- The Prophet used to recite the musabbiḥāt before sleeping. And he said: ‘In them is a verse greater than a thousand verses.’[1]
Note: Some scholars believe that this ‘verse greater than a thousand verses’ refers to verse 3 of this surah,[2] or 59:24[3] (the last verse of Sūrat al-Ḥashr). Both verses list divine attributes with 59:24 explicitly having the words: to Him belong the best names. Usually, however, when a hadith is not specific, the ambiguity is seen as being intentional, to encourage the faithful to benefit from the whole set. In this case, an encouragement to recite all the musabbiḥāt is somewhat akin to the ambiguity on the precise Night of Ordainment (laylat al-qadr) (see 97:1-3).
- From the Prophet: ‘One who recites Sūrat al-Ḥadīd will be listed from those who have faith in God and His Apostle.’[4]
- From Imam al-Bāqir (a): ‘One who recites the musabbiḥāt before sleeping will not die until he sees the Qāʾim,[5] and if he dies, he will be in the company of God’s Apostle.’[6]
[1] Tabrisi, 9/345; Ibn Kathir, 8/39; Qurtubi, 17/235; Shawkani, 5/198; Suyuti, 6/17, from Ahmad, Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi, Nasai, Ibn Mardawayh, and Bayhaqi.
[2] Ibn Kathir, 8/39.
[3] Shawkani, 5/198.
[4] Tabrisi, 9/345; Zamakhshari, 4/484, from Mardawayh and Wahidi, with their transmission chain to Abī Kaʿb.
[5] Qāʾim (the one who shall rise), meaning the awaited Mahdī (a).
[6] Tabrisi, 9/345.