Ask Allah for what is beneficial ; Seek mercy ; Seek protection from punishment .

This hadith speaks of the Prophet's recitation of three surahs - Al-Baqarah, Al 'Imran and An-Nisa' - in one rak'ah. Whenever he reached a verse that spoke of mercy or punishment, he would ask Allah for it. By doing this, the Prophet was teaching us to seek mercy from Allah by asking Him for it whenever we come across verses that speak of His mercy. He was also teaching us to seek protection from Allah's punishment by asking Him for it whenever we come across verses that speak of His punishment. This hadith teaches us to be mindful when reading the Quran so as to take advantage of its teachings and ask Allah for what is beneficial to us in our lives.