Section on the Excellence of al-Fatihah (1)

Abu al-Husayn Ahmad ibn Abd al-Rahman ibn Muhammad al-Kayyali informed us; Abu Nasr Muhammad ibn Ali ibn al-Fadl al-Khuza‘i informed us; Abu Uthman Amr ibn Abd Allah al-Basri informed us; Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab narrated to us; Khalid Makhlad al-Qatwani narrated to us; Muhammad ibn Ja‘far ibn Abi Kathir—the brother of Isma‘il ibn Ja‘far—reported to me from al-Ala ibn Abd al-Rahman, from his father, from Abu Hurayrah, who said:

“The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, passed by Ubayy ibn Ka‘b while he was standing in prayer, and called out to him: ‘Come here, Ubayy!’ Ubayy quickly concluded his prayer and then came to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him. He said, ‘What prevented you, Ubayy, from answering me when I called you? Does Allah not say: “O you who believe, respond to Allah and to the Messenger when he calls you to that which gives you life” (al-Anfal 24)?’

Ubayy said, ‘Certainly, O Messenger of Allah: whenever you call me, I shall answer you, even if I am praying.’

He said, ‘Would you like me to teach you a sura the like of which has not been sent down in the Torah, the Gospel, the Psalms, or the Quran (2)?’ Ubayy said, ‘Yes, O Messenger of Allah.’ He said, ‘Do not leave by the door of the mosque until you have learned it.’

The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, then walked, intending to leave the mosque. When he reached the door to depart, Ubayy said to him, ‘The sura, O Messenger of Allah.’ He stopped and said, ‘Yes. How do you recite in your prayer?’ Ubayy recited the Mother of the Quran, and the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, ‘By Him in Whose hand is my soul, nothing like it has been sent down in the Torah, the Gospel, the Psalms, or the Quran. It is indeed the seven oft-repeated verses (which) (3) Allah has given me.’” (4) This hadith is good and authentic.

Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Abd al-Samad al-Turabi informed us; al-Hakim Abu al-Fadl Muhammad ibn al-Husayn al-Haddadi informed us; Abu Yazid Muhammad ibn Yahya ibn Khalid informed us; Ishaq ibn Ibrahim al-Hanzali informed us; Yahya ibn Adam narrated to us; Abu al-Ahwas narrated from Ammar ibn Ruzayq, from Abd Allah ibn Isa, from Sa‘id ibn Jubayr, from Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, who said:

“While the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, was with Gabriel, he heard a creaking sound from above him. Gabriel, peace be upon him, raised his gaze to the sky and said, ‘This is a gate—