Surah Al-Mulk (The Kingdom)

I wrote an entry about Surah Yasin before. Today, I'd like to share about another Surah which is I think equally as important.

Surah Al-Mulk is the 67th surah in Al-Quran. It contains 30 verses.

As well being called al-Mulk, it is also called al-Waqiya (the Protector), al-Munjiyya (the Rescuer), and al-Mâni'a (the Defender) because it protects the one who knows it and rescues him from the punishment and defends him during the Rising. It is also called al-Mujadila (the Arguer) because it argues on behalf of the one who knows it when he is in the grave. Numerous hadiths have mentioned its excellence.

The Prophet, (p.b.u.h), said, "There is a sura of the Book which only has thirty ayats which will intercede for a man on the Day of Rising and will bring him out of the Fire and make him enter the Garden. It is Surat Tabarak (meaning al-Mulk)." He also said, "I wish that 'Tabarak' could be in the heart of every believer."

Eversince I knew about the Fadilat, I try not to miss reciting the Surah. Twice on each day...once after performing Dhuhr and once after performing Maghrib.

Truth be known, I'm scared of death. Well, who doesn't? I think only kids or insane people who are not scared. As I've said before, I know too well that my preparation for the other world is very very limited. But I know, one day..Death will come..without a knock on the door...not a minute earlier or later. So I hope that my small effort will help me in the hereafter journey.

I'll end with the tafsir of the 1st verse in Surah Al-Mulk which clearly shows the powerfullness of the Surah:

"Tabàrakallazî biyadihil moulkou, wahouwa 'alà koulli shay-in qadîre"
(Blessed be He who has the Kingdom in His Hand! He has power over all things.)

"He who has the Kigndom in His hand" means the sovereignty or kingdom of the heavens and the earth, this world and the Next. It is said that it means the King of kings in this world, as you say, "the master of the kingdom." The first is more general and encompassing. He abases or exalts whomever He wills, He gives life and makes die, enriches and makes poor, gives and withholds. It is also said by some that He has the dominion of prophethood by which He exalts those who follow it and abases those who oppose it. He has the control of affairs. As He says elsewhere: "They do not measure Allah with His true measure. The whole earth will be a mere handful for Him on the Day of Rising, the heavens folded up in His right hand." (39:64)

In Arabic "hand" (yad) designates authority and power. Allah has the power to bless and take revenge. Commentators say that yad refers to Allah's power (qudra) which is His attribute without interpretation or qualification. His power is beyond description or limitation. In this context, Abu Hurayra reported in a sound hadith that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Allah's hand is full, undiminished by any expenditure since He created the heaven and the earth, for what His hand holds has not decreased. His Throne was upon the water, and in His hand the scale which He lowers and raises."

Mulk means sovereignty, kingship, dominion, and it is means ownership. It usually refers to this world, the physical world of bodies, whereas Malakut refers to the dominion of the unseen as He says, "Glory be to Him who has the Dominion (malakût) of all things in His Hand." (36:83)

"He has power over all things" defines His power - it extends to all things without limit. It reinforces the first sentence.

Insya-allah, I hope by my sharing this, friends and readers...all of us will get a benefit out of it. I suggest that you grab an Al-Quran's tafsir and understand fully the meaning of the whole Surah.

Another thing, we are in the last 10 days of Ramadhan. There's another Hadith by the Prophet about the Fadilat of the Surah.

Rasulullah(sallallahu alaiyhi wassallam) said: "The person who reads Tabarakallazi biyadihil mulk & Alif Laam Tanzeel-as-sajda between Maghrib and Esha;the reward(for reading these 2 surahs) will be as though he(the reader) had stood awake during(the night) of Laylatul Qadr." (Ruhul Ma'aani, Ibn Mardawayah)

*** Alif Laam Tanzeel is Surah Al-Sajadah. I will write another entry on the Surah, Insya-Allah.

May Allah give us the strength and courage to reap the maximum benefits of Ramadhan, Insya-Allah.