سألت النبي ﷺ: ما شيبك؟ قال: سورة هود، والواقعة، والمرسلات، وعم يتساءلون، وإذا الشمس كورت
I asked the Prophet ﷺ: “What has turned your hair grey?” He said: “Surahs Hud, Al-Waqi’ah, Al-Mursalat, ’Amma yatasa’alun and Idha ash-shamsu kuwwirat.”
Virtues and benefits of Surah Al-Mursalat
Surah Al-Mursalat is one of the surahs the Prophet ﷺ said had turned his hair grey. It is the last that Umm al-Fadl heard him recite, in the Maghrib prayer; it was revealed to him in a cave at Mina, and Ibn Mas’ud received it from his mouth. He also recited it with Surah An-Naba in one rak’ah of the night prayer.
Its virtues at a glance
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It turned the Prophet’s ﷺ hair grey
When Abu Bakr as-Siddiq asked him what had turned his hair grey, the Prophet ﷺ named Al-Mursalat along with Hud, Al-Waqi’ah, ’Amma yatasa’alun and Idha ash-shamsu kuwwirat.
Authentic (sahih)Al-Hakim (3/476) and At-Tabarani (Al-Awsat, 8269)
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The last recited by the Prophet ﷺ at Maghrib
Umm al-Fadl heard the Prophet ﷺ recite it in the Maghrib prayer, and it was the last recitation she heard from him.
Authentic (sahih)Al-Bukhari (763), Muslim (462) and At-Tirmidhi (308)
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Revealed in a cave at Mina
Ibn Mas’ud reported that “Wal-mursalat” was revealed while the Prophet ﷺ was in a cave at Mina; he was reciting it and Ibn Mas’ud was receiving it from his mouth, still fresh.
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Recited by the Prophet ﷺ at night
The Prophet ﷺ used to recite the similar surahs of the Mufassal in each rak’ah, including ’Amma yatasa’alun and Al-Mursalat in a single rak’ah.
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A surah of the Mufassal
It belongs to the Mufassal, given to the Prophet ﷺ as an extra gift by which he was favoured over the other prophets, according to the hadith of Wathilah ibn al-Asqa’: “… and I was favoured with the Mufassal.”
When to recite it
- In the Maghrib prayer: it is the last surah the Prophet ﷺ was heard reciting in it (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
- In the night prayer, together with Surah An-Naba in a single rak’ah (hadith of Ibn Mas’ud, Muslim)
Hadiths on its virtues
Arabic text, translation, reference and authenticity grade of each hadith.
إن أم الفضل سمعته وهو يقرأ ﴿وَالْمُرْسَلَاتِ عُرْفًا﴾ فقالت: يا بنى والله لقد ذكرتني بقراءتك هذه السورة، إنها لآخر ما سمعت من رسول الله ﷺ يقرأ بها في المغرب
Umm al-Fadl heard him reciting “Wal-mursalati ’urfa” and said: “My son, by Allah, your recitation has reminded me of this surah: it is the last thing I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ recite, in the Maghrib prayer.”
بينما نحن مع النبي ﷺ في غار بمنى، إذ نزلت عليه: «والمرسلات»، فإنه ليتلوها، وإنى لأتلقاها من فيه، وإن فاه لرطب بها
While we were with the Prophet ﷺ in a cave at Mina, “Wal-mursalat” was revealed to him. He was reciting it and I was receiving it from his mouth, his mouth still moist with it.
… ولكن رسول الله ﷺ كان يقرأ النظائر في كل ركعة … و ﴿عَمَّ يَتَسَاءَلُونَ﴾ ﴿وَالْمُرْسَلَاتِ﴾ في ركعة…
“… The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to recite the similar surahs in each rak’ah … ’Amma yatasa’alun and Al-Mursalat in one rak’ah…”
What the surah is about
- The oath that the Day of Resurrection will come, without any doubt
- Some of the terrors of the Day of Resurrection
- The creation of man, the earth and the mountains as proofs of the resurrection
- The woe promised to the deniers and the description of their punishment
- The bliss of the pious, their good end and the honours awaiting them
- Wonder at the obstinacy and stubbornness of the disbelievers
Main purpose: To promise woe to the deniers on the Day of Resurrection.
About Surah Al-Mursalat
Al-Mursalat is an entirely Meccan surah, the 77th in the order of the Qur’an and the 33rd in the order of revelation, revealed after Al-Humazah and before Qaf; it has fifty verses. It was revealed to the Prophet ﷺ while he was with his companions in a cave at Mina, according to the hadith of Abdullah ibn Mas’ud.
Tafsir of Surah Al-Mursalat Listen to Al-Mursalat 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 المرسلات
- فضائل سورة المرسلات
- موضوعات سورة المرسلات
- مقاصد سورة المرسلات
- 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