This surah is one of those chapters of the Quran with abundant narrations about its merits. These narrations indicate great rewards and plentiful benefits gained by its recitation in both this world and the hereafter. Some of these narrated benefits imply positive effects and blessings, both physical and spiritual. Others include blessings benefiting a dying person, during the stupors of death, after death, and until the hereafter, where these blessings would surround that person in paradise. The following is a sample of those narrations:
- The Prophet has said: ‘I wished it was [memorised] in the heart of every member of my nation.’
- Imam al-Ṣādiq (a) is reported to have said: ‘Teach your children Sūrat Yā Sīn, for it is the sweet fragranced flower of the Quran.’
- Imam al-Ṣādiq also (a) said: ‘Everything has a heart, and Yā Sīn is the heart of the Quran; if someone recites it in the day before the night falls, he would be protected and blessed with sustenance in his day until the night falls. If someone recites it at night before he sleeps, God will designate a thousand angels guarding him against the evil of every accursed devil and every atrocity.’
- The Prophet is reported to have said: ‘Whoever enters the cemeteries and recites Sūrat Yā Sīn, God will ease up on those [who are buried there] on that day, and the reciter would be rewarded equal to the number of those who are [buried] in it.’
- The Prophet said: ‘Whoever visits his [deceased] parents or one of them every Friday and recites Sūrat Yā Sīn, God will forgive his sins equal to the numbers of the letters in it.’
- The Prophet said: ‘Whoever recites Sūrat Yā Sīn for the sake of God, the almighty and the exalted, God will forgive him and give him the reward of the one who recites the entire Quran twelve times. If it is recited besides a [terminally] sick person, then for every letter recited ten angels would descend and stand before him in rows to seek forgiveness for him, witnessing his death, following his funeral procession, praying funeral prayers upon him, and witnessing his burial … until he enters paradise [and his thirst is] quenched.’
- A lengthy narration by Imam Ali (a) indicates that Sūrat Yā Sīn is a cause of abundant blessings, abundant mercy, abundant enlightenment, and great blessings in health and livelihood.
Note: One may question how reciting this surah can be a cause of so many benefits. If people recite this surah with reflection, contemplation, and commitment it will strengthen their belief in God, His attributes, His messenger, and the hereafter. Furthermore, it will give them the awareness of the severe consequences of deliberately rejecting God and performing evil acts. In addition, they would become aware of the eternal life of happiness, pleasure, and gladness in paradise for their obedience and good deeds. Consequently, such awareness would have a tremendous positive impact on their behaviour and their attitude. Thus, they would deserve those abundantly narrated merits of this surah. All such rewards and impacts could be greater or lesser, as observed in the narrations, depending on the quality of the recitation, the intention of the reciter, and the purity of their heart.
[1] Bihar, 89/290.
[2] Nur, 4/373.
[3] Nur, 4/373.
[4] Suyuti, 5/256.
[5] This is a metaphorical indication that the blessings of Sūrat Yā Sīn would spread around the learning child as the fragrance of the sweet-smelling basil plant spreads around a person who keeps it or eats it.
[6] Amali.T, 2/290.
[7] Thawab, p. 111.
[8] Nur, 4/373.
[9] Suyuti, 12/310.
[10] Tabrisi, 8/254.
[11] Suyuti, 12/310.