Some Surahs Equal to a Thousand Verses Value in Islam

Question

Is there an authentic hadith that reciting Surah al-Hashr, Surah al-Jumuʿah, Surah al-Ḥadīd, or Surah at-Takāthur carries the reward of one thousand verses?

Quick Answer

There is no sahih or even hasan hadith proving that any of these surahs equals one thousand verses in reward. Reports mentioning this are either weak, fabricated, or falsely attributed.

Key Points

• Surah al-Hashr: No hadith about 1,000 verses. Weak narrations exist about its last verses, but unrelated.

• Surah al-Jumuʿah & al-Ḥadīd: Narrations about “1,000-verse” rewards are fabricated.

• Surah at-Takāthur: The “1,000 verses” claim appears in tafsir books. Imam Hakim has declared the narrators reliable, and Hafiz Dhahabi concurs.

Detailed Answer

The Qur’an is a source of reward and guidance in every verse. However, Islam stresses caution in attributing words to the Prophet ﷺ without reliable evidence. The Prophet ﷺ warned:

“Whoever lies about me deliberately, let him take his place in Hellfire.” (Bukhari 107; Muslim 3)

This distinction matters:

• Weak (daʿeef): a flawed chain or unreliable narrator, but not invented.

• Fabricated (mawdooʿ): invented and falsely attributed to the Prophet ﷺ.

Claims about surahs being “worth a thousand verses” fall under this caution:

• Surah al-Hashr: Narrations exist about angels praying for those who recite its last verses, but these are weak. No mention of “1,000 verses.”

• Surah al-Jumuʿah & Surah al-Ḥadīd: Claims that they equal one thousand verses are fabricated, lacking any sound chain.

• Surah at-Takāthur: Mentioned in Shuʿab al-Īmān (al-Bayhaqi) and ad-Durr al-Manthūr (as-Suyuti). Scholars such as al-Albani graded the report weak but not fabricated (Daʿeef al-Jāmiʿ no. 4050).

Every letter of the Qur’an carries reward (ten rewards per letter, sahih hadith). Stick to authentic merits such as Surah al-Fātiḥah, al-Kahf, al-Ikhlāṣ, and al-Mulk, etc, with many reliable sources

And Allah knows best

References

Primary Sources:

• Qur’an 2:2, 73:20
• Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 107 (Kitāb al-‘Ilm)
• Sahih Muslim, Hadith 3 (Muqaddimah)

Secondary Sources:

• Al-Bayhaqi, Shuʿab al-Īmān (2/491, Hadith 2492): Mentions the narration about Surah at-Takāthur being equal to one thousand verses, but with a weak chain.
• As-Suyuti, ad-Durr al-Manthūr (8/621): Cites the report from earlier tafsir works, without an authentic isnād.
• Al-Albani, Daʿeef al-Jāmiʿ (no. 4050): Explicitly graded the narration as weak.
• Imam al-Hakim, al-Mustadrak (2/541): Declared narrators of the report reliable, but his grading is contested.
• Al-Dhahabi, Talkhīs al-Mustadrak (2/541): Agreed with al-Hakim’s reliability note, though not necessarily authenticity.