لا تجعلوا بيوتكم مقابر، إن الشيطان ينفر من البيت الذي تقرأ فيه سورة البقرة
Do not turn your houses into graveyards: Satan flees from the house in which Surah Al-Baqarah is recited.
Virtues and benefits of Surah Al-Baqarah
Among the virtues of Surah Al-Baqarah: Satan flees the house in which it is recited (Muslim); it is the peak of the Qur’an; with Ali ’Imran it forms “the two radiant ones” that will plead for their reciter on the Day of Resurrection; taking it is a blessing, abandoning it a regret, and sorcerers cannot withstand it. Its closing verses are a light given only to the Prophet ﷺ, and it contains the Verse of the Throne.
Its virtues at a glance
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Satan flees the house where it is recited
The Prophet ﷺ said: “Do not turn your houses into graveyards: Satan flees from the house in which Surah Al-Baqarah is recited.” According to the hadith of Sahl ibn Sa’d, whoever recites it at home at night, Satan does not enter for three nights, and by day, for three days.
Authentic (sahih)Muslim (780) and At-Tirmidhi (2877) Good (hasan)Ibn Hibban (780) and Abu Ya’la (7554) Authentic (sahih)Al-Hakim and Al-Bayhaqi (Shu’ab al-Iman, 2377)
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The peak of the Qur’an
The Prophet ﷺ said: “Everything has a peak, and the peak of the Qur’an is Surah Al-Baqarah.” The peak of a thing is its highest point; this is explained by its length and the many rulings it contains.
Good (hasan)Ibn Hibban (780) and Abu Ya’la (7554) Authentic (sahih)Al-Hakim and Al-Bayhaqi (Shu’ab al-Iman, 2377)
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It pleads for its reciter on the Last Day
With Ali ’Imran it forms “the two radiant ones” that will come on the Day of Resurrection like two clouds, two shades or two flocks of birds, pleading for their companions; they will precede the Qur’an and its people who acted upon it.
Authentic (sahih)Abu Umamah al-Bahili Authentic (sahih)Muslim (805) and At-Tirmidhi (2883)
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Taking it is a blessing
The Prophet ﷺ said: “Recite Surah Al-Baqarah, for taking it is a blessing, abandoning it is a regret, and the sorcerers cannot withstand it.” Mu’awiyah ibn Sallam said: “It has reached me that ‘al-batalah’ means the sorcerers.”
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Its ending, a light never given before
An angel gave the Prophet ﷺ the good news of two lights no prophet before him had received: Al-Fatihah and the closing verses of Surah Al-Baqarah, of which he would not recite a letter without being granted it.
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Its last two verses suffice whoever recites them
The Prophet ﷺ said: “Whoever recites the last two verses of Surah Al-Baqarah at night, they will suffice him.”
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The honour of the one who knows it by heart
Reviewing what his Companions knew of the Qur’an before sending out a troop, the Prophet ﷺ appointed one of the youngest as leader because he knew Surah Al-Baqarah: “Go, for you are their leader.”
Good (hasan)At-Tirmidhi (2876), An-Nasa’i (As-Sunan al-Kubra, 8749) and Ibn Majah (217)
When to recite it
- At home, by night or by day, to drive Satan out of it (Muslim 780; Ibn Hibban 780)
- Every night, its last two verses: “whoever recites them at night, they will suffice him”
Hadiths on its virtues
Arabic text, translation, reference and authenticity grade of each hadith.
إن لكل شيء سنامًا، وإن سنام القرآن سورة البقرة، من قرأها في بيته ليلًا لم يدخل الشيطان بيته ثلاث ليال، ومن قرأها نهارًا لم يدخل الشيطان بيته ثلاثة أيام
Everything has a peak, and the peak of the Qur’an is Surah Al-Baqarah. Whoever recites it in his house at night, Satan will not enter his house for three nights; and whoever recites it by day, Satan will not enter his house for three days.
إن لكل شيء سنامًا، وسنام القرآن سورة البقرة، وإن الشيطان إذا سمع سورة البقرة تقرأ خرج من البيت الذي يقرأ فيه سورة البقرة
Everything has a peak, and the peak of the Qur’an is Surah Al-Baqarah. When Satan hears Surah Al-Baqarah being recited, he leaves the house in which it is recited.
اقرأوا القرآن، فإنه يأتي يوم القيامة شفيعًا لأصحابه، اقرأوا الزهراوين، البقرة وسورة آل عمران، فإنهما يأتيان يوم القيامة كأنهما غمامتان، أو كأنهما غيايتان، أو كأنهما فرقان من طير صواف تحاجان عن أصحابهما، اقرأوا سورة البقرة، فإن أخذها بركة، وتركها حسرة، ولا تستطيعها البطلة
Recite the Qur’an, for it will come on the Day of Resurrection as an intercessor for its companions. Recite the two radiant ones, Al-Baqarah and Ali ’Imran, for they will come on the Day of Resurrection like two clouds, two shades or two flocks of birds in ranks, pleading for their companions. Recite Surah Al-Baqarah, for taking it is a blessing, abandoning it is a regret, and the sorcerers cannot withstand it.
يؤتى بالقرآن يوم القيامة وأهله الذين كانوا يعملون به، تقدمه سورة البقرة وآل عمران … كأنهما غمامتان، أو ظلتان سوداوان بينهما شرق، أو كأنهما حزقان من طير صواف تحاجان عن صاحبهما
The Qur’an will be brought on the Day of Resurrection with its people who used to act upon it, preceded by Surah Al-Baqarah and Ali ’Imran … like two clouds, or two dark shades with light between them, or two flocks of birds in ranks, pleading for their companion.
أبشر بنورين قد أوتيتهما، ولم يؤتهما نبي قبلك: فاتحة الكتاب، وخواتيم سورة البقرة، لم تقرأ بحرف منهما إلا أعطيته
An angel who came down through a gate of heaven opened that day greeted the Prophet ﷺ and said: “Rejoice in two lights you have been given that no prophet before you was given: the Opening of the Book (Al-Fatihah) and the closing verses of Surah Al-Baqarah. You will not recite a letter of them without being granted it.”
من قرأ الآيتين من آخر سورة البقرة في ليلة كفتاه
Whoever recites the last two verses of Surah Al-Baqarah at night, they will suffice him.
بعث رسول الله ﷺ بعثًا وهم ذووا عدد فاستقرأهم … فأتى على رجل منهم من أحدثهم سنًّا فقال: «ما معك يا فلان؟» قال: معي كذا وكذا وسورة البقرة، قال: «أمعك سورة البقرة؟» فقال: نعم. قال: «فاذهب فأنت أميرهم»
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was sending out a large troop and asked each of them what they knew of the Qur’an … He came to one of the youngest and said: “What do you know?” “Such-and-such, and Surah Al-Baqarah.” “You know Surah Al-Baqarah?” “Yes.” “Go, for you are their leader.”
Widespread but unproven narrations
The hadith of Rabi’ah al-Jurashi “Which part of the Qur’an is best? The surah in which the cow is mentioned… and the closing verses of Al-Baqarah came down from beneath the Throne” has a weak chain, because of Abdullah ibn Lahi’ah.
سئل رسول الله ﷺ أي القرآن أفضل؟ قال: «السورة التي يذكر فيها البقرة». قال فأي البقرة أفضل؟ قال: «آية الكرسي، وخواتيم سورة البقرة نزلن من تحت العرش»
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was asked: “Which part of the Qur’an is best?” He is reported to have said: “The surah in which the cow is mentioned.” “And which part of Al-Baqarah is best?” “The Verse of the Throne, and the closing verses of Surah Al-Baqarah, which came down from beneath the Throne.”
What the surah is about
- People before the Qur’an: believers, disbelievers and hypocrites
- The call to all people to worship Allah alone, and the challenge of the Qur’an
- The story of Adam, successor on earth
- The long account of the Children of Israel: Allah’s favours, their ingratitude and the story of the cow
- Abraham and the building of the Sacred House, and the change of qiblah to the Sacred Mosque
- The rulings on retribution, bequests, fasting, pilgrimage and fighting
- The rulings on marriage, the prohibition of usury, debts and pledges
- The foundations of belief, proofs of monotheism and the laws of the young Muslim state
Main purpose: To command the fulfilment of stewardship on earth by establishing Islam and submitting to Allah, and to warn against the conduct of the Children of Israel.
About Surah Al-Baqarah
Al-Baqarah (the Cow) is the longest surah of the Qur’an, with two hundred and eighty-six verses. Medinan by consensus, its revelation began after the Hijrah; it is the 87th in the order of revelation, between Al-Mutaffifin and Ali ’Imran. It is named after the story of the cow that Moses’ people were ordered to sacrifice. With Ali ’Imran it is called “the two radiant ones”, and it has been described as “the peak” and “the tent” of the Qur’an. Malik reported that Ibn Umar spent eight years learning it.
Tafsir of Surah Al-Baqarah Listen to Al-Baqarah by other reciters
Detailed study in Arabic
The full Arabic text: introduction, virtues, themes, and a study of the chain and authenticity of each hadith.
- التعريف بسورة البقرة - Al-Baqarah
- مناسبتها لسورة الفاتحة
- أسماء سورة البقرة
- فضائل سورة البقرة و خصائصها
- مقاصد سورة البقرة
- الأحاديث الواردة في الفضل ودرجتها
Virtues of other surahs
All 114 surahs- Virtues of Surah Al-Kahf A light between two Fridays and protection from the Dajjal
- Virtues of Surah Al-Mulk Intercedes for its reciter and protects from the grave’s punishment
- Virtues of Surah Ya-Sin Whoever recites it at night seeking Allah’s Face is forgiven
- Virtues of Surah Al-Fatihah The greatest surah of the Qur’an, without which there is no prayer
- Virtues of Surah Al-Ikhlas It equals a third of the Qur’an; loving it earns Allah’s love
- Virtues of Surah Al-Waqi’ah One of the surahs that greyed the Prophet ﷺ; he recited it at Fajr
- Virtues of Surah Ar-Rahman Recited by the Prophet ﷺ to the jinn, who responded better than people
- Ayat al-Kursi The greatest verse in the Book of Allah, a guard against Satan