According to a traditional report transmitted by Sa'id, Abu Huraira (may Allah be well pleased with him) stated that Allah's Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) once said:
If someone performs four [voluntary] cycles of ritual prayer [raka'at] on a Saturday-reciting in each cycle the Opening Sura of the Book [Fatihat al-Kitab] one time, and "Qul ya ayyuha 'l-kafirun... [Say: 'O unbelievers...']" three times-and if, when he has finished performing his ritual prayer [salat] and has pronounced the salutation [sallama], he recites the Verse of the Throne [Ayat al-Kursi] -for every letter [in the words of his Qur'anic recitation] Allah (Exalted is He) record a Pilgrimage [Hijja] and a Visitation ['Umra] in his credit column. For every letter, He will confer upon him the merit of a whole year devoted to fasting by day and keeping vigil by night. For every letter [harf], Allah will grant him the spiritual reward of a martyr [shahid], and [in the Hereafter] he will be in the company of the Prophets [Anbiya'] and the martyrs [shuhada'] beneath the Heavenly Throne ['Arsh].
This brings us to the end of the Chapter concerning the special qualities of the [voluntary] ritual prayers [salawat] in the daytime on each of the days of the week.
Praise be to Allah, the Lord of All the Worlds!
[al-hamdu li'llahi Rabbi 'l-'alamin].
