This Prayer Protects The One Who Recites It With 70,000 Angels

For those seeking protection from evil and a spiritual shield, the prayer of 70,000 angels is a unique blessing. For the one who recites the first three verses of Surah Al-An’am, 70,000 angels are appointed by Allah’s will. This prayer opens the doors to a peaceful life by invoking divine protection.

On the spiritual journey, a person wants to feel safe and secure from evils, both seen and unseen. It is at this point that prayers become a believer’s strongest refuge. There are such prayers whose virtues and secrets have been passed down through narrations for centuries. The great secret hidden in the first verses of Surah Al-An’am, which attracts the protection of 70,000 angels, is one of them. This prayer is not just a shield of protection but also an expression of surrender to the infinite mercy and power of Allah.

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The Revelation of Surah Al-An’am and The Witness of The Angels

Surah Al-An’am holds a special place in Islamic history. Unlike most surahs, it was revealed in its entirety in Mecca and all at once. This moment of revelation was accompanied by extraordinary events. The Companion Jabir (r.a.) narrates that moment as follows: “When Surah Al-An’am was revealed, the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) would glorify Allah, and his amazement grew as he said: ‘The angels accompanied this surah in such numbers that they covered the horizon.'” According to the great exegete Al-Qurtubi, a full 70,000 angels were present during this revelation. This army of angels filled the space between the heavens and the earth, bearing witness to the word of Allah.

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Even when a single verse from this surah, verse 59 of Surah Al-An’am, was revealed, it was accompanied by 12,000 angels. This demonstrates the immense meaning and significance that the surah, and that verse in particular, carries.

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Surah Al-An’am, Verse 59

Wa ‘indahu mafātihul-ghaybi lā ya‘lamuhā illā hū.

Arabic Script:

وَعِنْدَهُ مَفَاتِحُ الْغَيْبِ لَا يَعْلَمُهَا اِلَّا هُوَ

Meaning:

And with Him are the keys of the unseen; none knows them except Him.

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According to a narration in the work Hisn al-Hasin, when Surah Al-An’am was revealed collectively at night, 70,000 angels raised their voices in glorification (tasbih), praise (tahmid), and exaltation (tamjid). It is reported that the spiritual fervor and majesty were so intense that they nearly shook the earth, upon which the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) prostrated, saying “Subhana Rabbiyal ‘Azim” (Glory be to my Lord, the Almighty) twice. This event is one of the most striking proofs of how magnificent the revelation was.

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The Protective Shield of 70,000 Angels

A narration traced back directly to the Messenger of Allah (p.b.u.h.) further clarifies the virtue of this surah: “Whoever recites Surah Al-An’am, 70,000 angels will send blessings upon him (i.e., they will ask for his forgiveness from Allah) during his night and day.” Immediately after this surah was revealed, the Prophet summoned a scribe of the revelation and had the surah written down that very night. This urgency shows the importance of the surah and the desire to convey it to the community without delay.

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The greatest glad tidings, however, are for those who recite the first three verses of the surah. It is also narrated from the Prophet (p.b.u.h.): “Whoever recites the first three verses of Surah Al-An’am in the morning, Allah will assign 70,000 angels to him. They protect that person.” These angels not only protect the person throughout the day but also write rewards for him until the Day of Resurrection.

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The Prayer of Protection: The First Three Verses of Surah Al-An’am

The first three verses of Surah Al-An’am, which are recommended to be recited in the morning to attain this great virtue, are as follows:

Transliteration:

Alhamdu lillāhillazī khalaqas-samāwāti wal-arda wa ja‘alaz-zulumāti wan-nūr, thummallazīna kafarū birabbihim ya‘dilūn.

Arabic Script:

اَلْحَمْدُ لِلّٰهِ الَّذ۪ي خَلَقَ السَّمٰوَاتِ وَالْاَرْضَ وَجَعَلَ الظُّلُمَاتِ وَالنُّورَۜ ثُمَّ الَّذ۪ينَ كَفَرُوا بِرَبِّهِمْ يَعْدِلُونَ

Meaning:

Praise be to Allah, Who created the heavens and the earth and made the darkness and the light. Then those who disbelieve equate [others] with their Lord.

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Transliteration:

Huwallazī khalaqakum min tīnin thumma qadā ajalā, wa ajalum musamman ‘indahu thumma antum tamtarūn.

Arabic Script:

هُوَ الَّذ۪ي خَلَقَكُمْ مِنْ ط۪ينٍ ثُمَّ قَضٰٓى اَجَلًاۜ وَاَجَلٌ مُسَمًّى عِنْدَهُ ثُمَّ اَنْتُمْ تَمْتَرُونَ

Meaning:

It is He who created you from clay and then decreed a term and a specified time [known] to Him. Then you are still in doubt.

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Transliteration:

Wa huwallāhu fis-samāwāti wa fil-ard, ya‘lamu sirrakum wa jahrakum wa ya‘lamu mā taksibūn.

Arabic Script:

وَهُوَ اللّٰهُ فِي السَّمٰوَاتِ وَفِي الْاَرْضِۜ يَعْلَمُ سِرَّكُمْ وَجَهْرَكُمْ وَيَعْلَمُ مَا تَكْسِبُونَ

Meaning:

And He is Allah, [the only deity] in the heavens and the earth. He knows your secret and what you make public, and He knows what you earn.

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This protection is not only against worldly evils. According to the narration, an angel descends from the seventh heaven with an iron mace in his hand. Whenever Satan tries to whisper an evil suggestion or thought into that person’s heart, the angel strikes Satan with the mace. This blow creates a spiritual barrier of seventy thousand veils between that person and Satan.

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The Promise on The Day of Resurrection

The reward for this prayer and these verses is not limited to this world. The real great tidings are for the Hereafter. When the Day of Resurrection comes, Allah Almighty will say to His servant who continued to recite these verses: “O son of Adam! Walk under My shade, benefit from the shade of all the trees of Paradise, drink from the water of Kawthar, and bathe in the water of Salsabil. You are My servant, and I am your Lord. Today, there will be neither an accounting nor a punishment against you…”

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Final Word

The first three verses of Surah Al-An’am, heralded with the prayer and protection of 70,000 angels, serve as both a shield in this world and a deed of salvation in the Hereafter for believers. These verses, which we can recite by sparing a few minutes, can include us among the fortunate servants who are protected by countless angels, whose deeds are continuously recorded, and most importantly, who are given the glad tidings of Paradise by their Lord. This is one of the most beautiful manifestations of the infinite grace and mercy that Allah offers to those who take refuge in His word.

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Bibliography

• Al-Qurtubi, Abū ‘Abdillāh Muhammad. Al-Jāmi‘ li-Aḥkām al-Qur’ān (Tafsir al-Qurtubi).
• Al-Jazari, Shams al-Din. Al-Hisn al-Hasin min Kalam Sayyid al-Mursalin.
• Al-Ḥākim al-Naysābūrī, Abū ‘Abdillāh. Al-Mustadrak ‘alā al-Ṣaḥīḥayn.