The Prophet ﷺ recited Surah Az-Zumar every night together with Al-Isra (Bani Isra’il), according to a good hadith of Aishah, so it is read every night. It is one of the Mathani given to the Prophet ﷺ in place of the Gospel. It calls to the oneness of Allah and sincere worship, and contains the call to hope: “O My servants who have transgressed against themselves, do not despair of the mercy of Allah.”
The Prophet ﷺ recited Bani Isra’il (Al-Isra) and Az-Zumar every night; in one version, he would not sleep on his bed until he had recited them.
Good (hasan)At-Tirmidhi (2920, 3405), Ahmad and Ibn Khuzaymah (1163)
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’.
Its aim is to call to the oneness of Allah, sincere worship and the rejection of shirk; it invites the servants to turn back to Allah without despairing of His mercy, before the punishment comes.
Arabic text, translation, reference and authenticity grade of each hadith.
كان رسول الله ﷺ يصوم حتى نقول ما يريد أن يفطر، ويفطر حتى نقول ما يريد أن يصوم، وكان يقرأ كل ليلة ببني إسرائيل والزمر
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ would fast until we said he would not break his fast, and he would not fast until we said he would not fast. And he used to recite every night Bani Isra’il (Al-Isra) and Az-Zumar.
أعطيت مكان التوراة السبع الطوال، ومكان الزبور المئين، ومكان الإنجيل المثاني، وفضلت بالمفصل
I was given in place of the Torah the seven long surahs, in place of the Psalms the Mi’in, in place of the Gospel the Mathani, and I was favoured with the Mufassal.
Main purpose: To call to oneness and sincerity, and to reject shirk.
Az-Zumar is the 39th surah in the order of the Qur’an and the 58th Meccan surah in the order of revelation, sent down after Saba; according to the meticulous scholars it is entirely Meccan. It is also called “al-Ghuraf” (the lofty chambers), after the verse: “But those who fear their Lord will have chambers, above them chambers built high.”
Tafsir of Surah Az-Zumar Listen to Az-Zumar by other reciters
The full Arabic text: introduction, virtues, themes, and a study of the chain and authenticity of each hadith.
