Saying “Sadaq Allaah al-Adheem” after Qur’aan recitation?

by Asma bint Shameem

ANSWER

If someone says “Sadaq Allaah al-Adheem” every time he ends the recitation of the Qur’aan or if someone believes that it’s PART of the etiquette of reciting the Qur’aan, or part of the Sunnah, then that is NOT PROVEN from the authentic Sunnah.

It is NOT something “virtuous”.

The Prophet ﷺ DID NOT say “Sadaq Allaah al-Adheem” every time he finished reciting the Qur’aan. 

He ﷺ did not do it NOR did he teach his Sahaabah to say it. 

And if an act of Ibaadah is done on a regular basis hoping to draw closer to Allaah, although there is no proof of it from the authentic practice or teachings of the Prophet ﷺ, then it counts as bid’ah.

Yes  “Sadaq Allaah al-Adheem” is a TRUE statement. It means “Allaah Almighty has spoken the truth”.

DEFINITELY whatever Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala says is absolutely 100% TRUE. 

There can NOT be ANY DOUBT about that. 

However, to think this is a phrase  you’re ‘supposed’ to say at the end of recitation of the Qur’aan every time you read it, or to think there’s special reward to say or or to think that the Prophet ﷺ used to say it, is WRONG. 

Just because you hear many reciters saying “Sadaq Allaah al-Adheem” at the end of their recitation does NOT make it ok for you to say it too.

Our role model is the Prophet ﷺ and his Sahaabah.

📌 PROOF:

Whenever the Prophet ﷺ himself read the Qur’aan or when he asked some of the Sahaabah to read the Qur’aan for him so he could listen to their recitation, he ﷺ did NOT tell the Sahaabah at the end to say “Sadaq Allaah al-Adheem” after they were  done.  

🍃 For example:

The Prophet ﷺ once listened to Ibn Mas’ud radhi Allaahu anhu reading Surah Al-Nisaa’. 

Upon reaching the Aayah which reads: 

“How (will it be) then, when We bring from each nation a witness and We bring you (O Muhammad) as a witness against these people? ” 

The Prophet ﷺ said to him:”That is enough”. 

Ibn Mas’ud said: 

“When I turned to him, I saw his eyes shedding tears.” 

(al-Bukhaari)

That’s it. 

He ﷺ cried. 

He ﷺ said “That’s enough”.

But he did NOT tell Ibn Mas’ud radhi Allaahu anhu to say “Sadaq Allaah al-Adheem” at the end. 

🍃 Shaikh Ibn Baaz said:

“I do not know of any basis for the people’s habit of saying “Sadaqa Allaahu al-‘Adheem” when they finish reading Qur’aan, so it should NOT be taken as a habit. 

Indeed, according to the principles of sharee’ah it is more like BID’AH, if anyone believes that it is Sunnah. 

So this should NOT be done and should not be taken as a habit.”

(Kitaab Majmoo’ Fataawa Wa Maqaalaat Mutanawwi’ah Li Samaahat- Vol. 9, P. 342)

🍃And Shaikh Ibn Uthaymeen said:

“Many people have the habit of ending a recitation from the Qur’aan with the words Sadaqa Allaahu al-Adheem (Almighty Allaah has spoken the truth), but this has NO BASIS in Islaam because the Prophet ﷺ did not do it, nor was it the custom of the Sahaabah radhi Allaahu anhum , and it was unknown among the Taabieen (the generation after the Sahaabah). 

This custom arose in later times because some reciters would say these words, and people liked this. 

But this should be rejected, because if this was really something good, the Prophet ﷺ, the Sahaabah and the Taabieen the salaf or first and best generations of the ummah would not have neglected to do it.”

🔺But isn’t there an Aayah in the Qur’aan where Allaah says that?

Yes Allaah says in Surah Aal Imraan:

‎قُلْ صَدَقَ اللَّهُ

“Say (O Muhammad): ‘Allaah has spoken the truth…’”( Surah Aal ‘Imraan 3:95)

But this Aayah is NOT telling us to say “Sadaq Allaah al-Adheem” every time we finish reading the Qur’aan. 

Rather Allaah is simply stating the fact that whatever He has revealed in the Qur’aan and the previous Divine Books is nothing but the Truth. 

If this Aayah meant that we should say “Sadaq Allaah al-Adheem” every time we finish reading the Qur’aan, then wouldn’t the Prophet ﷺ have said it?

Wouldn’t the Sahaabah have said it?

Wouldn’t we have ANY evidence of the pious predecessors saying it?

But we DON’T. 

NOT ONE SINGLE EVIDENCE. 

So if they didn’t say it, why should we?

🍃 Shaikh Ibn Baaz said:

“This (Aayah) is not speaking about this matter. 

Rather Allaah was commanding the Prophet ﷺ to explain to the people that Allaah had spoken the Truth in all that He had said to His slaves in the Tawraat, the Injeel and all other revealed Books.  And He was speaking the truth in all that He said to His slaves in His Book the Qur’aan. 

But this is not evidence that it is mustahabb to say “Sadaqa Allaah al-‘Adheem” after reading the Qur’aan or after reading some aayahs or a soorah. 

This was not reported or known from the Prophet ﷺ or his companions radhi Allaahu anhum.”

(Kitaab Majmoo’ Fataawa Wa Maqaalaat Mutanawwi’ah Li Samaahat- Vol. 9, P. 342)

🔺So I can never say this?

Yes, you may say it when you come across a certain Aayah or a certain situation that ‘hits home’, and you witness the truth of Allaah’s Words; spontaneously you want to say...

“Subhaan Allaah how true!  

“Sadaq Allaah al-Adheem!”

In such random, occasional cases, it is allowed to say  “Sadaq Allaah al-Adheem”

And notice that this can be said ANY time during recitation, whenever you come across an Aayah like that...in the beginning or the middle or the end. 

It does NOT have to be ‘at the END’ of the recitation. 

Or it may even be said when NOT reciting the Qur’aan. 

🍃Shaikh Ibn Uthaymeen said:

“If a person says “Sadaq Allaah al-Adheem” on certain occasions, such as when something He has foretold comes to pass, affirming the truth of what He has said, then this is permissible, because something similar has been reported in the Sunnah. 

The Prophet ﷺ was giving a speech, and al-Hasan and al-Husayn came along, so he came down from the minbar, picked them up and put them in from of him, then he said: 

“Sadaq Allaah al-Adheem

(Indeed Allaah has spoken the truth): Your wealth and your children are only a trial (al-Taghaabun 64:15)”

(Izaalat Al-Sitaar ‘An Al-Jawaab Al-Mukhtaar 79-80)

🔺 What is preferred to be said after reading the Qur’aan?

It is preferred, on finishing the recitation of the Quraan to say:

‎سُبْحَانَكَ اللَّهُمَّ وَبِحَمْدِكَ، أشهد أن لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ أَنْتَ، أَسْتَغْفِرُكَ وَأَتُوبُ إِلَيْكَ

"SubhaanakaLlaahumma wabihamdik ash-hadu an laa ilaaha illaa anta astaghfiruka wa atuubu ilayk".

📌Proof:

🍃 Aaishah radhi Allaahu anhaa 

mentioned that:

The Messenger of Allaah ﷺ was never in a sitting, never recited the Qur’aan, nor did he ever offer a prayer, except that he ended them all with certain words.

She added that:

 So i said to him, O Messenger of Allaah, I noticed that you never are in a sitting, nor do you ever recite the quraan, nor observe a Salaah, except that you end it off with these words ?

Yes, he replied. 

“Whoever has said good (words) would have them placed as a seal over the good he has done and whoever has said evil (words) would have them used as an expiation for the evil he uttered.

(They are)

‎سُبْحَانَكَ اللَّهُمَّ وَبِحَمْدِكَ، أشهد أن لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ أَنْتَ، أَسْتَغْفِرُكَ وَأَتُوبُ إِلَيْكَ

Subhaanakallaahumma wabihamdik ash-hadu an laa ilaaha illaa anta astaghfiruka wa atuubu ilayk.”

(Silsilatu Saheehah"  495/7)

May Allaah enable us to TRULY understand the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ and follow it to the best of our ability.

And Allaah knows best