Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh. (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

Assalam-o-Alaikum,

Dear brother,

I've been confused on a point.

This is regarding importance and fazilat of surah Yasin of Holy Qur'an.

I am having a book titled "surah yasin, the heart of Holy Qur'an" written by some Arabian scholar (I do not remind the name), wherein he has translated the surah yasin in English and shown its importance, its time of revelation, etc.

To conclude, he has treated surah yasin as heart of Holy Qur'an.

And also from our parents and elders, we have gathered this saying that surah yasin is very important and having great fazilat.

And that one should recite surah yasin atleast once every day.

But on contrary:

I am having a copy of Qur'an translated in Hindi, and published by Daarussalam, Saudi Arabia.

Therein, they have mentioned a note at the starting of surah yasin, that all the above kind of sayings about surah yasin, are false….

And they find no solid base or reference.

Could you please correct me on this issue?

Jazakallahu khair.

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

Significance of surah yaa seen heart

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

It is reported on the authority of M'aqil ibn Yasar, that the Prophet (saws) said: "Surah ‘Ya Sin’ is the heart of the Qur'an. Whoever recites it seeking the pleasure of Allah and the Hereafter will receive Allah's forgiveness. So recite it to your dead."

Related by Ibn Habban, Al-Hakim, An-Nisai, Abu Dawood.

Ibn al-Qattan considers this hadith weak and manifests some confusion, doubt, and even ignorance about some of its narrators.

Ad-Dar al-Qutni is reported to have said: "In the chain of narrators of this hadith there is confusion. Its text is obscure and is not correct."

Ibn Hibban observes: ‘This hadith refers to the recitation of Ya Sin for those on the eve of death and not for those already dead. This interpretation is supported by Ahmad, who recorded in his Al-Musnad that Safwan states: "The most eminent scholars say: 'The recitation of Surah Ya Sin at the time of a person's death makes death easy for him'. The compiler of Musnad al-Firdaus attributes this hadith to Abu ad-Darda and Abu Dharr. They both narrated: "The Prophet (saws) said: 'If any person is on his deathbed and Ya Sin is recited to him, Allah makes his suffering easier'."

The vast majority of the jurists of the science of determining the authenticity of the ‘ahaadeeth’ are of the opinion that the report of Maqil ibn Yasar regarding the Surah Yaa-Seen being the ‘heart of the Quran’ is not authentic and considered weak or a ‘daeef’ narration. And Allah Alone Knows Best.

In our humble opinion the narration is indeed ‘daeef’ or weak because there is indeed confusion and doubt in its ‘sanad’ or chain of narrators. But the majority of the scholars and jurists have abstained from terming the narration as ‘maudhoo’ or absolutely fabricated, whereby neither is there any record of its ‘sanad’ or chain of narrators, nor is the substance of the narration in accordance with the guidance of Allah and His Messenger (saws). And Allah Alone Knows Best.

It would be safest and closest to piety and righteousness if the believers who sincerely fear Allah and the Last Day to accept and align their beliefs only to those narrations which are agreed upon as ‘sahih’ or absolutely authentic.

As blessed and as meritorious the recitation of any amongst the Surahs of the Glorious Quran are, to the best of our knowledge there is no specific mention in the authentic and established Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (saws) whereby he specifically exhorted the believers to recite the Surah 36 ‘Yaa-Seen’ everyday.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me alone. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan