(1) Its chain is sound. Al-Hakim recorded it (2/498) through Sufyan → Asim → Zur → Ibn Masud who said: “When a person is placed in his grave, his legs are approached; the legs say, ‘You have no access through us, for he used to stand and recite with us Surat al-Mulk.’ Then his chest— or he said: his belly— is approached and it says, ‘You have no access through me, for he used to recite with me Surat al-Mulk.’ Then his head is approached and it says, ‘You have no access through me, for he used to recite with me Surat al-Mulk.’ Thus the surah is the protector (al-mani‘a); it shields from the torment of the grave. In the Torah it is called Surat al-Mulk. Whoever recites it at night has done much and done well.” Al-Hakim judged the isnad sahih, and al-Dhahabi agreed. Al-Suyuti cited it in ad-Durr al-manthur (6/247) and also attributed it to Ibn al-Darriss, al-Tabarani, and al-Bayhaqi in Shu‘ab al-iman. Ahmad (2/299, 321) transmitted, with a marfu‘ chain from Abu Hurayra, the Prophet’s saying: “A surah of the Quran, thirty verses, interceded for a man until he was forgiven; it is: ‘Blessed is He in Whose hand is the dominion…’.” The same report appears in al-Tirmidhi (no. 2893, Merits of the Quran, chapter on the excellence of Surat al-Mulk), Abu Dawud (no. 1400, Prayer, chapter on the number of verses) and Ibn Majah (no. 3786, Manners, chapter on the reward of the Quran), all through Shu‘bah → Qatadah → ‘Abbas al-Jashami → Abu Hurayra. Ibn Hibban declared ‘Abbas reliable and included the hadith in his Sahih (no. 1766); al-Hakim graded it sahih (1/565; 2/497-498) and al-Dhahabi concurred. A supporting narration comes from Anas, recorded by al-Tabarani and al-Diyaʾ al-Maqdisi, through Salam b. Miskin → Thabit → Anas: “A surah in the Quran pleaded for its companion until it led him into Paradise: ‘Blessed is He in Whose hand is the dominion’.” Another corroboration is found in al-Tirmidhi (no. 2892, Merits of the Quran, chapter on Surat al-Mulk), graded hasan, from Ibn Abbas: A Companion pitched his tent on a grave, unaware it was a grave, and heard someone inside reciting Surat al-Mulk to completion. The Prophet said, “It is the protector, the saviour; it saves one from the torment of the grave.” The chain contains Yahya b. ‘Amr b. Malik al-Nakari, who is weak. (2) Abu Nuaym, Hilyat al-awliyaʾ 7/221; al-Dhahabi, Tarikh al-islam 6/389.