Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) reports that Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) said, “Whoever recites ‘Qul huwallahu ahad’ (i.e. he recites the entire Surah Ikhlaas) ten times, one palace will be built for him in Jannah. Whoever recites it twenty times, two palaces will be built for him in Jannah. Whoever recites it thirty times, three palaces will be built for him in Jannah.” (Tabraani – Majma‘uz Zawaaid #11585)
(Hearing this,) Sayyiduna ‘Umar (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) said, “By Allah! O Rasul of Allah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam)! In that case, we will most certainly increase our palaces (in Jannah, through reciting Surah Ikhlaas in abundance)!” Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) replied, “Allah Ta‘ala (i.e. His bounty and treasure) is more vast than that (i.e. no matter how much you may recite it and how many palaces you may acquire in Jannah, you will never be able to deplete the treasures of Allah Ta‘ala which are unlimited).” (Sunan Daarimi #3472)
Every person would like to own a home, but sadly, not many people can afford one. There was a time, four or five decades ago, when houses were more affordable and the prospect of owning a home was within reach for most families. However, buying a home has become something of a luxury and distant dream for most people, and since building and developing is even more expensive, it is generally restricted to the wealthy class.
Many people look at the wealthy class and envy their good fortune. Not only do the wealthy class live in palatial homes – they often have multiple homes in different cities, if not in different countries. Hence, it is not unheard of for a wealthy person to be living in Durban, but also have a flat in Dubai, another in Johannesburg, a holiday home in the Bergs and a time-share rental in Makkah Mukarramah as well.
However, we should never envy the wealthy for their palatial homes, as these homes are temporary and are almost always filled with problems. No matter how much of money one may spend on the home, it will always require more maintenance and something or another will always need fixing. It is only the palaces of Jannah that will be completely perfect in their beauty, flawless in their design, and absolutely free of any blemishes or imperfections.
Such is the generosity and magnanimity of Allah Ta‘ala that every believer – even the downtrodden pauper – can easily ‘develop’ his land in Jannah, and in mere minutes, he can build heavenly palaces for himself.
In the hadeeth above, Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) has taught the Ummah the method of acquiring these heavenly palaces – reciting Surah Ikhlaas in abundance. Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) taught us that if we recite the surah ten times, we will receive one palace in Jannah, and if we recite it twenty times, we will receive two palaces in Jannah, and if we recite it thirty times, we will receive three palaces in Jannah.
In other words, the more we recite this surah, the more palaces we will acquire. Since Allah Ta‘ala’s treasures are vast and infinite, there is no limit to the number of palaces we can acquire. If we make an effort and recite this great surah in abundance, we can easily acquire one hundred, or even one thousand palaces for ourselves in Jannah.
One easy method for us to ensure that we benefit from the virtue mentioned in this hadeeth is to make the recitation of this surah a part of our daily routine.
May Allah Ta‘ala bless us all with the palaces of Jannah, aameen.