The Benefits of Reciting Surah Ar-Rahman
Hadith – 1
The Prophet (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) went to the companions and recited Surah ar Rahman but they were all quiet. He told them that he went to the jinn and recited it to them and they were responsive. And when he would recite the verses ‘And which of the favours of the Lord will you deny’ the jinn would respond ‘There is nothing among your bounties that we can deny, all praise belong to Allah’
References: Jami At-Tirmidhi, Ibn al Mundhir, Al Adhama & Hakim 2/474
Hadith – 2
Abdullah Ibn Mas’ud (Radi Allahu Anhu) reported that the Prophet (Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam) said, ‘Everything has an adornment, and the adornment of the Qur’an is Surah Ar Rahman’
Reference: Imam Bayhaqi (Rahmatullah Allaih) in Shuab Al Imaan
Virtues of Surah ar-Rahman
Surah ar-Rahman encourages us to reflect on the concept of Divine Mercy. Allah has given us various gifts. Life in this world is a gift too — the trees, food, our surroundings, air, water, healthy body and mind, family, friends, everything is a gift. We take it all for granted, but at the end of it all, every such gift matters.
Surah ar-Rahman helps us remember that all such Divine Favours are not something we should neglect. By repeating “Which is it, of the Favours of your Lord, that ye deny?” this Surah tells us that we should not deny any of the Favours of our Lord.
“Which is it, of the Favours of your Lord, that ye deny?”
As per the context of that time, the disbelievers were continuously and outrageously denying the truth and were openly torturing the Muslims. The repetition of “Which is it, of the Favors of your Lord, that ye deny?” was in fact a constant reminder to the deniers of truth who were ungrateful and blind to the Greatness of Allah and in their pride, would attack and kill Muslims without provocation.
Surah ar-Rahman beautifully conveys the infinite list of Blessings of Allah. It touches the heart and brings tears to the eyes of true believers.
The Ultimate Truth
Human beings have a weakness of ignoring the truth — we know that everything is perishable, yet we remain madly in pursuit of the worldly riches and comforts. We should be aware that whatever we have in this life is not permanent — our family and friends might leave us, good health might decline, our wealth might perish, and so on. Yet, we remain proud and arrogant.
Surah ar-Rahman repeatedly reminds us to be thankful to Allah because whatever we have is His Gift to us. Thus, we must work for the Hereafter and get engaged in doing good deeds and strive to please Allah Alone.
As such, we should know that, as practising Muslims, learning Surah ar-Rahman by heart can prove to be a source of peace and tranquility. by reminding ourselves of the various Favours of Allah, we can combat stress and depression and also strengthen our faith.