Do Quranic Verses Differ in Virtue and Reward?
Answered by Shaykh Anas al-Musa
Question
Do the verses of the Quran differ in virtue and reward from one another?
Answer
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
All praise is due to Allah, Lord of all worlds. Peace and blessings be upon the Messenger sent as a mercy to the worlds, our Master and Prophet, Muhammad, and his Family and Companions.
Yes, some verses and chapters of the Quran do differ in virtue and reward, as we have come to know through authentic narrations about their merits. For instance:
Ayat al-Kursi (The Verse of the Throne)
It is narrated on the authority of Ubayy ibn Ka‘b that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said:
“Abu Mundhir, which verse from the Book of Allah is the greatest with you?” I said, “Allah and His Messenger know best.” He said, “Abu Mundhir, which verse from the Book of Allah is the greatest with you?” I said, ‘Allah! There is no god (worthy of worship) except Him, the Ever-Living, All-Sustaining.’ He struck me on the chest and said, “May knowledge bring you delight, Abu Mundhir!” [Abu Dawud]
The Quran is the speech of Allah (Most High), and all of it is noble. The fact that certain verses have been singled out for special mention does not mean that others are inferior in essence.
May Allah bless the Prophet Muhammad and give him peace, and his Family and Companions.
[Shaykh] Anas al-Musa
Shaykh Anas al-Musa, born in Hama, Syria, in 1974, is an erudite scholar of notable repute. He graduated from the Engineering Institute in Damascus, where he specialized in General Construction, and Al-Azhar University, Faculty of Usul al-Din, where he specialized in Hadith.
He studied under prominent scholars in Damascus, including Shaykh Abdul Rahman al-Shaghouri and Shaykh Adib al-Kallas, among others. Shaykh Anas has memorized the Quran and is proficient in the ten Mutawatir recitations, having studied under Shaykh Bakri al-Tarabishi and Shaykh Mowfaq ‘Ayun. He also graduated from the Iraqi Hadith School.
He has taught numerous Islamic subjects at Shari‘a institutes in Syria and Turkey. Shaykh Anas has served as an Imam and preacher for over 15 years and is a teacher of the Quran in its various readings and narrations.
Currently, he works as a teacher at SeekersGuidance and is responsible for academic guidance there. He has completed his Master’s degree in Hadith and is now pursuing his Ph.D. in the same field. Shaykh Anas al-Musa is married and resides in Istanbul.
