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**[1]**
**In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful**
“**The Most Merciful.
He taught the Qur’an.
He created man.
He taught him speech.**”
(Surah Ar‑Rahman, verses 1–4)
### Protection from harm through the recitation of Surah Ar‑Rahman
Surah Ar‑Rahman is considered one of the Meccan chapters, meaning it was revealed in Makkah. It consists of seventy‑eight verses, all of which are Meccan except the verse: *“Everyone in the heavens and the earth asks of Him”*, which some have said was revealed in Madinah.
Many narrations emphasize the importance and greatness of this surah. Among what the author of *Tafsir Majma‘ al‑Bayan* mentioned is the report that whoever recites Surah Ar‑Rahman during the night, Allah appoints two angels to guard him until morning; and whoever recites it in the morning, Allah appoints two angels to guard him until evening.
### The reciter of Surah Ar‑Rahman encompassed by mercy
In another narration from our noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), he said:
“Your brothers among the jinn listen to Surah Ar‑Rahman better than you do.”
This is because when the Prophet (peace be upon him) recited this surah to the human Muslims and reached the verse: *“So which of your Lord’s favors will you both deny?”*, they remained silent. But the jinn responded after each occurrence of the verse saying: *“None of Your favors, our Lord, do we deny.”* By this response they affirmed their belief and acknowledgment of every blessing bestowed upon them by Allah.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) then said: “So you too should say what they said.”
It has also been reported from the Prophet (peace be upon him) that whoever recites Surah Ar‑Rahman and after the verse *“So which of your Lord’s favors will you deny?”* says: *“None of Your favors, my Lord, do I deny,”* and then dies that day, dies as a martyr.
Indeed, the reciter of Surah Ar‑Rahman, by reciting each of its verses, performs gratitude for the divine blessings. Allah further grants him additional grace by showing mercy to the weak among His servants. Human beings in reality are full of weakness—from the top of their heads to the soles of their feet—and are therefore in great need of divine mercy in this world, in the barzakh (the intermediate state after death), and in the Hereafter.
This weakness becomes especially clear when a person faces internal or external enemies in worldly life. Everyone knows how weak a human being is at the moment of death, in the grave, and while crossing the bridge (al‑Sirat). Man possesses nothing except his need for Allah the Almighty; therefore Allah places the reciter of Surah Ar‑Rahman under His mercy and compassion, which is the hope and expectation of every servant from his Lord.
### The bright face of the reciter of Surah Ar‑Rahman and acceptance of his intercession
It is narrated from Imam Ja‘far al‑Sadiq (peace be upon him):
“Do not abandon the recitation of Surah Ar‑Rahman and acting according to it.”
In another narration: “Recite it at least once a week.” (It is also strongly recommended to recite it on Fridays.)
For it does not settle in the hearts of hypocrites. Perhaps this means that the hypocrite will not be granted success in consistently reciting it.
On the Day of Resurrection it will come in the most beautiful form and with the most pleasant fragrance until it stands before Allah in a position closer than anything else. Allah will say: “Who was it that recited you regularly in the worldly life?” It will reply: “So‑and‑so and so‑and‑so.” Their faces will then become radiant. Allah will say to them: “Intercede for whomever you wish.” They will intercede until no one remains for whom they wish to intercede. Then it will be said to them: “Enter Paradise and dwell wherever you wish.” [1]
Thus the reciter of the surah is granted the ability to intercede for others—saving the sinful from painful punishment and raising the righteous to higher ranks. Reflect, dear readers, on the greatness of the rank of intercession: the Qur’an intercedes for the one who recited it, and the reciter intercedes for those he loves.
Some narrations state that the Qur’an will appear on the Day of Resurrection in human form, speaking and interceding. This may seem surprising to some, but such matters should not be considered impossible because the realities of the Hereafter differ from those of this worldly life. Many things that are merely abstract qualities in this world appear in the Hereafter in concrete forms and shapes, since nothing is difficult before the power and knowledge of Allah.
### The realization of linguistic beauty
This blessed surah contains repeated mention of divine favors and blessings manifested in every form of divine mercy, kindness, and wondrous creation. The reader finds that it presents beauty upon beauty. When the Day of the Hereafter arrives, all those forms of beauty described through words in its verses will become manifested realities by the power of Allah.
The truly fortunate person is the one who hears about a matter of the Hereafter and, even if his intellect cannot fully grasp it, does not deny it. Denial usually arises from ignorance or shallow thinking. But with patience, openness of heart, and reflection, a person becomes ready to accept such matters. He moves from the level of perception tied to the material world to the level of understanding the spiritual realm and higher realities.
In the worlds of barzakh and resurrection, human qualities and deeds appear in their true forms. Good qualities appear in beautiful forms, while evil qualities and deeds appear in ugly and distorted forms—producing foul odors because of their corruption—while righteous qualities emit the most pleasant fragrance. Thus this world is only a model of what will appear fully in the next world.
### Ḍumrah and the fate of mocking a prophetic tradition
In *Bihar al‑Anwar* it is reported that a group once attended a gathering of the fourth Imam of Ahl al‑Bayt, Imam Zayn al‑Abidin (peace be upon him). One of them asked the Imam to narrate a noble tradition. The Imam hesitated and said: “If we do not narrate, they say we are stingy; and if we narrate, they reject it and mock it.”
Someone present said: “Who would dare mock your words? We are all eager to hear.”
The Imam then said: “My father narrated from my grandfather, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), that a person does not leave this world and his funeral is carried by family and companions except that his soul circles around his body and calls to his family and loved ones: ‘Do not let this world deceive you as it deceived me. I gathered wealth—lawful and unlawful—and its benefit went to others while its burden remains upon me. Be gentle with me and do not rush me to my grave.’”
At that moment a hypocrite named Ḍumrah mocked and said: “Do the dead speak?” He assumed that speech would come from the body lying in the coffin.
Imam Zayn al‑Abidin said: “O Allah, if Ḍumrah mocked the words of Your Messenger, then let him taste punishment.”
Within days Ḍumrah fell gravely ill and died forty days later. Abu Hamzah al‑Thumali later attended his funeral and went down into the grave to place his cheek on the earth. When he uncovered his face he heard him say: “Woe to Ḍumrah, for his abode is the Fire.”
Such events are considered manifestations of divine grace shown to certain believers like Abu Hamzah so that their faith may become stronger.
### High rank through frequent recitation
Encouragement to recite the Qur’an is meant to motivate believers to continue reading it—especially this noble surah. Allah says:
“**So recite what is easy for you of the Qur’an.**”
(Surah Al‑Muzzammil, verse 20)
This may be a part, a section, or a single surah. Frequent recitation of the Qur’an is praiseworthy in itself. It is reported that Imam Ali ibn Musa al‑Ridha (peace be upon him) would complete the Qur’an every three days and would say: “If I wished, I could complete it faster, but I prefer to recite it slowly for reflection.”
Allah also says:
“**Recite the Qur’an with measured recitation.**”
(Surah Al‑Muzzammil, verse 4)
Frequent recitation raises a person’s rank in the Hereafter. On the Day of Judgment it will be said: “Recite and ascend,” meaning that one’s rank rises according to the amount of Qur’an he recited.
Some narrations warn against neglecting what one has memorized of the Qur’an. A person might reach a certain rank in Paradise and then see a higher rank and be told that it corresponds to a surah he once knew but forgot.
Every surah has its own special distinction, just as every flower has its own fragrance. Surah Ya‑Sin is called the heart of the Qur’an, while Surah Ar‑Rahman is called the bride of the Qur’an. Likewise each surah has its own virtue.
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**[2]**
### Surah Ar‑Rahman — the Bride of the Qur’an
*Tafsir Majma‘ al‑Bayan* and other works of exegesis report that Imam Musa ibn Ja‘far narrated from his forefathers, from the Commander of the Faithful (Ali), from the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), who said:
“Everything has a bride, and the bride of the Qur’an is Surah Ar‑Rahman.”
In Arabic the word “bride” may refer to both male and female and symbolizes the highest state of happiness and joy.
Just as a bride on her wedding night is surrounded with honor, beauty, celebration, and admiration, Surah Ar‑Rahman is surrounded by the beauty and splendor of the Qur’an’s verses. Within it are gathered descriptions of divine blessings, mercy, kindness, and the wonders of creation granted by Allah to humanity in this life and promised in the next.
After mentioning these blessings, Allah repeatedly reminds His servants by saying:
“**So which of your Lord’s favors will you deny?**”
Thus the surah gathers within it the true adornment of divine blessings.
### The servants of the Most Merciful — the bride of existence
Some scholars have pointed out a subtle meaning: the servants of the Most Merciful are like the “brides” of the universe just as Surah Ar‑Rahman is the bride of the Qur’an.
When a person truly becomes a servant of the Most Merciful, he becomes noble and honored among creation. The earth itself rejoices that such a servant walks upon it. In one narration the earth says to the believer when he is buried: “O believer, I loved you when you walked upon me and longed to embrace you.”
But when a sinner or disbeliever is buried, the earth says: “O enemy of Allah, I hated you when you walked upon me and wished to crush you.”
### The servants of the Most Merciful — the focus of creation’s gaze
Just as a bride on her wedding night becomes the focus of everyone’s attention, the servants of the Most Merciful become the focus of the attention of all creation. The unseen realities of the universe become subject to them because they fulfilled true servitude to Allah.
### Walking with dignity upon the earth
A bride walks with calmness and dignity on her wedding night. Similarly Allah describes the servants of the Most Merciful:
“**The servants of the Most Merciful are those who walk upon the earth gently.**”
(Surah Al‑Furqan, verse 63)
The word *hawn* here signifies humility, tranquility, and dignity. They walk calmly upon the earth remembering Allah in every step. They are not arrogant or boastful.
### The graves of the servants of the Most Merciful as bridal chambers
When the righteous servants possess such character, their graves become like bridal chambers. It is reported that after a believer answers the questions of the angels in the grave, he is told:
“Sleep like the sleep of a bride.”
His grave becomes illuminated with lights from different directions—symbolizing the light of his deeds such as fasting, pilgrimage, charity, and devotion.
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**[3]**
### “Bismillah” — the title of the Qur’an’s themes
The phrase **“In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful”** at the beginning of Qur’anic chapters is considered part of the surahs according to the school of Ahl al‑Bayt and many jurists.
It is also the first phrase revealed in the heavenly scriptures and the first phrase taught to Adam. It stands as the opening and title of the Qur’an.
A scholar once gave an illustration: a poor man passed by a magnificent palace and assumed that its owner must be wealthy and generous. He called out asking for help but received only a small piece of dry bread. Angered, he began striking the palace gate with a pickaxe saying that the gate falsely advertised the generosity of its owner.
The story illustrates how the phrase **“Bismillah al‑Rahman al‑Rahim”** is like the majestic gateway of the Qur’an, inviting people toward the vast mercy of Allah.
### “Bismillah” removes sorrow and solves difficulties
It is narrated that whoever is afflicted with sorrow or hardship and sincerely says *Bismillah al‑Rahman al‑Rahim* hoping in Allah’s mercy will receive one of two outcomes: either his request will be granted or Allah will replace it with something better for him.
Imam Ali al‑Ridha (peace be upon him) said:
“*Bismillah al‑Rahman al‑Rahim* is closer to the Greatest Name of Allah than the black of the eye is to its white.”
### Seeking help from Allah — the meaning of “Bismillah”
The letter **bā’** in *Bismillah* signifies seeking help. Thus its meaning is: “With the help of Allah’s name.” The servant realizes that he possesses no power or ability without Allah.
Imam Hasan al‑Askari said:
“Saying *Bismillah* means: I seek the help of Allah in all my affairs.” [2]
### Marking oneself with the mark of servitude
Imam al‑Ridha explained that saying *Bismillah* means marking oneself with the mark of Allah—namely, servitude and worship. The believer acknowledges his weakness and dependence upon Allah.
### Occupying the heart with remembrance of Allah
When the Prophet (peace be upon him) was asked about the Greatest Name of Allah, he said:
“Detach your heart from everything other than Allah and say: O Allah.” [3]
This means complete reliance upon Allah alone.
### Respecting the name of Allah brings mercy to one’s parents
It is narrated from Imam Ali that whoever finds the phrase *Bismillah al‑Rahman al‑Rahim* written on the ground and lifts it out of respect for Allah’s name, Allah grants mercy and relief to his parents and counts him among the truthful. [4]
Therefore we should respect the names of Allah and verses of the Qur’an when we see them written in newspapers or papers discarded in the streets, removing them from places where they may be stepped on.
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**Sources**
[1] *Tafsir Nur al‑Thaqalayn*, vol. 5, p. 187.
[2] *Tafsir al‑Imam al‑Askari*, p. 5.
[3] *La’ali’ al‑Akhbar*.
[4] *Al‑Kibrit al‑Ahmar* by al‑Birjandi.
