من قرأ سورة الكهف يوم الجمعة أضاء له من النور ما بين الجمعتين
Whoever recites Surah Al-Kahf on Friday, a light will shine for him between the two Fridays.
Virtues and benefits of Surah Al-Kahf
It is recommended to read Surah Al-Kahf on Friday: whoever recites it that day is given a light until the following Friday. Whoever memorises its first ten verses is protected from the Dajjal, and the Prophet ﷺ told whoever meets him to recite its opening verses against him. It is also a light on the Day of Resurrection, and tranquillity descends when it is recited.
Its virtues at a glance
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A light from one Friday to the next
Whoever recites Surah Al-Kahf on Friday is given a light that shines for him until the following Friday. In the authentic saying of Abu Sa’id al-Khudri, the light reaches as far as the Ancient House, and in Ad-Darimi’s version it is the night before Friday.
Good (hasan)Al-Hakim (2/368) and Al-Bayhaqi (As-Sunan al-Kubra, 3/249) Authentic (sahih)Abu ’Ubayd (Fada’il al-Qur’an), Ad-Darimi (3407) and Al-Bayhaqi (As-Sunan as-Saghir, 983)
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Protection from the Dajjal
Whoever memorises ten verses from the beginning of the surah is protected from the Dajjal, and the Prophet ﷺ told whoever meets him to recite its opening verses against him. In a version from Abu ad-Darda’ with an authentic chain it is the last ten verses, and according to Abu Sa’id the Dajjal will be given no power over whoever recites them.
Authentic (sahih)Muslim (809) and Abu Dawud (4323) Authentic (sahih)Muslim, Abu Dawud (4321) and At-Tirmidhi (2240) Authentic (sahih)Al-Hakim (1/564), An-Nasa’i (As-Sunan al-Kubra, 10788) and At-Tabarani (Al-Awsat, 1455)
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A light on the Day of Resurrection
The Prophet ﷺ said that whoever recites it as it was revealed will have a light on the Day of Resurrection from where he stands to Makkah.
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Tranquillity descends when it is recited
A man was reciting it when a cloud covered him and kept drawing nearer; the Prophet ﷺ said: “That was the tranquillity (as-sakinah) that descended because of the Qur’an.”
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Among the oldest surahs
Ibn Mas’ud counted it, together with Al-Isra, Maryam, Taha and Al-Anbya, among the “’itaq al-awwal”: the oldest and finest surahs, and among the first he learned.
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One of the Mi’un
It is one of the Mi’un given to the Prophet ﷺ in place of the Psalms, according to the hadith of Wathilah ibn al-Asqa’, graded good: “I was given in place of the Torah the seven long ones, and in place of the Psalms the Mi’un…”
When to recite it
- On Friday, or in one version the night before Friday: whoever recites it is given a light from one Friday to the next
- When facing the Dajjal: recite its opening verses against him, according to the hadith of An-Nawwas ibn Sam’an in Muslim
Hadiths on its virtues
Arabic text, translation, reference and authenticity grade of each hadith.
من قرأ سورة الكهف يوم الجمعة أضاء له من النور ما بينه وبين البيت العتيق
Whoever recites Surah Al-Kahf on Friday, a light will shine for him between himself and the Ancient House (the Ka’bah).
من حفظ عشر آيات من أول سورة الكهف عصم من الدجال
Whoever memorises ten verses from the beginning of Surah Al-Kahf will be protected from the Dajjal.
… فمن أدركه منكم فليقرأ عليه فواتح سورة الكهف
About the Dajjal: “… Whoever among you meets him, let him recite against him the opening verses of Surah Al-Kahf.”
من قرأ سورة الكهف كما أنزلت كانت له نورًا يوم القيامة من مقامه إلى مكة، ومن قرأ عشر آيات من آخرها ثم خرج الدجال لم يسلط عليه…
Whoever recites Surah Al-Kahf as it was revealed, it will be a light for him on the Day of Resurrection from where he stands to Makkah; and whoever recites ten verses from its end and then the Dajjal emerges, he will be given no power over him…
كان رجل يقرأ سورة الكهف، وإلى جانبه حصان مربوط بِشَطَنَيْنِ، فتغشته سحابة، فجعلت تدنو وتدنو، وجعل فرسه ينفر، فلما أصبح أتى النبي ﷺ فذكر ذلك له فقال: تلك السكينة تنزلت بالقرآن
A man was reciting Surah Al-Kahf, with a horse tied beside him by two ropes. A cloud covered him and kept coming closer and closer, and his horse began to shy. In the morning he came to the Prophet ﷺ and told him about it, and he said: “That was the tranquillity (as-sakinah) that descended because of the Qur’an.”
سورةُ بني إسرائيل والكهف، ومريم وطه والأنبياء: هُنَّ مِن العِتاقِ الأُوَلِ، وهُنَّ مِن تِلادي
The surahs of the Children of Israel (Al-Isra), Al-Kahf, Maryam, Taha and Al-Anbya are among the earliest and oldest, and they are among my oldest possessions.
Widespread but unproven narrations
The hadith of Mu’adh ibn Anas “Whoever recites the beginning and the end of Surah Al-Kahf, it will be a light for him from his feet to his head…” has a weak chain because of Zabban ibn Fa’id; the authentic hadith of Abu Sa’id about its light is sufficient.
من قرأ أول سورة الكهف وآخرها كانت له نورًا من قدمه إلى رأسه، ومن قرأها كلها كانت له نورًا من الأرض إلى السماء
Whoever recites the beginning and the end of Surah Al-Kahf, it will be a light for him from his feet to his head; and whoever recites all of it, it will be a light for him from the earth to the sky.
What the surah is about
- The People of the Cave, who fled to preserve their religion, and Allah’s care for them during their long sleep
- The parable of the arrogant owner of two gardens and his grateful believing companion
- The passing of this world and its adornment, the terrors of the Day of Resurrection and the record of deeds
- A part of the story of Adam and Iblis
- The story of Moses and Al-Khidr, peace be upon them
- The story of Dhul-Qarnayn and the barrier he raised against Gog and Magog
- Care for the poor believers who call upon their Lord morning and evening
- Proofs of Allah’s oneness, of the Messenger’s ﷺ truthfulness and of the Qur’an’s divine origin
Main purpose: To set out the way to deal with trials and temptations (fitan).
About Surah Al-Kahf
Al-Kahf is a Meccan surah, the 18th in the order of the Qur’an and the 68th in the order of revelation, revealed after Al-Ghashiyah; some count it among the surahs revealed all at once. It has one hundred and ten verses. It is named after the People of the Cave, who fled the injustice of their king to preserve their religion, and is also called “the Surah of the People of the Cave”. Some held that a few of its verses are Medinan, but the preferred view is that it is entirely Meccan.
Detailed study in Arabic
The full Arabic text: introduction, virtues, themes, and a study of the chain and authenticity of each hadith.
- التعريف بسورة الكهف
- فضائل سورة الكهف
- مكان نزول السورة
- سورة الكهف عصمة من الدجال
- تلخيص سورة الكهف
- أهم موضوعات سورة الكهف
- الأحاديث الواردة في الفضل ودرجتها
Virtues of other surahs
All 114 surahs- 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