The virtues of Soorat al-Ikhlaas, etc.

I have been practicing Islam for some time now and I am still in the process of learning. A Muslim friend of mine gave me a book on Duas and in this book the author tells you exactly which surahs and duas to say after each salaat. The problem I have is that some of the surahs which he mentions, I never heard of before and I think that maybe they have other names. There are also verses from the Quran that has to be said but are in Arabic. I hope that you will be able to help me as I am anxious to know exactly what surahs and duas they are:
1. Surah ALHAMDU
2. Surah INNAFATAHNA
3. Dalailul Khrirat (one part)
4. ALLAHUS SAMAD (Is this one of Allah's 99 names that has to be recited 500 times or is it a name of a dua?)
5. Surah AMMA YATASA ALOON
6. Ayat Karimah, i.e. "Lailaha illa anta Subhanaka inna Kunto minazzalimeen" 100 times (Please give it to me in English and tell me which surah it's from?)

 

Praise be to Allaah.

Firstly, the better-known names and numbers of the soorahs about which you ask are as follows:

Soorah al-hamdu is Soorat al-Faatihah (the Opening), soorah #1

Soorah Innaa fatahnaa is Soorat al-Fath (the Victory), soorah #48

Allaahu’s-Samad is Soorat al-Ikhlaas (the Purity), soorah #112

‘Amma yatasaa’aloon is Soorat al-Naba’ (the Great News), soorah #78

The aayah “La ilaaha illa anta subhaanaka innee kuntu min al-zaalimeen (None has the right to be worshipped except You [O Allaah]. Glorified (and Exalted) are You. Truly, I have been of the wrong-doers)” is from Soorat al-Anbiyaa’, Soorah 21, aayah 87.

A word of warning: The book Dalaa’il al-Khayraat contains da’eef (weak) and fabricated ahaadeeth, and prescribes things that are contrary to the truth, so it is not right for anyone to rely on this book.

Secondly, a translation of the Qur’aan in English or any other language is not counted as Qur’aan itself, and the rulings that apply to Qur’aan do not apply to it. The Qur’aan is the Word of Allaah which was revealed in the Arabic tongue.

Thirdly, al-Ahad (the One) and al-Samad (the Self-Sufficient) are two of the great Names of Allaah.

Fourthly, stating that Soorat al-Ikhlaas should be recited 500 times, and that the aayah (interpretation of the meaning) “La ilaaha illa anta subhaanaka innee kuntu min al-zaalimeen (None has the right to be worshipped except You [O Allaah]. Glorified (and Exalted) are You. Truly, I have been of the wrong-doers)” [al-Anbiyaa’ 21:87] should be recited 100 times is a practice that has no basis whatsoever in the Qur’aan or the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), so it is not right to adhere to these numbers. You should act upon the sound ahaadeeth that describe the virtues of this soorah and this aayah. These reports include the following:

From Qutaadah ibn al-Nu’maan (may Allaah be pleased with him) who said that a man stayed up to worship Allaah at the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) just before dawn and recited “Qul huwa Allaahu ahad,” but did not recite anything else. In the morning, the man came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and told him about this, thinking that perhaps he was not doing enough. The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “By the One in Whose hand is my soul, it is equivalent to one-third of the Qur’aan.” (al-Bukhaari, 4627).

Ahmad reported from Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri that a man said, “O Messenger of Allaah, I have a neighbour who prays at night and he only ever recites ‘Qul huwa Allaahu ahad’” – as if he did not think much of this. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “By the One in Whose hand is my soul, it is equivalent to one-third of the Qur’aan.” (al-Musnad, 10965)

Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to his Companions: ‘Could any one of you not recite one third of the Qur’aan in one night?’ They found the idea too difficult, and said, ‘Who among us could do that, O Messenger of Allaah?’ He said, ‘Allaahu’l-ahad, al- samad [i.e., Soorat al-Ikhlaas] is one third of the Qur’aan.’” (Reported by al-Bukhaari, 4628)

‘Aa’ishah reported that when the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) went to bed, he would cup his hands together, blow into them and recite into them Qul huwa Allaahu ahad [Soorat al-Ikhlaas], Qul a’oodhu bi Rabbi’l-falaq [Soorat al-Falaq] and Qul a’oodhu bi Rabbi’l-naas [Soorat al-Naas] (these are the last 3 soorahs of the Qur’aan – Translator). Then he would wipe as much of his body as he could with his hands, starting with his head and face, and the front of his body. He would do this three times. (Reported by al-Bukhaari, 4630)

‘Aa’ishah also reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) sent a man in charge of a small military campaign, and when he recited Qur’aan whilst leading his companions in prayer, he would always end with Qul huwa Allaahu ahad. When they came back, (his companions) mentioned that to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), who told them to ask him why he did that. So they asked him, and he said, “Because it is a description of the Most Merciful, and I love to recite it.” The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Tell him that Allaah loves him.” (Reported by al-Bukhaari, 6827)

‘Abd al-Rahmaan ibn Abzaa reported that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to recite Sabbih isma Rabbik al-A’laa (Soorat al-A’laa, #87), Qul yaa ayyuhaa’l-kaafiroon (Soorat al-Kaafiroon, #109) and Qul huwa Allaahu ahad (Soorat al-Ikhlaas, #112) in his witr prayer, and when he had finished, he would repeat Subhaan al-Malik al-Quddoos (Glory be to the King, the Holy) three times, making the last vowel long on the third recitation. (Reported by al-Nisaa’i, 1721)

‘Uqbah ibn ‘Aamir said: “I met the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)… and he said to me, ‘O ‘Uqbah ibn ‘Aamir, shall I not teach you some Soorahs the like of which have not been revealed in the Tawraat (Torah) or the Zaaboor (Psalms) or the Injeel (Gospel) or in the Qur’aan? There is no night comes but you should not recite (i.e., every night you should recite) Qul huwa Allaahu ahad [Soorat al-Ikhlaas], Qul a’oodhu bi Rabbi’l-falaq [Soorat al-Falaq] and Qul a’oodhu bi Rabbi’l-naas [Soorat al-Naas].’” ‘Uqbah said: “So every night I would recite them. It became my duty to recite them, because the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) had commanded me to do so…” (Musnad Ahmad, 16810)

Abu Hurayrah reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) heard a man reciting Qul huwa Allaahu ahad, and said, “It is his right.’ They asked, ‘O Messenger of Allaah, what is his right?’ He said, ‘Paradise is his right.’ (Reported by Imaam Ahmad, 7669)

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever recites Qul huwa Allaahu ahad ten times, Allaah will build for him a house in Paradise.” (Saheeh al-Jaami’ al-Sagheer, 6472).

So recite it as many times as you wish, without sticking to a certain number or time or way that is not prescribed by sharee’ah.

With regard to the aayah “La ilaaha illa anta subhaanaka innee kuntu min al-zaalimeen”, the following report has been narrated concerning its virtues:

Sa’d said: “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: ‘The call of Dhoo’l-Noon [Yoonus/Jonah], which he recited when he was in the belly of the fish, ‘La ilaaha illa anta subhaanaka innee kuntu min al-zaalimeen. There is no Muslim who recites this in any situation, but Allaah will respond to him.” (Reported by al-Tirmidhi, 3427, and classed as saheeh in Saheeh al-Jaami’, 3383).

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Shall I not tell you of something which, if some of the misery and distress of this world befalls a man and he recites it, he will be relieved of his stress. It is the du’aa’ of Dhoo’l-Noon: ‘La ilaaha illa anta subhaanaka innee kuntu min al-zaalimeen.’” (Reported by al-Haakim; Saheeh al-Jaami’, 2605).

We ask Allaah to help us, you and all our Muslim brothers to gain beneficial knowledge and to do righteous deeds. May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad,