Virtues and benefits of Surah As-Saffat
No hadith reports a virtue specific to Surah As-Saffat; its merit is that it belongs to the Mi’un, given to the Prophet ﷺ in place of the Psalms. It establishes Allah’s oneness, refutes the idolaters’ claim that the angels are His daughters, and tells the stories of several prophets, most notably Ibrahim and his son Isma’il, the trial of the sacrifice and its ransom.
Its virtues at a glance
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One of the Mi’un given in place of the Psalms
It is one of the Mi’un, the surahs given to the Prophet ﷺ in place of the Psalms, according to the hadith of Wathilah ibn al-Asqa’: “I was given the seven long ones in place of the Torah, and the Mi’un in place of the Psalms…”
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Declaring Allah’s transcendence
Its purpose is to declare Allah free of what the idolaters ascribe to Him and to refute their claim that the angels are His daughters and that there is kinship between Him and the jinn, with many proofs of His oneness.
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The story of the sacrifice and its ransom
The story of Ibrahim and his son Isma’il stands out in it: obedience to Allah and submission to His command appear in their finest form. This is why some scholars named it “the Surah of the Sacrificed One”.
What the surah is about
- The oath by ranks of angels on the oneness of Allah
- Devils trying to eavesdrop on heaven and being pelted with shooting stars
- The objections of those who deny the Resurrection and their refutation
- Scenes of the Day of Resurrection and the dialogues between the people of Paradise and of Hell
- The stories of Nuh, Ibrahim and his son Isma’il, Musa and Harun, Ilyas, Lut and Yunus
- Refuting the claim that the angels are Allah’s daughters and that He has kinship with the jinn
- The ranks of the angels in worship, and Allah’s promise of victory to His Messenger
- The closing with Allah’s glorification and praise, and peace upon His messengers
Main purpose: To declare Allah free of what the idolaters ascribe to Him and to refute their claims about the angels and the jinn.
About Surah As-Saffat
As-Saffat is a Meccan surah without disagreement, the 37th in the order of the Qur’an, with one hundred and eighty-two verses, revealed after Al-An’am. It takes its name from its opening: “By those ranged in rows”. Some scholars called it “the Surah of the Sacrificed One” (Adh-Dhabih), since this story appears in no other surah; Al-Biqa’i also mentions the name “the Adornment” (Az-Zinah), probably taken from the verse: “We have adorned the nearest heaven with an adornment: the stars.”
Tafsir of Surah As-Saffat Listen to As-Saffat 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 الصافات
- فضائل سورة الصافات
- موضوعات سورة الصافات
- مقاصد سورة الصافات
- تلخيص سورة الصافات
- 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