Virtues of Surah Al Baqarah (2)

The Prophet said, ‘The Qur’an and those who committed themselves to it will be presented on the Day of judgement, preceded by Surah al-Baqarah and Surah al Imran’.
[Muslim 805]

The Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said, ‘Learn how to recite Surah al-Baqarah for there is a blessing in it, and there is sorrow for abandoning it, and it is unbearable for the idle’ and that ‘al Baqarah and al Imran are like two flowers which will shade their learner on the day of Judgement, as if there were two large clouds or two flocks of birds’.
[Ahmad 21872 & Buraida al-Aslami Muslim 1/553]

The Prophet said, ‘Recite Surah al Baqarah in your dwellings and do not keep them as tombs. He also said that whoever recited Surah al Baqarah at night would be crowned with a crown of paradise.’
[Baihaqi in Al-Shuaib]

Abu Huraira reported that the Messenger of Allah (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said, “Do not turn your houses into graves. Shaitan is barred from any house in which Surat al-Baqarah (2) is recited.” [Muslim 780, 4: 1707]

The Prophet was asked, ‘Which part of the Qur’an is the best?’. He replied, ‘The Surah in which the cow is mentioned’. He was then asked ‘Which part of that Surah?’. He replied, ‘The verse of the Throne and the last pasrt of Surah al Baqarah came down from under the Throne’
[Darimi 3248]

The Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said, ‘Al Baqarah is the top (or pinnacle) of the Qur’an. Eighty angels came down with each one of it’s verses and extracted the verse of the throne from under the throne, and it was joined to the other verses’
[Ahmad 5/26]

Abu Ummamah (radiAllahu anhu) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Whoever recites Ayat Al-Kursi immediately after each prescribed Prayer, there will be nothing standing between him and his entering Paradise except death.”
[an-Nasa’i, Ibn Hibban, Darimi 3249/A]

Imam Ahmad (rahimullah) said: It was narrated that Asma’ bint Yazid ibn As-Sakan (radiAllahu anha) said, I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say about these two verses— “Allah! There is no god but He, the Ever-Living, the One Who sustains and protects all that exists…” [Al-Baraqah, 2: 255] and “Alif. Laam. Meem. Allah! None has the right to be worshiped but He, the Ever-Living, the One Who sustains and protects all that exists” [’Al ‘Imran, 3: 1-2]— that they contain the greatest name of Allah.
[abu Dawud, at-Tirmidhi, Tafsir of Imam Ibn Kathir]

Ubayy ibn Ka’b reported that the Messenger of Allah (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said, “O Abu’l-Mundhir! Do you know which ayat in the Book of Allah is greatest you have?’ I said, ‘Allah. there is no god but Him, the Living, the Self-Sustaining.’ (W2:253; H2:256) He struck me on the chest and said, ‘May knowledge delight you, Abu’l-Mundhir!’”
[Muslim, Riyad as-Salihin by Imam an-Nawawi]

Imam Ahmad narrated: Muhammad ibn Ja’far told us, Uthman ibn Itab told us, he said: I heard Abu As-Sulayl saying, A man from among the Companions of the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) addressed the people until a large number had gathered around him, then he climbed onto the roof of a house and addressed the people, saying: “The Messenger of Allah (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said, ‘Which verse of the Qur’an is the greatest?’ A man said, ‘Allah! There is no god but He, the Ever-Living, the One Who sustains and protects all that exists…’ [Al-Baqarah, 2: 255].’ He said: He put his hand between my shoulders and I felt coolness in the center of my chest, [or he said] he put his hand on the center of my chest and I felt coolness between my shoulders, and he said, ‘Congratulations on your knowledge, Abul-Mundhir.’”
Another version of the same hadith.
[Tafsir of Imam Ibn Kathir]

It was reported from the Messenger (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) that “It is the greatest verse in the Book of Allah.” (referring to Ayat al-Kursi). It was narrated from Ubayy ibn Ka’b (radiAllahu anhu) that the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) asked him which verse in the Book of Allah was the greatest. He said, “Allah and His Messenger know best.” He repeated it several times, then he said, “Ayat Al-Kursi.” The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Congratulations upon your knowledge, Abul-Mundhir. By the One in Whose hand is my soul, it has a tongue and two lips, and it glorifies the Sovereign (i.e., Allah) at the foot of the Throne.”
[Tafsir of Imam Ibn Kathir]

Abu Umamah (radiAllahu anhu) reported that the messenger of Allah (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said, “The greatest name of Allah, which if He is called by it, He responds, is in three surahs: Al-Baqarah, ‘al ‘Imran and Ta-Ha.” Hisham ibn Ammar, the khateeb of Damascus, said: “In Al-Baqarah, it is ‘Allah! There is no god but He, the Ever-Living, the One Who sustains and protects all that exist’ [Al-Baraqah, 2: 255]. In ‘al ‘Imran it is ‘Alif. Laam. Meem. Allah! There is no god but He, the Ever-Living, the One Who sustains and protects all that exists’ [’al ‘Imran, 3: 1-2]. And in Ta-Ha it is ‘And (all) faces shall be humbled before (Allah), the Ever- Living, the One Who sustains and protects all that exists’ [Ta-Ha, 20: 111].”
[narrated in a marfu’ report (one that is traced all the way back to the Prophet [salAllahu alayhi wasalam], Tafsir of Imam Ibn Kathir)]

The Prophet said, ‘Whoever recites 4 verses from the first part of Surah al Baqarah, the verse of the Throne, two verses after the verse of the Throne and three verses from the last part of Surah al Baqarah, Satan would never come near him or the members of his family on that day, and nothing he despises would come near him or the members of his family, and never are these verses recited over a madman without him regaining his consciousness’
[Darimi 3249/A in the Book of Excellence of the Quran; an-Nasai in the Deeds during the Day and Night; Ibn Hibban & Tabrani]

Abdullah ibn Mas’ud (radiAllahu anhu) said, ‘Whoever recited ten verses from al-Baqarah in the night, Satan shall not have access to that house, during the night till he wakes in the morning. These are: Four from the first part of the Surah, followed by the verse of the Throne, two verses after the verse of the Throne and three from the last part of the Surah’.
[Darimi 3248/A]

Abu Umamah (radiAllahu anhu) reported that the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said, ‘Recite Surah al-Baqarah: for to hold on to it is a barakah (blessing), to leave it is a regret’
[Muslim]

Abu Hurairah (radiAllahu anhu) reported that the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said, ‘Everything has a hump, and the hump of the Qur’an is al-Baqarah’
[at-Tirmidhi, ad-Darami]

Abu Mas’ud al-Badri (radiAllahu anhu) reported that the Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said, “If anyone recites the two ayats at the end of Surat al-Baqarah (2) at night, they will be enough for him.”
[Sahih al-Bukhari 6:61 #530, Agreed upon]

It was narrated from Abdullah ibn Ubayy ibn Ka’b (radiAllahu anhu) that his father told him that he had a vessel in which he kept dates. He used to check on it and found that the number was decreasing. So he kept guard on it one night and saw a beast that looked like an adolescent boy. He said: I greeted him with salams and he returned my greeting, then I asked him, “What are you, a jinn or a human?” He said, “A jinn.” I said to him, “Show me your hand.” So he showed me his hand, and it looked like a dog’s paw with dog’s fur. I said, “Do all the jinn look like this?” He said, “I know no one among the jinn who is stronger than I.” I said, “What made you do what you did [i.e., taking the dates]?” He said, “We heard that you are a man who loves charity, and we wanted to have some of your food.” Ubayy asked him, “What will protect us from you?” He said, “This verse, Ayat Al-Kursi.” Then the next day he [Ubayy] went to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and told him (about what had happened) and he said, “The evil one spoke the truth.”
[Tafsir of Imam Ibn Katheer]

Ibn ‘Abbas (radiAllahu anhu) said, “While Jibril (salayhis salam) was sitting with the Prophet, he heard a sound above him and raised his head. He said, ‘This is a door of heaven which has been opened today and which has never been opened before today. An angel descended from it.’ He said, ‘This is an angel who has descended to earth who has never descended before today.’ He gave the greeting and said, ‘Give the good news of two lights which you have been given and which no Prophet before you was given: the Fatiha of the Book and the end of Surah al-Baqarah (2). You will not recite a letter of them without being given it.’”
[Muslim, Riyad as-Salihin by Imam an-Nawawi]

Abu Umamah (radiAllahu anhu) reported that the Messenger of Allah (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said ‘Read the two radiant ones al-Baqarah and Al ‘Imran for they will come on the Day of Resurrection like two clouds, or two shades, or two flocks of birds, pleading for their companions’
[Muslim]

Al-Nawwas Ibn Sam’an (radiAllahu anhu) reported that the Messenger of Allah (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said ‘The Qur’an will be brought on the Day of Resurrection, along with its companions who used to act by it, at the front being Surah al-Baqarah and Al ‘Imran like two black clouds or canopies with light, or two flocks of birds pleading for their companion’
[Muslim]

Abu Huraira (radiAllahu anhu) said, “The Messenger of Allah (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) put me in charge of guarding the zakat of Ramadan. Someone came and began to take handfuls of food. I grabbed him and said, ‘By Allah, I will take you to the Messenger of Allah!’ He said, ‘I am needy and have a large family and I am in dire need.’ I let him go and in the morning the Prophet said, ‘Abu Huraira, what did you do with your prisoner yesterday?’ I said, ‘Messenger of Allah, he complained of dire need and a large family, so I showed mercy to him and let him go on his way.’ He said, ‘He lied to you and he will come back.’ So, from the words of the Messenger of Allah, I knew that he would come back. Therefore, I lay in wait for him and he came and once more began to take handfuls of food. I seized him and said, ‘I will take you to the Messenger of Allah!’ He said, ‘Let me go. I am in need and have a large family. I will not come back again.’ I had mercy on him and let him go his way. In the morning the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said to me, ‘Abu Huraira, what did you do with your prisoner yesterday?’ I said, ‘Messenger of Allah, he complained of dire need and a large family, so I showed mercy to him and let him go on his way.’ He said, ‘He lied to you and he will come back.’ So I lay in wait for him a third time and he came and began to take handfuls of food. I grabbed him and said, ‘I will take you to the Messenger of Allah! This is the third time. You claimed you would not come back and then you came back.’ He said, ‘Let me go. I will teach you some words which will help you with Allah.’ I said, ‘What are they?’ He said, ‘When you go to bed, recite the Throne Verse, “Allah, there is no god but Him, the Living, the Self-Sustaining…” to the end of the ayat. You will have someone guarding over you from Allah and shaitan will not come near you until morning.’ So I let him go his way. In the morning, the Messenger of Allah (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said to me, ‘What did you do with your prisoner yesterday?’ I said, ‘Messenger of Allah, he claimed that he would teach me some words which would help me with Allah, so I let him go his way.’ He said, ‘What are they?’ I said, ‘He said to me, “When you go to bed, recite the Throne Verse to the end: ‘Allah, there is no god but Him, the Living, the Self-Sustaining’.” He said to me, “You will have someone guarding over you from Allah and shaitan will not come near you until morning.”‘ The Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said, “He told you the truth even though he is a liar. Do you know whom you were speaking with on these three days, Abu Huraira?’” He said, “No.” The Prophet said, “It was Shaitan.”
[Sahih al-Bukhari]

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