّهُ أُمَّةً مِنْ بَعْدِكُمْ يُخْطِئُونَ وَيُذْنِبُونَ فَيَغْفِرُ اللَّهُ لَهُمْ.
When Surah Az-Zalzalah was revealed, Abu Bakr al-Siddiq رضي الله عنه was sitting beside the Prophet ﷺ. Upon hearing it, Abu Bakr began to weep.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ asked, “O Abu Bakr, what makes you weep?”
He replied, “This surah has made me weep.”
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“If you did not err and sin — and Allah forgave you — He would create another people who would err and sin, and then Allah would forgive them.”
Tafsir al-Tabari: 24/553 – Chain Hasan (sound)Lessons and Reflections
① Surah Az-Zalzalah is short yet comprehensive — a reminder of accountability and the Day of Judgment.
② Its recitation was enough to bring success for the man who learned it with sincerity.
③ It moved the heart of Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه, showing its deep message of humility, repentance, and divine mercy.
④ Allah loves those who repent; sin and forgiveness are part of the believer’s spiritual journey.
