أقرأني رسول الله ﷺ خمس عشر سجدة في القرآن، منها ثلاثة في المفصل، وفي سورة الحج سجدتان
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ taught me fifteen prostrations in the Qur’an, three of them in the Mufassal, and two in Surah Al-Hajj.
Virtues and benefits of Surah Al-Hajj
Surah Al-Hajj has been favoured over the other surahs of the Qur’an with two prostrations: this is authentically reported from Umar and his son Abdullah, who prostrated twice in it, and the good hadith of ’Amr ibn al-’As states that the Prophet ﷺ taught him two prostrations in Al-Hajj. The hadith “whoever does not make them should not recite them” is weak.
Its virtues at a glance
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Favoured with two prostrations
It is authentically reported that Umar ibn al-Khattab prostrated twice in Al-Hajj, then said: “This surah has been favoured over all others with two prostrations.” Ibn Umar also prostrated twice in it, and ’Amr ibn al-’As reports that the Prophet ﷺ taught him two prostrations in Al-Hajj.
Good (hasan)Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah Authentic (sahih)Abu ’Ubayd, Ibn Abi Shaybah and At-Tahawi Authentic (sahih)’Abd ar-Razzaq (5890), Malik and Al-Hakim
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One of the Mathani
It is one of the Mathani given to the Prophet ﷺ in place of the Gospel, according to the hadith of Wathilah ibn al-Asqa’: “… and I was given the Mathani in place of the Gospel.”
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One of the wonders of the Qur’an
According to Hibat Allah ibn Salamah, it is one of the wonders of the Qur’an, for it contains Meccan and Medinan verses, verses revealed at home and on journeys, in war and in peace, by night and by day, abrogating and abrogated.
Hadiths on its virtues
Arabic text, translation, reference and authenticity grade of each hadith.
أنه سجد في الحج سجدتين، ثم قال: إن هذه السورة فضلت على سائر السور بسجدتين
He prostrated twice in Surah Al-Hajj, then said: “This surah has been favoured over all other surahs with two prostrations.”
أن عمر وابن عمر كانا يسجدان في الحج سجدتين… وقال ابن عمر: إن هذه السورة فضلت بسجدتين
Umar and Ibn Umar used to prostrate twice in Surah Al-Hajj… and Ibn Umar said: “This surah has been favoured with two prostrations.”
Widespread but unproven narrations
The hadith of ’Uqbah ibn ’Amir, “Has Surah Al-Hajj been favoured with two prostrations? – Yes; whoever does not make them should not recite them”, has a weak chain; what is established is the saying of Umar and his son.
قلت: يا رسول الله! أفضلت سورة الحج على سائر القرآن بسجدتين؟ قال: نعم. فمن لم يسجدها فلا يقرأهما
I said: “O Messenger of Allah, has Surah Al-Hajj been favoured over the rest of the Qur’an with two prostrations?” He said: “Yes; whoever does not make them should not recite them.”
What the surah is about
- The command to fear Allah and the warning of the quaking of the Hour and its terrors
- Proof of the resurrection from the stages of man’s creation and the reviving of the earth
- Condemning those who dispute about Allah without knowledge and those who worship Him on the edge
- The two adversaries who disputed about their Lord, and the fate of each
- The pilgrimage: Abraham’s call to mankind, honouring Allah’s sacred rites, and the sacrificial animals
- Permission for the believers to fight those who wrong them, and the promise of victory
- The destruction of wrongdoing towns and comfort for the Prophet ﷺ against his people’s denial
- False gods unable to create a fly, and the command to bow, prostrate and strive for Allah as is His due
Main purpose: To glorify Allah and His sacred rites and to submit to His command.
About Surah Al-Hajj
Al-Hajj is the 22nd surah in the order of the Qur’an and has seventy-eight verses; it is so named because it details the rules of the pilgrimage. Scholars differ on whether it is Medinan, Meccan or mixed; Al-Alusi holds it most correct that it is mixed, the majority view, the verses permitting fighting and those on the pilgrimage being Medinan. According to Az-Zuhri, the first verse revealed on fighting is: “Permission is given to those who are fought against, because they have been wronged.”
Detailed study in Arabic
The full Arabic text: introduction, virtues, themes, and a study of the chain and authenticity of each hadith.
- التعريف بسورة الحج
- فضائل سورة الحج
- مقاصد سورة الحج
- تلخيص سورة الحج
- 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-Baqarah Satan flees the house where it is recited; it is the peak of the Qur’an
- 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