من قرأ يس في ليلة ابتغاء وجه الله غفر له
“Whoever recites Ya-Sin at night seeking the Face of Allah will be forgiven.”
Virtues and benefits of Surah Ya-Sin
It is established that whoever recites Ya-Sin at night seeking the Face of Allah is forgiven; Ibn Abbas said that reciting it in the morning brings ease for the whole day. The elders among the Successors recited it beside the dying to ease their passing. However, the popular hadiths “the heart of the Qur’an is Ya-Sin” and “recite Ya-Sin over your dying” have weak chains.
Its virtues at a glance
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Whoever recites it at night for Allah is forgiven
The Prophet ﷺ said: “Whoever recites Ya-Sin at night seeking the Face of Allah will be forgiven.” At-Tibi explains: because it contains brilliant proofs, decisive signs, wonderful promises and powerful warnings.
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Ease for the day and the night
Ibn Abbas said: whoever recites Ya-Sin in the morning is granted ease in his day until evening, and whoever recites it at the start of the night is granted ease in his night until morning.
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Reciting it beside the dying
Ya-Sin was recited beside Ghudayf ibn al-Harith in his death throes, and the elders used to say: when it is recited beside the dying, it eases his passing. As for the hadith attributed to the Prophet ﷺ, “Recite Ya-Sin over your dying”, its chain is weak.
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One of the Mathani given in place of the Gospel
It is one of the Mathani, according to the hadith of Wathilah ibn al-Asqa’, graded good: “I was given the seven long ones in place of the Torah, the Mi’un in place of the Psalms, the Mathani in place of the Gospel, and I was favoured with the Mufassal.”
When to recite it
- At night, seeking the Face of Allah, according to the hadith of Jundub narrated by Ibn Hibban
- In the morning and at the start of the night, according to the saying of Ibn Abbas (good chain)
- Beside the dying, as the elders among the Successors did (report with a good chain)
Hadiths on its virtues
Arabic text, translation, reference and authenticity grade of each hadith.
من قرأ يس حين يصبح أعطي يسر يومه حتى يمسي، ومن قرأها في صدر ليلة أعطي يسر ليلته حتى يصبح
“Whoever recites Ya-Sin in the morning is granted ease in his day until evening, and whoever recites it at the start of the night is granted ease in his night until morning.”
حدثني المشيخة أنهم حضروا غضيف بن الحارث الثمالي حين اشتد سوقه فقال: هل منكم أحد يقرأ يس؟ قال: فقرأها صالح بن شريح السكوني، فلما بلغ أربعين منها قبض، قال: فكان المشيخة يقولون: إذا قرئت عند الميت خفف عنه بها
The elders reported that they attended Ghudayf ibn al-Harith ath-Thumali in his death throes; he asked: “Can any of you recite Ya-Sin?” Salih ibn Shurayh as-Sakuni recited it, and when he reached its fortieth verse, Ghudayf passed away. The elders used to say: “When it is recited beside the dying, it eases [his passing].”
Widespread but unproven narrations
The hadith “Everything has a heart, and the heart of the Qur’an is Ya-Sin” is weak (an unknown narrator), as is Ma’qil ibn Yasar’s version “Ya-Sin is the heart of the Qur’an… recite it over your dying” (an unnamed narrator); “Recite Ya-Sin over your dying” was graded weak by Ad-Daraqutni and faulted by Ibn al-Qattan, and “whoever recites it at the start of the day has his needs fulfilled” is mursal. What is established is sufficient.
اقرأوا على موتاكم يس
“Recite Ya-Sin over your dying.”
إن لكل شيء قلبًا، وقلب القرآن يس، ومن قرأ يس كتب الله له بقراءتها قراءة القرآن عشر مرات
“Everything has a heart, and the heart of the Qur’an is Ya-Sin; whoever recites Ya-Sin, Allah records for him, for reciting it, the recitation of the Qur’an ten times.”
من قرأ يس في صدر النهار قضيت حوائجه
“Whoever recites Ya-Sin at the beginning of the day will have his needs fulfilled.”
What the surah is about
- Affirming the truthfulness of the Messenger ﷺ and his mission
- The story of the people of the town and the messengers, and of the believer who came from the far end of the city
- Signs of Allah’s power and His blessings in the universe
- The polytheists’ claims, their refutation, and the scene of their emerging from the graves for judgment
- What Allah has prepared for the believers in Paradise and for the disbelievers, and the testimony of their limbs
- The Qur’an cleared of fabrication, the Messenger ﷺ cleared of poetry, and his consolation
- Affirming the resurrection and refuting those who deny it
Main purpose: To establish prophethood and the resurrection, with their proofs.
About Surah Ya-Sin
Ya-Sin is one of the surahs that many people know by heart, so widespread is it among them. It is the thirty-sixth surah in the order of the Qur’an, revealed after Al-Jinn; it is Meccan by consensus and has eighty-three verses. It establishes, with the strongest proofs, the three foundations: the oneness of Allah, prophethood and the Gathering.
Detailed study in Arabic
The full Arabic text: introduction, virtues, themes, and a study of the chain and authenticity of each hadith.
- التعريف بسورة ياسين
- فضائل سورة ياسين
- موضوعات سورة ياسين
- مقاصد سورة ياسين
- تلخيص سورة ياسين
- 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 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