45/1. Chapter:
Jami at-Tirmidhi 2875 — Virtue of Surah Al-Fatihah
What Has Been Related About The Virtues Of Fatihatil-Kitab (Surat Al-Fatihah)
Hadith About Surah Al-Fatihah and Responding to the Messenger
Jami at-Tirmidhi : 2875
Jami at-TirmidhiHadith Number 2875
حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْعَزِيزِ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ، عَنِ الْعَلاَءِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم خَرَجَ عَلَى أُبَىِّ بْنِ كَعْبٍ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " يَا أُبَىُّ " . وَهُوَ يُصَلِّي فَالْتَفَتَ أُبَىٌّ وَلَمْ يُجِبْهُ وَصَلَّى أُبَىٌّ فَخَفَّفَ ثُمَّ انْصَرَفَ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ السَّلاَمُ عَلَيْكَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ . فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " وَعَلَيْكَ السَّلاَمُ مَا مَنَعَكَ يَا أُبَىُّ أَنْ تُجِيبَنِي إِذْ دَعَوْتُكَ " . فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنِّي كُنْتُ فِي الصَّلاَةِ . قَالَ " أَفَلَمْ تَجِدْ فِيمَا أَوْحَى اللَّهُ إِلَىَّ أَنِ (استَجِيبُوا لِلَّهِ وَلِلرَّسُولِ إِذَا دَعَاكُمْ لِمَا يُحْيِيكُمْ ) " . قَالَ بَلَى وَلاَ أَعُودُ إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ . قَالَ " تُحِبُّ أَنْ أُعَلِّمَكَ سُورَةً لَمْ يَنْزِلْ فِي التَّوْرَاةِ وَلاَ فِي الإِنْجِيلِ وَلاَ فِي الزَّبُورِ وَلاَ فِي الْفُرْقَانِ مِثْلُهَا " . قَالَ نَعَمْ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ . قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " كَيْفَ تَقْرَأُ فِي الصَّلاَةِ " . قَالَ فَقَرَأَ أُمَّ الْقُرْآنِ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ مَا أُنْزِلَتْ فِي التَّوْرَاةِ وَلاَ فِي الإِنْجِيلِ وَلاَ فِي الزَّبُورِ وَلاَ فِي الْفُرْقَانِ مِثْلُهَا وَإِنَّهَا سَبْعٌ مِنَ الْمَثَانِي وَالْقُرْآنُ الْعَظِيمُ الَّذِي أُعْطِيتُهُ " . قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ . وَفِي الْبَابِ عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ وَفِيهِ عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدِ بْنِ الْمُعَلَّى .
Narrated Abu Hurairah: That The Messenger Of Allah (ﷺ) Came Out To Ubayy Bin Ka'B, And The Messenger Of Allah (ﷺ) Said: "O Ubayy!" And He Was Performing Salat, So Ubayy Turned Around But He Did Not Respond To Him, So Ubayy Finished His Salat Quickly. Then He Turned To The Messenger Of Allah (ﷺ) And Said: 'As-Salamu 'Alaikum, O Messenger Of Allah!' The Messenger Of Allah (ﷺ) Said: 'Wa 'Alaikum As-Salam - What Prevented You From Responding To Me When I Called You Ubayy?' He Said: 'O Messenger Of Allah! I Was Performing Salat.' So He Said: 'Do You Not Find Among What Allah Revealed To Me: Respond To Allah And To The Messenger When They Call You To What Gives You Life?' He Said: 'Of Course, I Shall Not Repeat That, If Allah Wills.' He Said: 'Would You Like For Me To Teach You A Surah The Likes Of Which Has Neither Been Revealed In The Tawrah, Nor The Injil, Nor The Zabur, Nor In The Entire Qur'An?' He Said: "Yes, O Messenger Of Allah!' The Messenger Of Allah (ﷺ) Said: 'What Do You Recite In Your Salat?' He Said: 'I Recite Umm Al-Qur'An.' So The Messenger Of Allah (ﷺ) Said: 'By The One In Whose Hand Is My Soul! The Like Of It Has Neither Been Revealed In The Tawrah, Nor The Injil Nor The Zabur, Nor In The Furqan. It Is The Seven Oft-Repeated, And The Magnificent Qur'An Which I Was Given.'"
Reference : Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2875In-book reference : Book 45, Hadith 1English translation : Vol. 5, Book 42, Hadith 2875
Summary of Jami at-Tirmidhi Hadith 2875
This hadith about Surah Al-Fatihah begins when the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) called Ubayy bin Ka'b while he was praying. Ubayy turned but did not answer until he finished quickly. The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) reminded him of the command to respond to Allah and the Messenger when called to what gives life. Then he offered to teach him a surah unlike anything revealed in the Tawrah, Injil, Zabur, or the entire Qur'an. When Ubayy recited Umm Al-Qur'an, the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said it was the Seven Oft-Repeated and the Magnificent Qur'an given to him. The hadith highlights both responding to the Messenger and the special status of Al-Fatihah.
What we learn from this hadith
- Ubayy was taught to respond when the Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم) called him.
- Surah Al-Fatihah is described as unlike anything in the earlier scriptures or the Qur'an.
- Al-Fatihah is called the Seven Oft-Repeated and the Magnificent Qur'an.
- The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) used a direct question about prayer recitation to teach its value.
