بسم اللہ الرحمن الرحیم
السلام علیکم ورحمۃ اللہ وبرکاتہ
What is the soorah that is equivalent to half of the Qur’aan?
Which surah of Al-Quran when recited is equal to reciting 1/2 Al-Quran?.
Praise be to Allaah.
There are many ahaadeeth which speak of the virtue of certain soorahs of the
Qur’aan, some of which are saheeh, but many of them are da’eef (weak) or munkar.
That includes the hadeeth which speaks of the virtue of Soorat al-Zalzalah and
says that it is equivalent to half of the Qur’aan. A number of munkar ahaadeeth
were narrated concerning that. They are as follows:
1 – It was narrated that Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The
Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “ ‘When
the earth is shaken with its (final) earthquake’ (i.e., Soorat al-Zalzalah) is
equivalent to half of the Qur’aan.” Narrated by al-Tirmidhi (2894) and al-Haakim
(1/754).
Its isnaad includes Yamaan ibn al-Mugheerah al-‘Anzi, concerning whom al-Bukhaari
and Abu Haatim said: his hadeeth is munkar. Ibn Hibbaan said: his hadeeth is
very munkar; he narrates munkar hadeeth that have no basis and deserve to be
ignored. See Tahdheeb al-Tahdheeb (4/452).
Yamaan is the only one who narrated this hadeeth, alone among the companions of
‘Ata’, and he is not acceptable as a sole narrator of a hadeeth, rather the fact
that he is the sole narrator indicates that it is munkar. And Allaah knows best.
The majority of scholars are the view that the hadeeth is to be regarded as weak
because of Yamaan ibn al-Mugheerah, in contrast to those scholars who classed it
as saheeh. It was classed as da’eef by al-Tirmidhi when he said, after quoting
it: it is ghareeb and we know it only from the hadeeth of Yamaan ibn al-Mugheerah.
It was also classed as such by Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr in al-Tamheed, where he said: It
is one of the ahaadeeth of the Shaykhs, not one of the ahaadeeth of the imams.
And it was classed as da’eef by Ibn Hajar in Fath al-Baari (8/687), by al-Dhahabi
in Talkhees al-Mustadrak, by al-Manaawi in Fayd al-Qadeer (1/367) and by al-Shawkaani
in al-Fath al-Rabbaani (12/5930). Al-Albaani said in al-Silsilah al-Da’eefah
(1342): it is munkar.
2 – It was narrated from Anas ibn Maalik (may Allaah be pleased with him) that
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever recites
‘When the earth is shaken with its (final) earthquake’, it will be equivalent to
half of the Qur’aan for him.” Narrated by al-Tirmidhi (2893).
Its isnaad includes al-Hasan ibn Saalim al-‘Ajali. Al-Mazzi said: He is a Shaykh
who is unknown and recited only one hadeeth. Al-‘Aqeeli said: He is unknown with
regard to transmitting hadeeth. Ibn Hibbaan said: he narrates from trustworthy
narrators things that do not sound right.
See Tahdheeb al-Tahdheeb (1/396()
The scholars are unanimously agreed that this hadeeth is also to be regarded as
da’eef. It was classed as da’eef by al-Tirmidhi when he said, after quoting it:
It is ghareeb. Al-‘Aqeeli said: It is not known, as stated in Tahdheeb al-Tahdheeb
(1/396). It was also classed as da’eef by Ibn Hibbaan in al-Majrooheen (1/279),
and al-Bayhaqi in Shu’ab al-Eemaan (2/497). Al-Dhahabi said in Mizaan al-I’tidaal
(1/523): it is munkar. Al-Albaani said likewise in al-Da’eefah (1342).
3 – It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever recites ‘When
the earth is shaken with its (final) earthquake’ in one night, it will be
equivalent to half of the Qur’aan for him.” Narrated by Ibn al-Sunni in ‘Aml al-Yawm
wa’l-Laylah (691).
Shaykh al-Albaani (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in al-Silsilah al-Da’eefah
(1342): It was narrated by Abu Umayah al-Tarsoosi in Musnad Abi Hurayrah
(2/195), but its isnaad is very weak (da’eef jiddan); it includes ‘Eesa ibn
Maymoon al-Madani, who was classed as da’eef by a number of scholars. Abu Haatim
and others said: His hadeeth is to be rejected. End quote.
Ibn Hajar said in Nataa’ij al-Afkaar (3/268): Its isnaad includes a narrator who
is very weak. End quote.
From the above it is clear that there is no saheeh report from the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) about Soorat al-Zalzalah being
equivalent to half of the Qur’aan. But it seems that some of the imams of the
salaf followed this hadeeth and, based on their own ijtihad, stated that the
important meanings that are contained in this soorah are equivalent to half of
the principles that the Qur’aan referred to.
It says in Musannaf ‘Abd al-Razzaaq (3/372): It was narrated that Ma’mar said: I
heard a man narrating that ‘When the earth is shaken with its (final)
earthquake’ is equivalent to half of the Qur’aan.
It was narrated from Ja’far that Hishaam ibn Muslim said: I heard Bakr ibn
‘Abd-Allaah al-Muzani say: ‘When the earth is shaken with its (final)
earthquake’ is half of the Qur’aan.
Abu ‘Ubayd narrated a mursal report from al-Hasan al-Basri: “ ‘When the earth is
shaken with its (final) earthquake’ is equivalent to half of the Qur’aan, and
‘By the (steeds) that run’ (Soorat al-‘Aadiyaat) is equivalent to half of the
Qur’aan.”
See: al-Itqaan by al-Suyooti (2/413).
It was narrated that ‘Aasim ibn Abi’l-Nujood al-Imam al-Muqri’ said:
It was said that whoever recites ‘When the earth is shaken with its (final)
earthquake’ it is as if he has recited half of the Qur’aan.
Ibn Hajar said in Nataa’ij al-Afkaar (3/270): its men are thiqaat.
Al-Manaawi said in Fayd al-Qadeer (1/367):
Because the greatest objective of the Qur’aan is to explain the creation and the
resurrection, and ‘When the earth is shaken with its (final) earthquake’ refers
only to the resurrection, therefore it is equivalent to half of the Qur’aan.
This was referred to by al-Qaadi.
End quote.
This is the ijtihaad of some of the salaf, and it is not permissible to att
ribute it to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). It does
not mean that it is equivalent to half of the Qur’aan in terms of reward.
And Allaah knows best.