punishment will approach from towards his chest or stomach, and his chest or stomach will say, “There is no way for you from my direction, for he would recite Sūrah al-Mulk at night.” Then, punishment will approach from his head, and his head will say, “There is no way for you from my direction, for he would recite Sūrah al-Mulk at night.” This Sūrah is the preventor; it prevents the punishment of the grave. It is known as Sūrah al-Mulk in the Torah, and whoever recites it at night has performed a most excellent action.^[1]

The reviver of Islam, the Imam of Ahl al-Sunnah, Imam Aḥmad Razā Khān رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه, states regarding Sūrah al-Mulk:

There is nothing equal to this noble Sūrah (al-Mulk) in saving one from the punishment of the grave and granting ease. If the angels of punishment seek to approach its reciter, it prevents them. If they seek to approach him from another direction, it becomes a barrier there and says, “Do not approach him. He used to recite me.”

The angels say, “We have come upon the command of the One whose word you are.”

It says, “Wait, do not approach him until I return.”

So, it presents itself in the court of Allah Almighty and argues the case for its reciter to be granted forgiveness in such a way that creation does not possess the ability to do so. If there is delay in forgiveness, it pleads, “He would recite me, yet You have not forgiven him. If I am not Your word, remove me from Your book.”

Upon this, Allah Almighty states, “Go, We have forgiven him.”