❖ Virtues of Sūrah Wāqiʿah & Sūrah Mulk and Sunnah Acts for Barakah in Rizq ❖
Source: Aḥkām wa Masāʾil fī Ḍawʾ al-Qurʾān wal-Ḥadīth, Vol. 1, p. 491
✿ Question:
➊ It is said about Sūrah Wāqiʿah that whoever recites it every night before sleeping will never face poverty. Is this correct? It is also reported that ʿAbdullāh ibn Masʿūd (رضي الله عنه) used to instruct his daughters to recite it every night.
If someone recites Sūrah Wāqiʿah together with Sūrah Mulk with the intention that he will not be dependent upon anyone besides Allah, is this correct? If not, then please mention a sūrah that the Prophet ﷺ described as a means of protection from poverty.
➋ Apart from Sūrah Wāqiʿah and Sūrah Mulk, which sūrahs are Sunnah to recite before sleeping?
✿ Answer:
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu wa-s-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh, ammā baʿd:
① The Reality of the Narration on Sūrah Wāqiʿah
The narration from ʿAbdullāh ibn Masʿūd (رضي الله عنه):
مَنْ قَرَأَ سُوْرَۃَ الْوَاقِعَۃِ فِیْ كُلِّ لَیْلَۃٍ لَمْ تُصِبْہُ فَاقَۃٌ أَبَدًا وَكَانَ ابْنُ مَسْعُوْدٍ یَأْمُرُ بَنَاتِہِ یَقْرَأنَ بِہَا فِیْ كُلِّ لَیْلَۃٍ
“Whoever recites Sūrah Wāqiʿah every night will never be afflicted by poverty, and Ibn Masʿūd (رضي الله عنه) used to command his daughters to recite it every night.”
This narration does not reach the level of authenticity.
- Shaykh al-Albānī (رحمه الله) declared its chain weak (ḍaʿīf) in his Taḥqīq al-Mishkāt.
- Though some scholars like the author of Mirʿāt al-Mafātīḥ quoted others saying its isnād is ḥasan, the rule of ḥadīth is that even if a chain seems acceptable, the ḥadīth itself may still not be authentic.
Thus, reciting Sūrah Wāqiʿah with Sūrah Mulk together with the belief that it guarantees protection from poverty has no basis in Qur’an or authentic Sunnah.
② Sunnah Actions for Rizq and Barakah
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
مَنْ أَحَبَّ أَنْ يُبْسَطَ لَهُ فِي رِزْقِهِ وَيُنْسَأَ لَهُ فِي أَثَرِهِ فَلْيَصِلْ رَحِمَهُ
“Whoever wishes that his sustenance be increased and his lifespan blessed, let him maintain ties of kinship.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī – Kitāb al-Adab)
He ﷺ also supplicated for Anas ibn Mālik (رضي الله عنه):
اَللّٰهُمَّ أَكْثِرْ مَالَهُ وَوَلَدَهُ وَبَارِكْ لَهُ فِيمَا أَعْطَيْتَهُ
“O Allah! Increase his wealth and offspring, and bless him in what You have granted him.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī – Kitāb al-Daʿawāt)
Hence, a believer should:
- Maintain silat al-raḥim (ties of kinship).
- Frequently make duʿāʾ such as:
اَللّٰهُمَّ أَكْثِرْ مَالِيْ وَوَلَدِيْ وَبَارِكْ لِيْ فِيمَا أَعْطَيْتَنِيْ
“O Allah! Increase my wealth and children, and bless me in what You have granted me.”
③ Sūrahs to Recite Before Sleeping
From the authentic Sunnah:
- Recite the last three sūrahs (al-Ikhlāṣ, al-Falaq, al-Nās), each three times.
- Blow into the palms, then wipe over the body from head to toe as far as possible.
- Repeat this process three times.
Conclusion:- The narration about Sūrah Wāqiʿah protecting from poverty is weak and not established from the Prophet ﷺ.
- There is no authentic basis for combining Sūrah Wāqiʿah and Sūrah Mulk for relief from poverty.
- The Sunnah means of attaining barakah in rizq are silat al-raḥim, sincere duʿāʾ, and practicing prophetic supplications.
- Before sleeping, the last three sūrahs are authentically prescribed.
