Al-Jathiyah is one of the Mathani given to the Prophet ﷺ in place of the Gospel, and one of the Ha-Mim surahs the Prophet ﷺ advised a man to recite, in an authentic hadith. Ibn Mas’ud said, with an authentic chain: “The Ha-Mim are the brocade of the Qur’an.” However, “the kernel of the Qur’an is the Ha-Mim” and “the Ha-Mim are seven like the gates of Hell” are weak.
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 the Mathani in place of the Gospel.”
A man asked the Prophet ﷺ to teach him to recite; he advised him three surahs beginning with Alif-Lam-Ra, then those beginning with Ha-Mim, among which is Al-Jathiyah: a sign of the high rank of these surahs.
Authentic (sahih)Ahmad, Abu Dawud (1399) and An-Nasa’i (As-Sunan al-Kubra, 8027)
Abdullah ibn Mas’ud said, with an authentic chain: “The Ha-Mim surahs are the brocade of the Qur’an.”
Authentic (sahih)Ibn Abi Shaybah (10332), Abu ’Ubayd and Al-Hakim
Arabic text, translation, reference and authenticity grade of each hadith.
أعطيت مكان التوراة السبع الطوال، ومكان الزبور المئين، ومكان الإنجيل المثاني، وفضلت بالمفصل
I was given the seven long surahs in place of the Torah, the Mi’in in place of the Psalms, the Mathani in place of the Gospel, and I was favoured with the Mufassal.
أتى رجل رسول الله ﷺ فقال: أقرئني يا رسول الله، قال له: اقرأ ثلاثًا من ذات «الراء». فقال الرجل: كبرت سني واشتد قلبي وغلظ لساني، قال: فاقرأ من ذات «حم»، فقال مثل مقالته الأولى…
A man came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and said: “Teach me to recite, O Messenger of Allah.” He said: “Recite three of the surahs beginning with Alif-Lam-Ra.” The man said: “I have grown old, my heart has hardened and my tongue has become heavy.” He said: “Then recite from those beginning with Ha-Mim.” The man said the same as before…
الحواميم ديباج القرآن
The Ha-Mim surahs are the brocade of the Qur’an.
إن لكل شيء لبابًا ولباب القرآن الحواميم
Everything has a kernel, and the kernel of the Qur’an is the Ha-Mim surahs.
الحواميم سبع، وأبواب جهنم سبع… يجيء كل حم منها يوم القيامة… تقف على باب من هذه الأبواب فتقول: اللهم لا يدخل هذا الباب من كان يؤمن بي ويقرأني
The Ha-Mim surahs are seven, and the gates of Hell are seven… Each Ha-Mim will come on the Day of Resurrection… and stand at one of these gates, saying: “O Allah, let not whoever believed in me and recited me enter through this gate.”
Main purpose: To set out Allah’s revealed and cosmic signs, refute the arguments of the arrogant who deny the resurrection, and warn them.
Al-Jathiyah is a Meccan surah, the 45th in the order of the Qur’an; it has thirty-seven verses and was revealed after Ad-Dukhan. It is one of the seven surahs beginning with Ha-Mim. It opens with praise of the Qur’an and invites reflection on the universe, its heavens and earth, night and day, rain and winds: such reflection leads to recognising one God, powerful and wise.
Tafsir of Surah Al-Jathiyah Listen to Al-Jathiyah by other reciters
The full Arabic text: introduction, virtues, themes, and a study of the chain and authenticity of each hadith.
