Surah Al-Mulk

The Sovereignty

Introduction

Name of Chapter and Reason for its Name

This chapter is called Surah Al-Mulk, and it has been named The Sovereignty due to the usage of the word in the very first verse: ‘Blessed is He in whose hands is all sovereignty, and He has power over all things.’

Chapter Number

Surah Al-Mulk is the 67th chapter of the Quran.

Number of Verses

This chaptesr contains 30 verses.

Place of Revelation

Commentators consider this to be a Makki chapter.

Content

Important Concepts in this Chapter

Verses 2-5 and 15-23

A reference is made towards some of the signs of Allah’s Lordship in the heavens and the earth. These verses seek to prove the management and general Divine Lordship by pointing out the amazing organization of creation, specifically the creation of the heavens, the stars, the earth, and their blessings, the birds, flowing water, ears, eyes, and other tools of understanding.

Verses 6-11 and 27-28

These verses are regarding the Resurrection, and are a warning to the disbelievers about the punishment in Hell and the fire. These verses discuss the Resurrection, and describe a dialogue between the agents in charge of punishment and those who have been condemned to Hell.

According to the Sunni Traditions

Benefits of Reciting this Surah

عن رسول‌الله صلی‌الله علیه و سلم: من قرأ سورة الملک فکأنما أحیا لیلة القدر

The Prophet of Islam has said: “Whoever recites Surah al-Mulk, it is as if he has stayed up the whole night of laylat al-qadr [and worshipped].”

Verse 2: “He, who created death and life that He may test you [to see] which of you is best in conduct. And He is the All-Mighty, the All-Forgiving.”

الَّذِي خَلَقَ الْمَوْتَ وَالْحَيَاةَ لِيَبْلُوَكُمْ أَيُّكُمْ أَحْسَنُ عَمَلًا وَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْغَفُورُ٢ قال ابن أبی حاتم: حدثنا أبو زرعة حدثنا صفوان حدثنا الولید حدثنا خلید عن قتادة فی قوله تعالی: الَّذِی خَلَقَ الْمَوْتَ وَ الْحَیاةَ قال: کان رسول‌الله صلی‌الله علیه و سلّم یقول: «إن الله أذل بنی آدم بالموت و جعل الدنیا دار حیاة ثم دار موت و جعل الآخرة دار جزاء ثم دار بقاء»

Ibn Abu Haatim says that Abu Zarah narrated from Safwaan, from al-Walid, from Khalid, from Qutadah regarding the verse: ‘He, who created death and life’ that the Prophet of Allah would say: “Surely, Allah has degraded Adam’s children through death, and made the world for them a place to live and then die. He has made the afterlife a place for recompense and then an eternal abode.”

Verse 11: “Thus they will admit their sin. So away with the inmates of the Blaze.”

فَاعْتَرَفُوا بِذَنْبِهِمْ فَسُحْقًا لِأَصْحَابِ السَّعِيرِ١١ قال الإمام أحمد حدثنا محمد بن جعفر، حدثنا شعبة عن عمرو بن مرة عن أبی البختری الطائی قال: أخبرنی من سمعه من رسول‌الله صلی‌الله علیه و سلّم أنه قال: «لن یهلک الناس حتی یعذروا من أنفسهم» و فی حدیث آخر «لا یدخل أحد النار إلا و هو یعلم أن النار أولی به من الجنة»

Imam Ahmad reports from Muhammad ibn Jafar, from Shubah, from Umar ibn Murrah, from Abu al-Bakhtari al-Taai that: I was told by someone who heard the Prophet of Allah say: “People will never be punished until there is a proper reason [for them to be punished].” In another tradition, it says: “No one will enter Hell without knowing that Hell is preferred for them over Heaven.” how can hell be ‘preferred’ for someone??

Verse 15: “It is He who made the earth tractable for you; so walk on its flanks and eat of His provision, and towards Him is the resurrection.”

هُوَ الَّذِي جَعَلَ لَكُمُ الْأَرْضَ ذَلُولًا فَامْشُوا فِي مَنَاكِبِهَا وَكُلُوا مِنْ رِزْقِهِ وَإِلَيْهِ النُّشُورُ١٥ قال الإمام أحمد حدثنا أبو عبد الرّحمن، حدثنا حیوة، أخبرنی بکر بن عمرو أنه سمع عبد الله بن هبیرة یقول: إنه سمع أبا تمیم الجیشانی یقول: إنه سمع عمر بن الخطاب یقول: إنه سمع رسول‌الله صلی‌الله علیه و سلّم یقول: «لو أنکم تتوکلون علی الله حق توکله لرزقکم کما یرزق الطیر، تغدو خماصاو تروح بطانا»

Imam Ahmad reports from Abu Abd al-Rahman, from Haywah that Bakr ibn Amr told me that he heard Abdullah ibn Hubayrah, from Abu Tameem al-Jayshani, from Umar ibn al-Khattab saying that he heard from the Prophet of Allah saying: “If you had trusted Allah with the trust that He deserves, then He would have provided you sustenance like He provides to the birds. They fly away when they are hungry and they return when they are full.”

According to the Shia Traditions

Benefits of Reciting this Surah

عَنْ أَبِی بَصِیرٍ عَنْ أَبِی عَبْدِ الله قَالَ: مَنْ قَرَأَ تَبارَک الَّذِی بِیدِهِ الْمُلْک فِی الْمَکتُوبَةِ قَبْلَ أَنْ ینَامَ لَمْ یزَلْ فِی أَمَانِ الله حَتَّی یصْبِحَ وَ فِی أَمَانِهِ یوْمَ الْقِیامَةِ حَتَّی یدْخُلَ الْجَنَّةَ.

Abu Baseer narrates from Abu Abdillah that: “Whoever recites Surah al-Mulk in an obligatory prayer before sleeping, will be under Allah’s protection until the person wakes up, and will be protected on the Day of Judgement until one enters the heaven.”

Verse 2: “He, who created death and life that He may test you [to see] which of you is best in conduct. And He is the All-Mighty, the All-Forgiving.”

الَّذِي خَلَقَ الْمَوْتَ وَالْحَيَاةَ لِيَبْلُوَكُمْ أَيُّكُمْ أَحْسَنُ عَمَلًا وَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْغَفُورُ٢ قَالَ أَبُو قَتَادَةَ سَأَلْتُ رسول‌الله ص عَنْ قَوْلِهِ تَعَالَی أَیکمْ أَحْسَنُ عَمَلًا مَا عنی بِهِ فَقَالَ یقُولُ أَیکمْ أَحْسَنُ عَقْلًا ثُمَّ قَالَ ص أَتَمُّکمْ عَقْلًا وَ أَشَدُّکمْ لِلَّهِ خَوْفاً وَ أَحْسَنُکمْ فِیمَا أَمَرَ الله بِهِ وَ نَهَی عَنْهُ نَظَراً وَ إِنْ کانَ أَقَلَّکمْ تَطَوُّعاً

Abu Qatadah says that I asked the Prophet of Allah about who is being referred to in the verse: ‘which of you is best in conduct?’ He replied: “He is referring to whichever of you is best in terms of their intellects.” Then he continued: “[Meaning that whoever is] the most perfect in terms of their intellects, whoever has the most intense fear of Allah, and whoever is better in performing what Allah has commanded them to do, and [better in] staying away from that which Allah has forbidden them from doing, even if he does the least amount of recommended actions.”

Verse 10: “And they will say, ‘Had we listened or applied reason, we would not have been among inmates of the Blaze.’”

وَقَالُوا لَوْ كُنَّا نَسْمَعُ أَوْ نَعْقِلُ مَا كُنَّا فِي أَصْحَابِ السَّعِيرِ١٠ ‌ فِی الْحَدِیثِ عَنْ ابْنِ عُمَر أَنَّ النَّبِی ص قَالَ إِنَّ الرَّجُلَ لَیکون مِنْ أَهْلِ الْجِهَادِ وَ مِنْ أَهْلِ الصَّلاَةِ وَ الصِّیامِ وَ مِمَّنْ یأْمُرُ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَ ینْهَی عَنِ الْمُنْکرِ وَ مَا یجْزی یوْمَ الْقِیامَةِ إِلَّا عَلَی قَدْرِ عَقْلِهِ

In a tradition from Ibn Umar, the Messenger has been quoted as having said: “Surely, a person will be considered as someone who struggled, prayed, fasted, commanded others to do what is good, forbade others from what is evil, and will only be rewarded on the Day of Judgement according to the level of their intellect.”

Verse 22: “Is he who walks prone on his face better guided, or he who walks upright on a straight path?”

أَفَمَنْ يَمْشِي مُكِبًّا عَلَى وَجْهِهِ أَهْدَى أَمَّنْ يَمْشِي سَوِيًّا عَلَى صِرَاطٍ مُسْتَقِيمٍ٢٢ فِی الْکافِی بِإِسْنَادِهِ عَنْ سَعْدٍ عَنْ أَبِی جَعْفَرٍ قَالَ الْقَلْبُ أَرْبَعَةٌ قَلْبٌ فِیهِ نِفَاقٌ وَ إِیمَانٌ وَ قَلْبٌ مَنْکوسٌ وَ قَلْبٌ مَطْبُوعٌ وَ قَلْبٌ أَزْهَرُ فَقُلْتُ مَا الْأَزْهَرُ قَالَ فِیهِ کهَیئَةِ السِّرَاجِ فَأَمَّا الْمَطْبُوعُ فَقَلْبُ الْمُنَافِقِ وَ أَمَّا الْأَزْهَرُ فَقَلْبُ الْمُؤْمِنِ إِنْ أَعْطَاهُ شَکرَ وَ إِنِ ابْتَلَاهُ صَبَرَ وَ أَمَّا الْمَنْکوسُ فَقَلْبُ الْمُشْرِک ثُمَّ قَرَأَ هَذِهِ الْآیةَ أَ فَمَنْ یمْشِی مُکبًّا عَلَی وَجْهِهِ أَهْدی أَمَّنْ یمْشِی سَوِیا عَلَی صِرَاطٍ مُسْتَقِیمٍ فَأَمَّا الْقَلْبُ الَّذِی فِیهِ إِیمَانٌ وَ نِفَاقٌ فَقَوْمٌ کانُوا بِالطَّائِفِ فَإِنْ أَدْرَک أَحَدَهُمْ أَجَلُهُ عَلَی نِفَاقِهِ هَلَک وَ إِنْ أَدْرَکهُ عَلَی إِیمَانِهِ نَجَّی

It has been reported in Al-Kafi with a chain of transmission from Sad, from Abu Jafar that: “There are four types of hearts: a heart that is filled with hypocrisy and faith, a heart that is inverted, a heart that is sealed, and a heart that is shining.” Then I said, “What do you mean by [a heart that is] shining?” He replied: “[It is a heart that] has something like a lamp in it. Regarding the [heart that is] sealed, it is the heart of a hypocrite. The shining heart is the heart of a believer - he gives thanks when Allah gives him something and is patient when he suffers from something. Regarding the [heart that is] inverted, it is the heart of a polytheist.” Then he recited this verse: ‘Is he who walks prone on his face better guided, or he who walks upright on a straight path?’ Then he continued: “Regarding the heart that has both faith and hypocrisy: This refers to a group of people who lived in Taif. If one of them died while they were hypocrites, then they were destroyed. If they died while they had belief, then they were saved.”