The Excellence of the Holy Quran

“Whoever reads Chapter 1 12 of the Holy Quran once receives blessings. Whoever reads it twice, he and his family receive blessings. Whoever reads it three times, he, his family and his neighbors receive blessings. Whoever reads it twelve times, Allah will build for him twelve palaces in paradise and the keepers will say, ‘We should go and see the palaces of our brother so and so.’ Whoever reads it one hundred times his sins of twenty-five years will be forgiven, except murders and properties. Whoever reads it four hundred times will receive a reward equal to that for four hundred martyrs, each of whom martyred after the destruction of his horse. Whoever reads it one thousand times in one day and night will not die before seeing his place in paradise or is shown for him (to a third party).”’

“When Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, commanded certain verses of the Holy Quran to descend to earth, they clung to the Throne asking, ‘O Lord, why are You sending us to people of sins and evil deeds.’ Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, inspired them to descend saying, ‘I swear by My Majesty and Glory that any Shi’a (followers) of Ahl al-Bciyt (family of Muhammad, recipients of divine supreme covenant), who reads you after an obligatory prayer every day I will look at him with My hidden eyes (special favor) everyday seventy times and in every look fulfill his seventy wishes and accept him with whatever sins he may have. The verses are Chapter One of the Holy Quran, verses 18-19 and 26-27 of Chapter 3 and verse 255 of Chapter 2 of the Holy Quran.’”

“I heard abu Ja’far (a.s.) saying, ‘Whoever reads all the chapters that begin with the word, ‘Sabbaha, or Yusabbihu’ before going to sleep will not die before seeing the twelfth Imam, and when he dies, he will be in the neighborhood of Muhammad (a.s.).’”

“The Messenger of Allah has said, ‘Whoever reads Chapter 112 of the Holy Quran before going to sleep one hundred times, Allah forgives fifty years of his sins.’”

“The Messenger of Allah has said, ‘Whoever reads four verses from the beginning of Chapter 2 of the Holy Quran, verse 255- 257 and three verses from the end of this Chapter, he will not experience anything in his own self or property that he dislikes, Satan will not approach him and he will not forget the Holy Quran.’”

“Whoever reads Chapter 97 of the Holy Quran aloud, he is considered as one unsheathing his sword in the way of Allah, whoever reads it silently he is considered as one who has been socked with his own blood in the way of Allah and whoever reads it ten times, about one thousand of his sins will be forgiven.”

“My father (a.s.) would say, ‘Chapter 112 of the Holy Quran is one third and Chapter 109 is one forth of the Holy Quran.’”

Whoever forwards Chapter 112 between himself and a tyrant, Allah, the Most Majestic, will prevent the tyrant from harming him. He reads it to all directions: his front, back, right and left. When he does so, Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, provides him good dealings from the tyrant and protects him against his evil.’ The Imam said, ‘When you fear something read one hundred verses from the Holy Quran as you like and then say three times, “O Lord, remove the misfortune from me.’”

“Whoever reads one hundred verses of the Holy Quran in prayer in the night, Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, will write down for him the reward for one night’s worshipping. Whoever reads two hundred verses without being in prayer, the Holy Quran, on the Day of Judgment, will not argue against him. Whoever reads five hundred verses in one day and night, Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, writes down for him in the protected tablet one Qintar of good deeds. One Qintar is one thousand two hundred ‘Awqiyah, which is greater than the mountain of ‘Uhud.’”

“If one does not read Chapter 112 in twenty-four hours in any of the five prayers it will be said to him, ‘O servant (of Allah) you are not one of those who perform prayer.’”

“Whoever believes in Allah and in the life to come should not ignore reading Chapter 112 ( al-’Ikhlas ) of the Holy Quran after an obligatory prayer. Whoever does so (reads it), Allah will collect for him the good of this and the next life, forgive him, his parents and their children.”

“Chapter six ( al-An ’am) was revealed all in one piece escorted by seventy thousand angels until it came down upon Muhammad (a.s.). You must maintain its greatness and respect it. The name of Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, is mentioned therein at seventy places. Had people known what is in reading it, they would not have ignored it.”

“The Holy Prophet performed prayer for Sa’d ibn Mu’adh and said, ‘A delegate of seventy thousand angels was there, among them Jibril (Gabriel) was also there. They all performed prayer for him (the dead body of Sa’d ibn Mu’adh) and I said, ‘O Jibril (Gabriel), what is it that made him deserve your prayers?’ He said, ‘It was his reading Chapter 112 ( al-‘Ikhlas ) standing, sitting, riding, walking, coming and going.’”

“The Messenger of Allah has said, ‘Whoever read al-Hakum al-Takathur Chapter 102 of the Holy Quran at bedtime will be safe from the mischief of the grave.’”

“Whenever I read al-Hamd (Chapter One of the Holy Quran) for pain, seventy times, it was relieved.”

“If you read al-Hamd (Chapter One of the Holy Quran) seventy times over a dead body and it comes back to life, do not be astonished.”

“I heard abu al-Hassan (a.s.) saying, ‘If a child maintains reading every night Chapters 113, 114 three times each and Chapter 112 one hundred times or, if he cannot do it, fifty times Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, diverts all health problems of childhood and dehydration, stomach disorder and blood pressure all the time, as long as he maintains such readings until his old age. If he would maintain it or is made to maintain it, he will remain safe until the time Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, will take his soul away.’”

“I heard abu Ibrahim (a.s.) saying, ‘If one considers one verse of the Holy Quran sufficient (for his protection) from East to West, it is enough [with certainty].”’

“Find a new pot made of clay and fill it with water then read Chapter 97 of the Holy Quran on it thirty times, then hang it from something, use it for drink and wuzu and add water if so desired (if Allah wills).”

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.) said, ‘O Mufaddal, protect yourself from all people with this: ‘(I begin) in the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful’, and with Chapter 112 by reading toward each directions: right, left, front, back, above and below. When you enter in the presence of a tyranical ruler read it three times when looking at him, count it with your left hand and continue reading until you leave his presence.’”

“I swear by the One who sent Muhammad (a.s.) with the truth and honored his family, all supplications for protection is in the Holy Quran. In the Holy Quran there is protection against fire, theft, straying of animals from the owner, lost items, or runaway persons. Whoever wants to know, ask me. The narrator has said that a man then stood up and said, ‘Instruct me in something against fire and drowning’ The Imam said, ‘Read this verse: “The (true) Guardian is certainly Allah Who has revealed the Book and is the Guardian of the righteous ones.” (7:196) and ‘They have not paid due respect to Allah. The whole earth will be gripped in His hands on the Day of Judgment and the heavens will be just like a scroll in His right hand. Allah is by far more Glorious and High to be considered equal to their idols.’ (39:67) Whoever reads them will be safe from burns and drowning. [The man read them and fire broke out in the homes of his neighbors. His house was in the middle but remained unaffected]. Then another man stood up and said, ‘O Amir al-Mu’Minin (a.s.) my horse is unyielding and I am afraid of it.’ The Imam said, ‘Read in his right ear: “. . . all that is in the heavens and the earth have submitted themselves to His will, either by their own free will or by force? To Allah all things do return.” (3:83) [He read the above verse and his horse became subservient]. Another man stood up and said, ‘O Amir al- Mu’Minin, my land is filled with wild beasts. They overwhelm my house to get their prey.’ The Imam said, ‘Read: “A Messenger from your own people has come to you. Your destruction and suffering is extremely distressful to him. He really cares about you and is very compassionate and merciful to the believers.”’ (9:128) (Muhammad), if they turn away from you, say, ‘Allah is sufficient (support) for me. No one deserves to be worshipped except Allah. In Him 1 trust and He is the Owner of the Great Throne.’ (9:129) [This man also was saved from the beasts after reading the Quranic reading]. “Thereafter another man stood up and said, ‘O Amir al- Mu’Minin, in my stomach there is yellow water. Is there any cure for it?’ The Imam said yes, without dirham and dinar, ‘Write verse 255 of Chapter 2 of the Holy Quran on your stomach, then wash and drink it to save it in your stomach, you will be cured by the will of Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy.’ [This man also followed the instruction and was cured]. Another man stood up and asked about his straying animal. The Imam said, ‘Read Chapter 36 in two Rak’at (a prayer consisting of two times bowing down on one’s knees) prayer and say, “O guide of the straying, return my straying animal to me.’ [This man also followed the instruction and his animal was returned]. Another man stood up and said, ‘O Amir al-Mu’minin, tell me about a runaway.’ The Imam said, ‘Read: “Or they (the deeds of the unbelievers) are like the darkness of a deep, stormy sea with layers of giant waves, covered by dark clouds. It is darkness upon darkness whereby even if one stretches out his hands, he cannot see them. One can have no light unless Allah gives him light.’” (24:40) [He followed the instruction and his runaway person was found]. Thereafter another man stood up and said, ‘O Amir al-Mu’minin, tell me about theft. Every night they steal my things.’ The Imam said, ‘When going to bed read, “(Muhammad), tell them, ‘It is all the same whether you call Him Allah or the Beneficent. All the good names belong to Him. (Muhammad), do not be very loud or slow in your prayer. Choose a moderate way of praying.’ (17:110) Say, ‘It is only Allah who deserves all praise. . . .’ (17:111) Amir al-Mu’minin, Ali ibn abu Talib (a.s.) has said, ‘If one is in an uninhabited land at night the angels will guard him and devils move away from him upon his reading this: ‘Your Lord is Allah Who established His dominion over the Throne (of the realm) after having created the heavens and the earth in six days. He made the night darken the day, which it pursues at a (considerable) speed and He made the sun and the moon submissive to His command. Is it not He who creates and governs all things? Blessed is Allah, the Cherisher of the Universe.’ (7:54) The narrator has said that a man traveled and stayed at a mined town without reading the above verse of the Holy Quran, Satan overwhelmed him and was holding his face. His (Satan’s) friend told him to wait. It made the man wake up and read the above verse of the Holy Quran. Satan then said to his friend, ‘May Allah humiliate you, now stay here to guard him till morning.’ In the morning he came to Amir al-Mu’minin, Ali ibn abu Talib (a.s.) and informed him of the incident saying, ‘In your words I found cure and truth.’ After sunrise he went to the place and he found a bunch of the hairs of the devil on the ground.’”

“I heard abu Ja’far (a.s.) saying, ‘If al-Hamd, (the first Chapter of the Holy Quran) would not cure one, nothing else could cure one.’”

“Whoever at the time of going to bed reads Chapter 109 of the Holy Quran, Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, will write down for him immunity from polytheism.”

“Do not be dismayed in reading Chapter 99 of the Holy Quran. If one reads it in the optional prayers, Allah, the Most Majestic, the Most Holy, protects him, all the time, against earthquakes and will not die thereby or by lightening and of worldly calamities until the time of his death. When he dies a noble angel comes to him from his Lord, sits near his head and says to the angel of death, ‘Be kind to the friend of Allah. It is he who very often spoke of me and read this Chapter. ’ The Chapter will also say similar words. The angel of death will then say, ‘My Lord has commanded me to listen to Him, obey Him and will not take his spirit out without His commanding me to do so. When He commands me, then I take his spirit out.’ The angel of death remains with him until he commands to take his spirit out. When the curtains are moved aside and he sees his places in paradise, his spirit comes out very gently as the gentlest treatment. Thereafter his spirit is escorted to paradise by seventy thousand angels rushing him to paradise.”