Does reciting Surah Mulk protect from punishment in the grave?

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

In the Name of Allah Most Merciful Most Kind

Short Answer

Yes, reciting Surah Mulk protects from punishment in the grave. This is mentioned by Sayidina Abdullah bin Masoud (Mowquf) in a sound narration. It is assumed that he heard it from the blessed Prophet ﷺ.

Explanation

عَنِ ابْنِ مَسْعُودٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ، قَالَ: يُؤْتَى الرَّجُلُ فِي قَبْرِهِ فَتُؤْتَى رِجْلَاهُ فَتَقُولُ رِجْلَاهُ: لَيْسَ لَكُمْ عَلَى مَا قِبَلِي سَبِيلٌ كَانَ يَقُومُ يَقْرَأُ بِي سُورَةَ الْمُلْكِ، ثُمَّ يُؤْتَى مِنْ قِبَلِ صَدْرِهِ أَوْ قَالَ بَطْنِهِ، فَيَقُولُ: لَيْسَ لَكُمْ عَلَى مَا قِبَلِي سَبِيلٌ كَانَ يَقْرَأُ بِي سُورَةَ الْمُلْكِ، ثُمَّ يُؤْتَى رَأْسُهُ فَيَقُولُ: لَيْسَ لَكُمْ عَلَى مَا قِبَلِي سَبِيلٌ كَانَ يَقْرَأُ بِي سُورَةَ الْمُلْكِ، قَالَ: فَهِيَ الْمَانِعَةُ تَمْنَعُ مِنْ عَذَابِ الْقَبْرِ وَهِيَ فِي التَّوْرَاةِ سُورَةُ الْمُلْكِ، وَمَنْ قَرَأَهَا فِي لَيْلَةٍ فَقَدْ أَكْثَرَ وَأَطْنَبَ. هَذَا حَدِيثٌ صَحِيحُ الْإِسْنَادِ وَلَمْ يُخَرِّجَاهُ. (وقال الإمام الذهبي: صحيح)

(Sayidina) Ibn Masoud (May Allah be pleased with him) said: A man will be approached in his grave. He will be approached from his feet. His feet will say: You have no way from my direction. He used to stand and recite Surah al-Mulk with me. Then he will be approached from the direction of his chest or his stomach. So it says: You have no way from my direction. He used to recite Surah al-Mulk through me. Then he will be approached from the direction of his head. So it says: You have no way from my direction.

He (Sayidina Ibn Masoud) said: It is the protector. It protects from the punishment of the grave. And it is Surah al-Mulk in the Torah. Whoever recites it at night has indeed been abundant and copious. (Mustadrak al-Hakim 3839, Sahih).

In the Sahih narration above, Sayidina Abdullah bin Masoud (Mowquf) explicitly mentions that reciting Surah Mulk protects from punishment in the grave. When a Sahabi speaks about such matters of the unseen, we assume he has taken it from our beloved Prophet ﷺ.

Speaking about the unseen (Ghayb)

Muslim scholars make this assumption is because it is not permitted to speak about matters of the unseen without recourse to Quran and Sunnah. The Sahabah are upright and righteous they would not violate the teachings of Islam so brazenly.  Thus, we assume they took the information from the Prophet ﷺ.

Since, the Sahabah were the students of the Prophet ﷺ, this is a reasonable assumption. Such assumptions should not be extended to other people. As they are not the direct students of the Prophet ﷺ nor do they have the piety of the Sahabah.

ومثال المرفوع مِن القول، حكماً لا تصريحاً: أَنْ يقولَ الصَّحابيُّ الَّذي لم يأْخُذْ عَنِ الإِسرائيليَّاتِ ما لا مجالَ للاجْتِهادِ فيهِ، ولا لهُ تعلُّقٌ ببيانِ لغةٍ أَو شرحِ غريبٍ، كالإِخبار عن الأمور الماضية: مِن بَدْءِ الخلق، وأَخبارِ الأنبياء، أَو الآتيةِ: كالملاحمِ، والفِتَنِ، وأَحوالِ يومِ القيامةِ، وكذا الإخبارِ عمَّا يَحْصل بفِعْلِهِ ثوابٌ مخصوصٌ، أو عقابٌ مخصوص.
وإِنَّما كانَ لهُ حُكْمُ المَرفوعِ؛ لأنَّ إِخْبَارَهُ بذلك يقتضي مُخْبِراً له، وما لا مَجالَ للاجتِهادِ فيهِ يَقتَضي موقِّفاً للقائلِ بهِ، ولا مُوَقِّفَ للصَّحابَةِ إِلاَّ النبيُّ صلَّى الله عليه وسلَّمَ، أَو بعضُ مَنْ يُخْبِرُ عَن الكُتبِ القديمةِ؛ فلهذا وَقَعَ الاحْتِرازُ عنِ القسمِ الثَّاني. (نُزْهَةُ النَّظَرِ فِي تَوضِيحِ نُخْبَةِ الْفِكَرِ فِي مُصْطَلَحِ أَهْلِ الأَثَرِ)

An example of a statement that is not explicitly Marfu (Prophetic) but is ruled as such, is when a companion who did not take from the Isra’iliyyat says something that has no room for Ijtihad (opinion). Nor does it have any connection to explaining the language or explaining something unfamiliar. Such as reporting on past matters: like the beginning of creation and chronicles of the Prophets. Or the future ones: such as the epic battles, the tribulations, and descriptions of the Day of Resurrection. Also, speaking about specific reward or punishment that will result from one’s actions.

It has the ruling of Marfu (a Prophetic narration) because his narrating it necessitates being informed. Since that which has no room for opinion requires a source for the one saying it. And there is no source for the Sahabah except the Prophet ﷺ. Or some of those who report from the ancient books. For that reason, the second category was excluded. (Imam Ibn Hajr al-Asqalani 852H, Nuzhatu al-Nadhr).

Other benefits

As we have seen in the Hadith above, Surah al-Mulk protects from punishment in the grave. However, other benefits or virtues have been narrated too. The Prophet ﷺ  also asserted (in the following Hadith) that Surah al-Mulk intercedes until the reader is forgiven. Thus, it is a means to attaining the forgiveness of Allah (Most High).

عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: سُورَةٌ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ ثَلَاثُونَ آيَةً، تَشْفَعُ لِصَاحِبِهَا حَتَّى يُغْفَرَ لَهُ: تَبَارَكَ الَّذِي بِيَدِهِ الْمُلْكُ

Abu Hurairah: The Prophet ﷺ said: A surah of the Qur’an containing thirty verses will intercede for its reader until he is forgiven. Blessed is He in Whose Hand is the dominion (Surah al-Mulk). (Sunan Abi Dawood, 1400).

The above Hadith was also narrated by Imam al-Tirmidhi in his Sunan (2891). He considered it to be a Hasan narration. Meaning it is a sound narration. Hasan is very similar to Sahih.

General benefits of the Quran

As well as the specific benefits and rewards mentioned in the Hadith narrations above, Surah Mulk also contains the incredible and abundant general blessings  of reciting the Holy Quran. For example, ten rewards for every letter recited.

Conclusion

Reciting Surah Mulk protects from punishment in the grave. This has been confirmed by the great Sahabi Sayidina Abdullah bin Masoud. Although the narration is Mowquf, we assume that he heard it from the blessed Prophet ﷺ. Importantly this Mowquf narration has a sound chain. So the authenticity is verified.

And Allah Most High Knows Best.

–Answered by Shaykh Noorud-deen Rashid (22.02.25)