7 Reasons You Must Start Reading Surah Al-Baqarah Right Away

Outline

• Introduction
• Surah Al-Baqarah: An Overview
• 7 Reasons You Must Read Surah Al-Baqarah Often
• Methods of Reading the Surah
• Possible Reaction When Reading Surah Al-Baqarah
• Is There No Need to Understand It?
• What If I Don’t Know How to Read the Qur’an?
• Conclusion

Introduction

Alhamdulillah… Infinite praise and thanks are due to the Almighty Allah who descended Surah Al-Baqarah. Complete blessings and salutations are due to the best teacher of Surah Al-Baqarah, Sayyidunā Muhammad, his household, his companions and all those who follow his guided path.

This article presents you to Surah Al-Baqarah and aims to persuade you to review your relationship with the Surah and take the bonding between you, both to a whole new level. That is to develop a habit of reading the Surah more often, if not daily.

But before the start, let’s take an overview look at the Surah.

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Surah Al-Baqarah: An Overview

Surah Al-Baqarah consists of 286 verses which spread over 48 full pages. It takes an hour for someone who has memorized the entire Surah to read the it, with relatively fast pacing. It thus takes the average reader of the Qur’an between one and a half hours to two, to read the Surah in its entirety. Other than that, the amount of time you will need to read the Surah in a single sitting depends on your competency in reading and your breath length.

Surah Al-Baqarah which translates as the Chapter of the Cow is the second Surah in sequence in the printed Qur’an. It’s also the longest Surah in the Qur’an and the first to be descended upon the Prophet after his migration from Makkah to Madinah.

Surah Al-Baqarah, primarily serves as guide and guidance in all the topics it sheds light on. And hence, it outlines the consequences of opposing the direction of this guidance. The Surah guides pertaining to all aspects of life, ranging from faith, righteousness, knowledge, marriage and divorce, parenting, finance, business transaction, military, social or community engagement and more.

The Surah also shares Qur’anic stories that highlight some Prophets who were chosen and sent by Allah, to teach us the His commands. It also talks about some oppressors and the implication of their choice to oppress. Some of the stories in the Surah also feature the people of the Book, more so the Jews and how they rejected the truth, and in extreme cases, how they manipulated the truth.

Surah Al-Baqarah also exposes the characteristics of the hypocrites who lived during the time of the Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam. If you read and understand some of their stories in the Surah, you’ll see that many people today, who present themselves as Muslims manifest the same characteristics. Just like the hypocrites during the time of the Prophet, who claimed to be Muslims did.

Now, what are the seven reasons why you must start reading Surah Al-Baqarah right away?

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7 Reasons You Must Read Surah Al-Baqarah Often

This section highlights the reasons why you must start reading Surah Al-Baqarah right away, and then make it a point to read it very often, if not daily. The points (reasons) highlighted here also serve as the virtues of the Surah.

#1: Surah Al-Baqarah is the Pinnacle of the Qur’an

Yes, Surah Al-Baqarah is the pinnacle of the Qur’an. That’s how The Prophet Muhammad ṣallā Allāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam described it. In a ḥadīth reported by Imām al-Tirmidhī from the narration of Sayyidunā Abū Hurayrah raḍiya Allāhu ‘anhu, the Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam says:

لِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ سَنَامٌ وَإِنَّ سَنَامَ الْقُرْآنِ سُورَةُ الْبَقَرَةِ وَفِيهَا آيَةٌ هِيَ سَيِّدَةُ آيِ الْقُرْآنِ هِيَ آيَةُ الْكُرْسِيِّ

“For everything there is a hump (pinnacle) and the hump (pinnacle) of the Qur’an is Surah Al-Baqarah, in it there is a verse (an Ayah) which is the master of the verses in the Qur’an. It is Ayatul-Kursi.”

Here, it’s worth indicating that although Surah Al-Baqarah is the pinnacle of the Qur’an, it’s not the greatest Surah in the Qur’an. For the greatest Surah in the Qur’an is Surah Al-Fātiḥah. Click here to read about Surah Al-Fātiḥah in its simplicity.

# 2: Surah Al-Baqarah Carries the Greatest Verse in the Qur’an

Although the Surah is not the greatest Surah in the Qur’an, it carries the greatest verse in the Qur’an. The ḥadīth above is enough an evident for that. And the greatest verse in the Qur’an is Ayatul-Kursi.

In addition to that good news, reading Ayatul-Kursi after every obligatory prayer, that’s five times a day, keeps you closest to the Paradise. And this is understood from the ḥadīth reported by Imām al-Nasā’ī from the narration of Sayyidunā Abū Umāmah raḍiya Allāhu ‘anhu that the Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam says:

مَنْ قَرَأَ آيَةَ الْكُرْسِيِّ فِي دُبُرِ كُلِّ صَلَاةٍ مَكْتُوبَةٍ لَمْ يَمْنَعْهُ مِنْ دُخُولِ الْجَنَّةِ إِلَّا أَنْ يَمُوتَ

“The only thing that prevents him who reads Ayatul-Kursi after every obligatory prayer from entering Paradise is death.”

# 3: Surah Al-Baqarah Keeps the Devil Away from Your House

One of the effective results of reading Surah Al-Baqarah is that it keeps the Devil and his troops away from your house.

Do you experience constant moodiness while at home? Do you have frequent quarrels at home with your family members? Do you lose your cool for no apparent reason? If yes, then embrace Surah Al-Baqarah. By the grace of Allah, peace and tranquility will fill your house. This happens because the Devil who inspires hatred and plants grudges among family members will avoid your house at any cost.

In a ḥadīth reported by Imām Muslim from the narration of Sayyidunā Abū Hurayrah raḍiya Allāhu ‘anhu, the Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam says:

لاَ تَجْعَلُوا بُيُوتَكُمْ مَقَابِرَ، إِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ يَنْفِرُ مِنَ الْبَيْتِ الَّذِي تُقْرَأُ فِيهِ سُورَةُ الْبَقَرَةِ

“Do not make your houses as graveyards. Satan runs away from the house in which Surah Al-Baqarah is recited.”

Also, Imām al-Tirmidhī reports from the narration of Sayyidunā Al-Nu’mān ibn al-Bashīr raḍiya Allāhu ‘anhu, that the Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam says:

إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَتَبَ كِتَابًا قَبْلَ أَنْ يَخْلُقَ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالأَرْضَ بِأَلْفَىْ عَامٍ أَنْزَلَ مِنْهُ آيَتَيْنِ خَتَمَ بِهِمَا سُورَةَ الْبَقَرَةِ وَلاَ يُقْرَآنِ فِي دَارٍ ثَلاَثَ لَيَالٍ فَيَقْرَبُهَا شَيْطَانٌ

“Indeed, Allah wrote in a book two thousand years before He created the heavens and the earth, and He sent down two verses from it to end Surah Al-Baqarah with. If they are recited for three nights in a home, no devil shall come near it.”

#4: Surah Al-Baqarah Protects You at Night

The same two verses, with which Surah Al-Baqarah ends protect you against all evil throughout the night in which you read them. In a ḥadīth reported by Imām al-Bukhārī from the narration of Sayyidunā Abū Mas‘ūd raḍiya Allāhu ‘anhu, the Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam says:

الآيَتَانِ مِنْ آخِرِ سُورَةِ الْبَقَرَةِ مَنْ قَرَأَهُمَا فِي لَيْلَةٍ كَفَتَاهُ‏

“Anyone who recites the two verses at the end of Surah Al-Baqarah at night, they would suffice for him.”

This means, try to read these two verses at night before you go to sleep. And by the grace of Allah, you’ll be spared nightmares and evil operations on you while you’re asleep.

#5: Reading Surah Al-Baqarah Earns You Blessings

Reading Surah Al-Baqarah invites Allah’s blessings upon you. And when it arrives, you feel tranquil and are in peace of mind despite the challenges you probably experience and the chaos that might be around you.

In a ḥadīth reported by Imām Muslim from the narration of Sayyidunā Abū Umāmah raḍiya Allāhu ‘anhu that the Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam says:

اقْرَؤُوا سُورَةَ الْبَقَرَةِ، فَإنَّ أَخْذَهَا بَرَكَةٌ، وَتَرْكَهَا حَسْرَةٌ، وَلاَ تَسْتَطِيعُهَا الْبَطَلَةُ

“Recite Surah Al-Baqarah, for to take recourse to it is a blessing and to give it up is a cause of grief, and the magicians cannot confront it.”

This ḥadīth takes us to our next virtue of the Surah…

#6: Surah Al-Baqarah Defeats Black Magic and Sorcery

The ḥadīth above also gives a glad tiding; that is Surah Al-Baqarah defeats sorcery and sorcerers. We’ve agreed in a previous article, that you can control yourself and refrain from going to sorcerers. Thus, others will be safe from you. But you can’t control others nor prevent them from going to sorcerers. Especially if they intend any harm against you. So, you have to seek protection against such, from Allah. Not from sorcerers.

This is where Surah Al-Baqarah fits in perfectly. Let’s take another look at the ḥadīth…

اقْرَءُوا سُورَةَ الْبَقَرَةِ، فَإِنَّ أَخْذَهَا بَرَكَةٌ، وَتَرْكَهَا حَسْرَةٌ، وَلاَ تَسْتَطِيعُهَا الْبَطَلَةُ

“Recite Surah Al-Baqarah, for to take recourse to it is a blessing and to give it up is a cause of grief, and the magicians cannot confront it.”

#7: Surah Al-Baqarah Will Intercede for You on the Day of Judgement

On the Day of Judgement, Surah Al-Baqarah will intercede for the one who reads it. This is understood from the ḥadīth reported by Imām Muslim from the narration of Sayyidunā Al-Nawwās ibn Sam‘ān raḍiya Allāhu ‘anhu that the Prophet ṣallā Allāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam says:

يُؤْتَى يَومَ القِيَامَةِ بِالقُرْآن وَأَهْلِهِ الَّذِينَ كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ بِهِ فِي الدُّنْيَا تُقَدِّمُهُ سُورَةُ البَقَرَةِ وآلِ عِمْرَانَ تُحَاجَّانِ عَنْ صَاحِبِهِمَا

“The Qur’an and its people who applied it, will be brought on the Day of Resurrection preceded with Surah Al-Baqarah and Surah Āl-‘Imrān arguing on behalf of those who applied them.”

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Methods of Reading the Surah

Based on the virtues of the Surah Al-Baqarah outlined above, there’re five methods you can follow to apply the reading of the Surah in your life. The first and the last ones can be tedious at the beginning, while the other three are the convenient methods. They are:

1. Reading the entire Surah Daily or Frequently
2. Reading Ayatul-Kursi after every obligatory prayer
3. Reading the last two verses of the Surah every night before going to bed.
4. Combining the second method with the third.
5. Combining the first, second and third methods.

Let’s elaborate briefly…

Reading The Entire Surah Al-Baqarah Daily

Is it possible? Yes, it is.

If you start this method for three days in a row, you’ll never look back.

But if you can’t, it’ll be good to do it once in a week or so.

It’s better to do it in one sitting. But if you can’t, you may distribute it throughout your free time during the day. The good news is that this method is not tied to a specific time. So, you can do it at any time.

Reading Ayatul-Kursi After Every Obligatory Prayer

This is taken from the ḥadīth that gives the good news, that whoever reads Ayatul-Kursi after every obligatory prayer is only a step away to entering the Paradise.

Note that this method is tied to timing. That’s after obligatory prayers. So, make sure you are punctual with your obligatory prayers.

Reading the Last Two Verses of the Surah Every Night

The Prophet, ṣallā Allāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam encouraged that reading the last two verses of the Surah suffices for the Muslim against all evil for the rest of the night, in which he reads them.

Please note, all the methods above purely suggest reading. This is to get you close to the Surah and earn you protection as implied by the numerous ḥadīth outlined in this article.

Furthermore, it’s certainly better to combine as many of these methods as possible. In other words, reading the entire Surah in the morning or during daytime doesn’t excuse you from reading Ayatul-Kursi after every obligatory prayer, nor does it excuse you from reading the last two verses at night before going to sleep. The more you combine, the better the good results you reap.

Also, you’ll need to apply the first method, if you’re experiencing spiritual disturbances in yourself or there’re disturbances in your house.

Now, we know that the results we reap from reading Surah Al-Baqarah are purely spiritual. So, what are the possible reactions we can expect as we embark on this experience?

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Possible Reactions When Reading Surah Al-Baqarah

Surah Al-Baqarah is extremely effective in identifying spiritual conditions and combating spiritual attacks. Therefore, if you embark on reading it, there are possible outcomes you may observe. These outcomes depend on the seriousness of your spiritual problem or condition.

A mild problem will vanish without you realizing. May be, in the first place you didn’t notice you had the problem. But you’ll start to feel good and more tranquil, inshā Allah. Also, the sudden laziness you feel when it’s close to prayer time will start to cease to show up. Some of the negative thoughts you may have towards Allah or the faith will turn the opposite. Inshā Allah.

A medium problem is when you have a condition and can feel it (the pain or disturbance). When you start reading the Surah, you’ll notice improvement in your condition or the condition of your loved one in the house. The pains will gradually reduce and disappear for good. Inshā Allah.

A severe condition may take longer time to react. In fact, a severe condition will take long and will require more effort from you. It’s needless to emphasize that a lot of patience is required from your part. So, let’s be patient.

Even when it reacts, it may fight back, in a way that will cause you more pains. You should continue reading the Surah and your pains or whatever you’re experiencing will gradually subside and eventually disappear, inshā Allah.

In a nutshell, it takes lesser time and effort to overcome a problem that is a month old. It takes longer to overcome a problem that is a year old. A 10-year-old problem may take as long as you’ve rightly guessed. In fact, sometimes, there may be multiple problems hidden in a condition that we perceive to be one in a person, a place, or a house.

By the power of Allah, Surah Al-Baqarah will be your remedy.

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Is There No Need to Understand It?

The Muslim is ought to understand every single word in the Qur’an. Hands down!

However, there’re different forms of reading and learning the Qur’an. None of them suffices the need for another. The more of them you know the better it is for you.

In other words, reading the Qur’an in its Arabic texts is necessary; and it’s an independent act of worship. Reading it to memorize it is also necessary but a different form. And it’s also an independent act of worship. So are reading it to understand its meaning is also another form, as well as reading it for treatment purposes.

Understanding what we read in the Qur’an can be achieved by learning its exegeses (Tafsīr) or reading a translation of its meaning. But reading these exegeses or translated copies does not substitute reading it for protection and treatment. Just like you can’t read a translation of the meaning of the Qur’an in your prayers. Can you?

You may be interested to read my article, 8 Reasons You Should Read the Qur’an Everyday Even If You Don’t Understand It. To read it, click here.

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What If I Don’t Know How to Read the Qur’an?

For someone who doesn’t know how to read the Qur’an, it’s not too late to learn how to. This is regardless of your age and profession. For in the life of the Muslim, nothing equals your ability to read the book of Allah. Reading the Qur’an –even if you don’t understand it– is your only opportunity to read the constitution in which Allah speaks directly to you.

While learning to read the Qur’an and subsequently Surah Al-Baqarah, you can listen to a recitation of the Surah in your phone or on an audio player in the house. This method does not suffice the need for reading the Surah or reading the Qur’an. It’s only a temporary measure which is better than not reading at all.

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Conclusion

The positive results of reading Surah Al-Baqarah often is invaluable. The only way to figure it out is to try it for a week. If you do, you’ll prostrate in sujūd to thank Allah as a sign of appreciation. One thing is for sure; you won’t look back, inshā Allah.

Likewise anything worthwhile, the results that you will reap from reading the Surah won’t arrive by magic. It only comes to you after you’ve gone for it. You need to sacrifice some time to achieve it. And the only shortcut to achieving that is by doing just that… Read Surah Al-Baqarah.

May Allah grant us the will it takes to embark on reading Surah Al-Baqarah, more so learning and reading the entire Qur’an and putting what we read and learn to practice. May He grant us the protection and every single reward that reading Surah Al-Baqarah earns one. Āmīn!

Let the discussion continue on Facebook. To receive updates from GSalam.Net delivered right to your inbox, click here. If you know a friend or an acquaintance who may benefit from this article, there will be no harm sharing it with him, inshā Allah.

Allah knows best.
Allahu Hafiz 🙂

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