Virtue of Reciting Surah Al-Kahf on Friday

Written by: Shaykh Mubashir Ahmad Rabbani (Hafidhahullah)

Question:​

What is the virtue of reciting Surah Al-Kahf on the day of Jumu'ah (Friday)? Please provide an answer in light of the Qur'an and Hadith.

Answer:​

Reciting Surah Al-Kahf on Friday holds significant virtue based on the following authentic narrations:

1. Hadith of Abu Sa’id Al-Khudri (رضي الله عنه):​

Abu Sa’id Al-Khudri (رضي الله عنه) narrates that the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said:

“Whoever recites Surah Al-Kahf on the day of Jumu'ah, a light will be illuminated for him between the two Fridays.”
(Al-Mustadrak lil-Hakim, Kitab al-Tafsir: Tafsir Surah Al-Kahf, 2/368)

2. Another Narration of Abu Sa’id Al-Khudri (رضي الله عنه):​

In a different narration, Abu Sa’id Al-Khudri (رضي الله عنه) reported:

“Whoever recites Surah Al-Kahf on the day of Jumu'ah, a light will shine for him from where he is to the House of Allah (Ka'bah).”
(Bayhaqi, 3/249)

Authentication of the Hadith:​

• Imam Al-Hakim (رحمه الله) declared the first narration authentic (Sahih al-Isnad).
• Imam Al-Dhahabi (رحمه الله) criticized one narrator, Nu’aym bin Hammad, labeling him as "narrator of Munkar reports."
• However, this criticism is not valid because Nu’aym is not the sole narrator. Other reliable narrators, such as Yazid bin Mukhallad and Saeed bin Mansoor, have corroborated this Hadith.

For a detailed discussion, refer to Irwa' al-Ghalil (3/95-96, Hadith No. 626).

Conclusion:​

From the above authentic narrations, it is established that reciting Surah Al-Kahf on Jumu'ah results in:

1. A light being illuminated between two Fridays.
2. A light shining between the reciter and the Ka'bah.

Thus, reciting Surah Al-Kahf on the day of Jumu'ah (Friday) is a well-established and virtuous practice.