Generally, there is absolutely no religious basis of reciting particular Qur'anic verses or Surahs , for the fulfillment of any worldly tasks. In certain cases, people cite narratives ascribed to the Prophet (pbuh), in which the Prophet (pbuh) is reported to have mentioned a worldly benefit emanating from the recitation of a particular verse, group of verses or Surah . However, most of these narratives are reported through weak and unreliable chains of reporters and, therefore, do not come up to the standard of acceptability. In view of the foregoing fact, I do not consider it appropriate to recite any verse, group of verses or Surahs as magical words, for the fulfillment of any worldly desires etc. The only exception to this principle is where the subject-matter of a verse, group of verses or Surah is, in fact, a supplication for something. For instance, reciting the words: "My Lord, increase me in knowledge", for one's elevation in knowledge, or reciting the last two Surahs of the Qur'an, for seeking God's protection against evil would not be incorrect, as the meaning and implication of the recited words is directly related to the particular need, which is sought to be fulfilled. Thus, when someone tells you to recite a particular verse, group of verses or Surahs for the fulfillment of a particular need, the first and the foremost thing to see is whether the proposed verses have any relationship with the end which Is sought to be achieved or not. If the verses entail a supplication for the fulfillment of a desired end, then, obviously, there is nothing wrong in reciting those verses as a supplication for the attainment of the desired end. If, on the contrary, the verses are not related to the attainment of the desired end, then there is no reason to recite those verses for the purpose of achieving that end. I hope this helps. Regards, Moiz Amjad August 30, 2001 Answer published by Moiz Amjad