Sahih Al-Bukhari: Chapter 66

The Prophet (PbUH) remained in Mecca for ten years, during which the Qur'an used to be revealed to him; and
he stayed in Medina for ten years.

I was informed that Gabriel came to the Prophet (PbUH) while Um Salama was with him. Gabriel started
talking (to the Prophet). Then the Prophet (PbUH) asked Um Salama, "Who is this?" She replied, "He is Dihya
(al-Kalbi)." When Gabriel had left, Um Salama said, "By Allah, I did not take him for anybody other
than him (i.e. Dihya) till I heard the sermon of the Prophet (PbUH) wherein he informed about the news of
Gabriel." The subnarrator asked Abu `Uthman: From whom have you heard that? Abu `Uthman said:
From Usama bin Zaid.

The Prophet (PbUH) said, "Every Prophet was given miracles because of which people believed, but what I
have been given, is Divine Inspiration which Allah has revealed to me. So I hope that my followers
will outnumber the followers of the other Prophets on the Day of Resurrection."

Allah sent down His Divine Inspiration to His Apostle continuously and abundantly during the period
preceding his death till He took him unto Him. That was the period of the greatest part of revelation;
and Allah's Messenger (PbUH) died after that.

Once the Prophet (PbUH) fell ill and did not offer the night prayer (Tahajjud prayer) for a night or two. A
woman (the wife of Abu Lahab) came to him and said, "O Muhammad ! I do not see but that your
Satan has left you." Then Allah revealed (Surat-Ad-Duha):
'By the fore-noon, and by the night when it darkens (or is still); Your Lord has not forsaken you, nor
hated you.' (93)

(The Caliph `Uthman ordered Zaid bin Thabit, Sa`id bin Al-As, `Abdullah bin Az-Zubair and `Abdur-
Rahman bin Al-Harith bin Hisham to write the Qur'an in the form of a book (Mushafs) and said to
them. "In case you disagree with Zaid bin Thabit (Al-Ansari) regarding any dialectic Arabic utterance
of the Qur'an, then write it in the dialect of Quraish, for the Qur'an was revealed in this dialect." So
they did it.

Ya`la used to say, "I wish I could see Allah's Messenger (PbUH) at the time he is being inspired Divinely." When
the Prophet (PbUH) was at Al-Ja'rana and was shaded by a garment hanging over him and some of his
companions were with him, a man perfumed with scent came and said, "O Allah's Messenger (PbUH)! What is
your opinion regarding a man who assumes Ihram and puts on a cloak after perfuming his body with
scent?" The Prophet (PbUH) waited for a while, and then the Divine Inspiration descended upon him. `Umar
pointed out to Ya`la, telling him to come. Ya`la came and pushed his head (underneath the screen
which was covering the Prophet (PbUH) ) and behold! The Prophet's face was red and he kept on breathing
heavily for a while and then he was relieved. Thereupon he said, "Where is the questioner who asked
me about `Umra a while ago?" The man was sought and then was brought before the Prophet (PbUH) who said
(to him), "As regards the scent which you perfumed your body with, you must wash it off thrice, and
as for your cloak, you must take it off; and then perform in your `Umra all those things which you
perform in Hajj."

Abu Bakr As-Siddiq sent for me when the people! of Yamama had been killed (i.e., a number of the
Prophet's Companions who fought against Musailama). (I went to him) and found `Umar bin Al-
Khattab sitting with him. Abu Bakr then said (to me), "`Umar has come to me and said: "Casualties
were heavy among the Qurra' of the! Qur'an (i.e. those who knew the Qur'an by heart) on the day of
the Battle of Yalmama, and I am afraid that more heavy casualties may take place among the Qurra'
on other battlefields, whereby a large part of the Qur'an may be lost. Therefore I suggest, you (Abu
Bakr) order that the Qur'an be collected." I said to `Umar, "How can you do something which Allah's
Apostle did not do?" `Umar said, "By Allah, that is a good project. "`Umar kept on urging me to
accept his proposal till Allah opened my chest for it and I began to realize the good in the idea which
`Umar had realized." Then Abu Bakr said (to me). 'You are a wise young man and we do not have any
suspicion about you, and you used to write the Divine Inspiration for Allah's Messenger (PbUH). So you should
search for (the fragmentary scripts of) the Qur'an and collect it in one book)." By Allah If they had
ordered me to shift one of the mountains, it would not have been heavier for me than this ordering me
to collect the Qur'an. Then I said to Abu Bakr, "How will you do something which Allah's Messenger (PbUH) did
not do?" Abu Bakr replied, "By Allah, it is a good project." Abu Bakr kept on urging me to accept his
idea until Allah opened my chest for what He had opened the chests of Abu Bakr and `Umar. So I
started looking for the Qur'an and collecting it from (what was written on) palmed stalks, thin white
stones and also from the men who knew it by heart, till I found the last Verse of Surat at-Tauba
(Repentance) with Abi Khuza`ima Al-Ansari, and I did not find it with anybody other than him. The
Verse is:
'Verily there has come unto you an Apostle (Muhammad) from amongst yourselves. It grieves him
that you should receive any injury or difficulty..(till the end of Surat-Baraa' (at-Tauba) (9.128-129)
Then the complete manuscripts (copy) of the Qur'an remained with Abu Bakr till he died, then with
`Umar till the end of his life, and then with Hafsa, the daughter of `Umar.

Hudhaifa bin Al-Yaman came to `Uthman at the time when the people of Sham and the people of Iraq
were Waging war to conquer Arminya and Adharbijan. Hudhaifa was afraid of their (the people of
Sham and Iraq) differences in the recitation of the Qur'an, so he said to `Uthman, "O chief of the
Believers! Save this nation before they differ about the Book (Qur'an) as Jews and the Christians did
before." So `Uthman sent a message to Hafsa saying, "Send us the manuscripts of the Qur'an so that
we may compile the Qur'anic materials in perfect copies and return the manuscripts to you." Hafsa
sent it to `Uthman. `Uthman then ordered Zaid bin Thabit, `Abdullah bin AzZubair, Sa`id bin Al-As
and `AbdurRahman bin Harith bin Hisham to rewrite the manuscripts in perfect copies. `Uthman said
to the three Quraishi men, "In case you disagree with Zaid bin Thabit on any point in the Qur'an, then
write it in the dialect of Quraish, the Qur'an was revealed in their tongue." They did so, and when they
had written many copies, `Uthman returned the original manuscripts to Hafsa. `Uthman sent to every
Muslim province one copy of what they had copied, and ordered that all the other Qur'anic materials,
whether written in fragmentary manuscripts or whole copies, be burnt.

'Among the Believers are men who have been true in their covenant with Allah.' (33.23)

Abu Bakr sent for me and said, "You used to write the Divine Revelations for Allah's Messenger (PbUH) : So you
should search for (the Qur'an and collect) it." I started searching for the Qur'an till I found the last two
Verses of Surat at-Tauba with Abi Khuza`ima Al-Ansari and I could not find these Verses with
anybody other than him. (They were):
'Verily there has come unto you an Apostle (Muhammad) from amongst yourselves. It grieves him
that you should receive any injury or difficulty ...' (9.128-129)

There was revealed: 'Not equal are those believers who sit (at home) and those who strive and fight in
the Cause of Allah.' (4.95)
The Prophet (PbUH) said, "Call Zaid for me and let him bring the board, the inkpot and the scapula bone (or
the scapula bone and the ink pot)."' Then he said, "Write: 'Not equal are those Believers who sit..", and
at that time `Amr bin Um Maktum, the blind man was sitting behind the Prophet (PbUH) . He said, "O Allah's
Apostle! What is your order For me (as regards the above Verse) as I am a blind man?" So, instead of
the above Verse, the following Verse was revealed:
'Not equal are those believers who sit (at home) except those who are disabled (by injury or are blind
or lame etc.) and those who strive and fight in the cause of Allah.' (4.95)

Allah's Messenger (PbUH) said, "Gabriel recited the Qur'an to me in one way. Then I requested him (to read it in
another way), and continued asking him to recite it in other ways, and he recited it in several ways till
he ultimately recited it in seven different ways."

I heard Hisham bin Hakim reciting Surat Al-Furqan during the lifetime of Allah's Messenger (PbUH) and I
listened to his recitation and noticed that he recited in several different ways which Allah's Messenger (PbUH)
had not taught me. I was about to jump over him during his prayer, but I controlled my temper, and
when he had completed his prayer, I put his upper garment around his neck and seized him by it and
said, "Who taught you this Sura which I heard you reciting?" He replied, "Allah's Messenger (PbUH) taught it to
me." I said, "You have told a lie, for Allah's Messenger (PbUH) has taught it to me in a different way from
yours." So I dragged him to Allah's Messenger (PbUH) and said (to Allah's Messenger (PbUH)),
"I heard this person reciting Surat Al-Furqan in a way which you haven't taught me!" On that Allah's
Apostle said, "Release him, (O `Umar!) Recite, O Hisham!" Then he recited in the same way as I
heard him reciting. Then Allah's Messenger (PbUH) said, "It was revealed in this way," and added, "Recite, O
`Umar!" I recited it as he had taught me. Allah's Messenger (PbUH) then said, "It was revealed in this way. This
Qur'an has been revealed to be recited in seven different ways, so recite of it whichever (way) is easier
for you (or read as much of it as may be easy for you).

While I was with Aisha, the mother of the Believers, a person from Iraq came and asked, "What type
of shroud is the best?" `Aisha said, "May Allah be merciful to you! What does it matter?" He said, "O
mother of the Believers! Show me (the copy of) your Qur'an," She said, "Why?" He said, "In order to
compile and arrange the Qur'an according to it, for people recite it with its Suras not in proper order."
`Aisha said, "What does it matter which part of it you read first? (Be informed) that the first thing that
was revealed thereof was a Sura from Al-Mufassal, and in it was mentioned Paradise and the Fire.
When the people embraced Islam, the Verses regarding legal and illegal things were revealed. If the
first thing to be revealed was: 'Do not drink alcoholic drinks.' people would have said, 'We will never
leave alcoholic drinks,' and if there had been revealed, 'Do not commit illegal sexual intercourse, 'they
would have said, 'We will never give up illegal sexual intercourse.' While I was a young girl of
playing age, the following Verse was revealed in Mecca to Muhammad: 'Nay! But the Hour is their
appointed time (for their full recompense), and the Hour will be more grievous and more bitter.'
(54.46) Sura Al-Baqara (The Cow) and Surat An-Nisa (The Women) were revealed while I was with
him." Then `Aisha took out the copy of the Qur'an for the man and dictated to him the Verses of the
Suras (in their proper order) .

Surat Bani-lsrael, Al-Kahf (The Cave), Maryam, Taha, Al-Anbiya' (The prophets) are amongst my
first earnings and my old property, and (in fact) they are my old property.

I learnt, 'Glorify the Name of your Lord the Most High' (Surat al-A'la) No 87, before the Prophet (PbUH) came
(to Medina) .

`Abdullah said, "I learnt An-Naza'ir which the Prophet (PbUH) used to recite in pairs in each rak`a." Then
`Abdullah got up and Alqama accompanied him to his house, and when Alqama came out, we asked
him (about those Suras). He said, "They are twenty Suras that start from the beginning of Al-
Mufassal, according to the arrangement done be Ibn Mas`ud, and end with the Suras starting with Ha
Mim, e.g. Ha Mim (the Smoke). and "About what they question one another?" (78.1)

The Prophet (PbUH) was the most generous person, and he used to become more so (generous) particularly in
the month of Ramadan because Gabriel used to meet him every night of the month of Ramadan till it
elapsed. Allah's Messenger (PbUH) used to recite the Qur'an for him. When Gabriel met him, he used to become
more generous than the fast wind in doing good.

Gabriel used to repeat the recitation of the Qur'an with the Prophet (PbUH) once a year, but he repeated it
twice with him in the year he died. The Prophet (PbUH) used to stay in I`tikaf for ten days every year (in the
month of Ramadan), but in the year of his death, he stayed in I`tikaf for twenty days.

`Abdullah bin `Amr mentioned `Abdullah bin Masud and said, "I shall ever love that man, for I heard
the Prophet (PbUH) saying, 'Take (learn) the Qur'an from four: `Abdullah bin Masud, Salim, Mu`adh and Ubai
bin Ka`b.' "

Once `Abdullah bin Mas`ud delivered a sermon before us and said, "By Allah, I learnt over seventy
Suras direct from Allah's Messenger (PbUH) . By Allah, the companions of the Prophet (PbUH) came to know that I am
one of those who know Allah's Book best of all of them, yet I am not the best of them." Shaqiq added:
I sat in his religious gathering and I did not hear anybody opposing him (in his speech).

While we were in the city of Hims (in Syria), Ibn Mas`ud recited Surat Yusuf. A man said to him), "It
was not revealed in this way." Then Ibn Mas`ud said, "I recited it in this way before Allah's Messenger (PbUH)
and he confirmed my recitation by saying, 'Well done!' " Ibn Mas`ud detected the smell of wine from
the man's mouth, so he said to him, "Aren't you ashamed of telling a lie about Allah's Book and (along
with this) you drink alcoholic liquors too?" Then he lashed him according to the law.

By Allah other than Whom none has the right to be worshipped! There is no Sura revealed in Allah's
Book but I know at what place it was revealed; and there is no Verse revealed in Allah's Book but I
know about whom it was revealed. And if I know that there is somebody who knows Allah's Book
better than I, and he is at a place that camels can reach, I would go to him.

I asked Anas bin Malik: "Who collected the Qur'an at the time of the Prophet (PbUH) ?" He replied, "Four, all
of whom were from the Ansar: Ubai bin Ka`b, Mu`adh bin Jabal, Zaid bin Thabit and Abu Zaid."

When the Prophet (PbUH) died, none had collected the Qur'an but four persons;: Abu Ad-Darda'. Mu`adh bin
Jabal, Zaid bin Thabit and Abu Zaid. We were the inheritor (of Abu Zaid) as he had no offspring .

`Umar said, Ubai was the best of us in the recitation (of the Qur'an) yet we leave some of what he
recites.' Ubai says, 'PI have taken it from the mouth of Allah's Messenger (PbUH) and will not leave for anything
whatever." But Allah said "None of Our Revelations do We abrogate or cause to be forgotten but We
substitute something better or similar." 2.106

While I was praying, the Prophet (PbUH) called me but I did not respond to his call. Later I said, "O Allah's
Apostle! I was praying." He said, "Didn't Allah say: 'O you who believe! Give your response to Allah
(by obeying Him) and to His Apostle when he calls you'?" (8.24)
He then said, "Shall I not teach you the most superior Surah in the Qur'an?" He said, '(It is),
'Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds. ' (i.e., Surat Al-Fatiha) which consists of seven repeatedly
recited Verses and the Magnificent Qur'an which was given to me."

While we were on one of our journeys, we dismounted at a place where a slave girl came and said,
"The chief of this tribe has been stung by a scorpion and our men are not present; is there anybody
among you who can treat him (by reciting something)?" Then one of our men went along with her
though we did not think that he knew any such treatment. But he treated the chief by reciting
something, and the sick man recovered whereupon he gave him thirty sheep and gave us milk to drink
(as a reward). When he returned, we asked our friend, "Did you know how to treat with the recitation
of something?" He said, "No, but I treated him only with the recitation of the Mother of the Book (i.e.,
Al-Fatiha)." We said, "Do not say anything (about it) till we reach or ask the Prophet (PbUH) so when we
reached Medina, we mentioned that to the Prophet (PbUH) (in order to know whether the sheep which we had
taken were lawful to take or not). The Prophet (PbUH) said, "How did he come to know that it (Al-Fatiha)
could be used for treatment? Distribute your reward and assign for me one share thereof as well."

Whoever recites two verses ... (text as in the following hadith)

The Prophet (PbUH) said, "If somebody recited the last two Verses of Surat Al-Baqara at night, that will be sufficient for him."

Allah 's Apostle ordered me to guard the Zakat revenue of Ramadan. Then somebody came to me and started stealing of the foodstuff. I caught him and said, "I will take you to Allah's Messenger (PbUH)!" Then Abu Huraira described the whole narration and said:) That person said (to me), "(Please don't take me to Allah's Messenger (PbUH) and I will tell you a few words by which Allah will benefit you.) When you go to your bed, recite Ayat-al-Kursi, (2.255) for then there will be a guard from Allah who will protect you all night long, and Satan will not be able to come near you till dawn." (When the Prophet (PbUH) heard the story) he said (to me), "He (who came to you at night) told you the truth although he is a liar; and it was Satan."

A man was reciting Surat Al-Kahf and his horse was tied with two ropes beside him. A cloud came
down and spread over that man, and it kept on coming closer and closer to him till his horse started
jumping (as if afraid of something). When it was morning, the man came to the Prophet, and told him
of that experience. The Prophet (PbUH) said, "That was As-Sakina (tranquility) which descended because of
(the recitation of) the Qur'an."

Allah's Messenger (PbUH) was traveling on one of his journeys, and `Umar bin Al-Khattab was traveling along
with him at night. `Umar asked him about something, but Allah's Messenger (PbUH) I did not answer him. He
asked again, but he did not answer. He asked for the third time!, but he did not answer. On that, `Umar
said to himself, "May your mother lose you! You have asked Allah's Messenger (PbUH) three times, but he did
not answer at all!" `Umar said, "So I made my camel go fast till I was ahead of the people, and I was
afraid that something might be! revealed about me. After a little while I heard a call maker calling me,
I said, 'I was afraid that some Qur'anic Verse might be revealed about me.' So I went to Allah's
Apostle and greeted him. He said, 'Tonight there has been revealed to me a Surah which is dearer to
me than that on which the sun shines (i.e. the world).' Then he recited: 'Verily! We have given you (O
Muhammad I, a manifest victory.' " (Surat al-Fath) No. (48.1).

A man heard another man reciting (Surat-Al-Ikhlas) 'Say He is Allah, (the) One.' (112. 1) repeatedly. The next morning he came to Allah's Messenger (PbUH) and informed him about it as if he thought that it was not enough to recite. On that Allah's Messenger (PbUH) said, "By Him in Whose Hand my life is, this Surah is equal to one-third of the Qur'an!"

My brother, Qatada bin An-Nau'man said, "A man performed the night prayer late at night in the lifetime of the Prophet (PbUH) and he read: 'Say: He is Allah, (the) One,' (112.1) and read nothing besides that. The next morning a man went to the Prophet (PbUH) ,~ and told him about that . (The Prophet (PbUH) replied the same as (in Hadith 532) above.)

The Prophet (PbUH) said to his companions, "Is it difficult for any of you to recite one third of the Qur'an in
one night?" This suggestion was difficult for them so they said, "Who among us has the power to do
so, O Allah's Messenger (PbUH)?" Allah Apostle replied: " Allah (the) One, the Self-Sufficient Master Whom all
creatures need.' (Surat Al-Ikhlas 112.1--to the End) is equal to one third of the Qur'an."

Whenever Allah's Messenger (PbUH) became sick, he would recite Mu'awwidhat (Surat Al-Falaq and Surat An-
Nas) and then blow his breath over his body. When he became seriously ill, I used to recite (these two
Suras) and rub his hands over his body hoping for its blessings.

Whenever the Prophet (PbUH) (PbUH) went to bed every night, he used to cup his hands together and blow over it after reciting Surat Al-Ikhlas, Surat Al-Falaq and Surat An-Nas, and then rub his hands over whatever parts of his body he was able to rub, starting with his head, face and front of his body. He used to do that three times.

That while he was reciting Surat Al-Baqara (The Cow) at night, and his
horse was tied beside him, the horse was suddenly startled and
troubled. When he stopped reciting, the horse became quiet, and when
he started again, the horse was startled again. Then he stopped
reciting and the horse became quiet too. He started reciting again and
the horse was startled and troubled once again. Then he stopped
reciting and his son, Yahya was beside the horse. He was afraid that
the horse might trample on him. When he took the boy away and looked
towards the sky, he could not see it. The next morning he informed the
Prophet who said, "Recite, O Ibn Hudair! Recite, O Ibn Hudair!" Ibn
Hudair replied, "O Allah's Messenger (PbUH)! My son, Yahya was near the horse
and I was afraid that it might trample on him, so I looked towards the
sky, and went to him. When I looked at the sky, I saw something like a
cloud containing what looked like lamps, so I went out in order not to
see it." The Prophet (PbUH) said, "Do you know what that was?" Ibn Hudair
replied, "No." The Prophet (PbUH) said, "Those were Angels who came near to
you for your voice and if you had kept on reciting till dawn, it would
have remained there till morning when people would have seen it as it
would not have disappeared.

Shaddad bin Ma'qil and I entered upon Ibn `Abbas. Shaddad bin Ma'qil asked him, "Did the Prophet (PbUH)
leave anything (besides the Qur'an)?" He replied. "He did not leave anything except what is Between
the two bindings (of the Qur'an)." Then we visited Muhammad bin Al-Hanafiyya and asked him (the
same question). He replied, "The Prophet (PbUH) did not leave except what is between the bindings (of the
Qur'an).

The Prophet (PbUH) said, "The example of him (a believer) who recites the Qur'an is like that of a citron
which tastes good and smells good. And he (a believer) who does not recite the Qur'an is like a date
which is good in taste but has no smell. And the example of a dissolute wicked person who recites the
Qur'an is like the Raihana (sweet basil) which smells good but tastes bitter. And the example of a
dissolute wicked person who does not recite the Qur'an is like the colocynth which tastes bitter and
has no smell.

The Prophet (PbUH) said, "Your life in comparison to the lifetime of the past nations is like the period
between the time of `Asr prayer and sunset. Your example and the example of the Jews and Christians
is that of person who employed laborers and said to them, "Who will work for me till the middle of
the day for one Qirat (a special weight)?' The Jews did. He then said, "Who will work for me from the
middle of the day till the `Asr prayer for one Qirat each?" The Christians worked accordingly. Then
you (Muslims) are working from the `Asr prayer till the Maghrib prayer for two Qirats each. They (the
Jews and the Christians) said, 'We did more labor but took less wages.' He (Allah) said, 'Have I
wronged you in your rights?' They replied, 'No.' Then He said, 'This is My Blessing which I give to
whom I wish."

I asked `Abdullah bin Abi `Aufa, "Did the Prophet (PbUH) make a will (to appoint his successor or bequeath
wealth)?" He replied, "No." I said, "How is it prescribed then for the people to make wills, and they
are ordered to do so while the Prophet (PbUH) did not make any will?" He said, "He made a will wherein he
recommended Allah's Book."

Allah's Messenger (PbUH) said, "Allah does not listen to a prophet as He listens to a prophet who recites the
Qur'an in a pleasant tone." The companion of the sub-narrator (Abu Salama) said, "It means, reciting
it aloud."

The Prophet (PbUH) I said, "Allah does not listen to a prophet as He listens to a prophet who recites the
Qur'an in a loud and pleasant tone." Sufyan said, "This saying means: a prophet who regards the
Qur'an as something that makes him dispense with many worldly pleasures."

Allah's Messenger (PbUH) said, "Not to wish to be the like except of two men. A man whom Allah has given the
knowledge of the Book and he recites it during the hours of the night, and a man whom Allah has
given wealth, and he spends it in charity during the night and the hours of the day."

Allah's Messenger (PbUH) I said, "Not to wish to be the like of except two men: A man whom Allah has taught
the Qur'an and he recites it during the hours of the night and during the hours of the day, and his
neighbor listens to him and says, 'I wish I had been given what has been given to so-and-so, so that I
might do what he does; and a man whom Allah has given wealth and he spends it on what is just and
right, whereupon an other man May say, 'I wish I had been given what so-and-so has been given, for
then I would do what he does."

The Prophet (PbUH) said, "The best among you (Muslims) are those who learn the Qur'an and teach it."

The Prophet (PbUH) said, "The most superior among you (Muslims) are those who learn the Qur'an and teach
it."

A lady came to the Prophet (PbUH) and declared that she had decided to offer herself to Allah and His
Apostle. The Prophet (PbUH) said, "I am not in need of women." A man said (to the Prophet) "Please marry
her to me." The Prophet (PbUH) said (to him), "Give her a garment." The man said, "I cannot afford it." The
Prophet said, "Give her anything, even if it were an iron ring." The man apologized again. The
Prophet then asked him, "What do you know by heart of the Qur'an?" He replied, "I know such-andsuch
portion of the Qur'an (by heart)." The Prophet (PbUH) said, "Then I marry her to you for that much of the
Qur'an which you know by heart."

A lady came to Allah's Messenger (PbUH) and said, "O Allah's Messenger (PbUH)! I have come to you to offer myself to
you." He raised his eyes and looked at her and then lowered his head. When the lady saw that he did
not make any decision, she sat down. On that, a man from his companions got up and said. "O Allah's
Apostle! If you are not in need of this woman, then marry her to me." Allah's Messenger (PbUH) said, "Do you
have anything to offer her?" He replied. "No, by Allah, O Allah's Messenger (PbUH)!" The Prophet (PbUH) said to him,
"Go to your family and see if you can find something.' The man went and returned, saying, "No, by
Allah, O Allah's Messenger (PbUH)! I have not found anything." The Prophet (PbUH) said, "Try to find something, even
if it is an iron ring.'' He went again and returned, saying, "No, by Allah, O Allah's Messenger (PbUH), not even
an iron ring, but I have this waist sheet of mine." The man had no upper garment, so he intended to
give her, half his waist sheet. So Allah's Messenger (PbUH) said, ''What would she do with your waist sheet? If
you wear it, she will have nothing of it over her body, and if she wears it, you will have nothing over
your body." So that man sat for a long period and then got up, and Allah's Messenger (PbUH) saw him going
away, so he ordered somebody to call him. When he came, the Prophet (PbUH) asked him, " How much of the
Qur'an do you know?" He replied, "I know such Surat and such Surat and such Surat," and went on
counting it, The Prophet (PbUH) asked him, "Can you recite it by heart?" he replied, "Yes." The Prophet (PbUH) said,
"Go, I have married this lady to you for the amount of the Qur'an you know by heart."

Allah's Messenger (PbUH) said, "The example of the person who knows the Qur'an by heart is like the owner of
tied camels. If he keeps them tied, he will control them, but if he releases them, they will run away."

The Prophet (PbUH) said, "It is a bad thing that some of you say, 'I have forgotten such-and-such verse of the
Qur'an,' for indeed, he has been caused (by Allah) to forget it. So you must keep on reciting the Qur'an
because it escapes from the hearts of men faster than camel do."

I heard the Prophet (PbUH) saying... (as above, no. 550).

The Prophet (PbUH) said, "Keep on reciting the Qur'an, for, by Him in Whose Hand my life is, Qur'an runs
away (is forgotten) faster than camels that are released from their tying ropes."

I saw Allah's Messenger (PbUH) reciting Surat-al-Fath on his she-camel on the day of the Conquest of Mecca.

Those Suras which you people call the Mufassal, are the Muhkam. And Ibn `Abbas said, "Allah's
Apostle died when I was a boy of ten years, and I had learnt the Muhkam (of the Qur'an).

Ibn `Abbas said, "I have learnt all the Muhkam Suras during the life time of Allah's Messenger (PbUH)." I said to
him, 'What is meant by the Muhkam?" He replied, "The Mufassal."

The Prophet (PbUH) heard a man reciting the Qur'an in the mosque and said, "May Allah bestow His Mercy
on him, as he has reminded me of such-and-such Verses of such a Surah."

(The same Hadith as 6.556, adding): which I missed (modifying the Verses).

Allah's Messenger (PbUH) heard a man reciting the Qur'an at night, and said, "May Allah bestow His Mercy on
him, as he has reminded me of such-and-such Verses of such-and-such Suras, which I was caused to
forget."

The Prophet (PbUH) said, "Why does anyone of the people say, 'I have forgotten such-and-such Verses (of the
Qur'an)?' He, in fact, is caused (by Allah) to forget."

The Prophet (PbUH) said, "If one recites the last two Verses of Surat-al-Baqara at night, it is sufficient for him
(for that night).

I heard Hisham bin Hakim bin Hizam reciting Surat-al-Furqan during the lifetime of Allah's Messenger (PbUH),
and I listened to his recitation and noticed that he recited it in several ways which Allah's Messenger (PbUH) had
not taught me. So I was on the point of attacking him in the prayer, but I waited till he finished his
prayer, and then I seized him by the collar and said, "Who taught you this Surah which I have heard
you reciting?" He replied, "Allah's Messenger (PbUH) taught it to me." I said, "You are telling a lie; By Allah!
Allah's Messenger (PbUH) taught me (in a different way) this very Surah which I have heard you reciting." So I
took him, leading him to Allah's Messenger (PbUH) and said, "O Allah's Messenger (PbUH)! I heard this person reciting
Surat-al-Furqan in a way that you did not teach me, and you have taught me Surat-al-Furqan." The
Prophet said, "O Hisham, recite!" So he recited in the same way as I heard him recite it before. On
that Allah's Messenger (PbUH) said, "It was revealed to be recited in this way." Then Allah's Messenger (PbUH) said,
"Recite, O `Umar!" So I recited it as he had taught me. Allah's Messenger (PbUH) then said, "It was revealed to
be recited in this way." Allah" Apostle added, "The Qur'an has been revealed to be recited in several
different ways, so recite of it that which is easier for you."

The Prophet (PbUH) heard a reciter reciting, the Qur'an in the mosque at night. The Prophet (PbUH) said, "May Allah
bestow His Mercy on him, as he has remind ed me of such-and-such Verses of such and-such Suras,
which I missed!"

We went to `Abdullah in the morning and a man said, "Yesterday I recited all the Mufassal Suras." On
that `Abdullah said, "That is very quick, and we have the (Prophet's) recitation, and I remember very
well the recitation of those Suras which the Prophet (PbUH) used to recite, and they were eighteen Suras from
the Mufassal, and two Suras from the Suras that start with Ha Mim.

Regarding His (Allah's) Statement:-- 'Move not your tongue concerning (the Qur'an) to make haste
therewith.' (75.16) And whenever Gabriel descended to Allah's Messenger (PbUH) with the Divine Inspiration,
Allah's Messenger (PbUH) used to move his tongue and lips, and that used to be hard for him, and one could
easily recognize that he was being inspired Divinely. So Allah revealed the Verse which occurs in the
Surah starting with "I do swear by the Day of Resurrection.' (75.1) i.e. 'Move not your tongue
concerning (the Qur'an) to make haste then with. It is for Us to collect it (in your mind) (O
Muhammad) an give you the ability to recite it 'by heart.' (75.16-17) which means: It is for us to
collect it (in your mind) and give you the ability to recite it by heart. And when We have recited it to
you (O Muhammad) through Gabriel then follow you its recital. (75.18) means: 'When We reveal it
(the Qur'an) to you, Listen to it.' for then: It is for Us to explain it and make it clear to you' (75.19)
i.e. It is up to Us to explain it through your tongue. So, when Gabriel came to him, Allah's Messenger (PbUH)
would listen to him attentively, and as soon as Gabriel left, he would recite the Revelations, as Allah
had promised him.

I asked Anas bin Malik about the recitation of the Prophet. He said, "He used to pray long (certain
sounds) very much.

Anas was asked, "How was the recitation (of the Qur'an) of the Prophet?' He replied, "It was
characterized by the prolongation of certain sounds." He then recited: In the Name of Allah, the Most
Beneficent, the Most Merciful prolonging the pronunciation of 'In the Name of Allah, 'the most
Beneficent,' and 'the Most Merciful.

I saw the Prophet (PbUH) reciting (Qur'an) while he was riding on his she camel or camel which was moving,
carrying him. He was reciting Surat Fath or part of Surat Fath very softly and in an Attractive
vibrating tone.

That the Prophet (PbUH) said to him' "O Abu Musa! You have been given one of the musical windinstruments
of the family of David .'

That the Prophet (PbUH) said to him, "Recite the Qur'an to me." `Abdullah said, "Shall I recite (the Qur'an) to
you while it has been revealed to you?" He said, "I like to hear it from others."

The Prophet (PbUH) said to me, "Recite (the Qur'an) to me." I said, "O Allah's Messenger (PbUH) Shall I recite (the
Qur'an) to you while it has been revealed to you?" He said, "Yes." So I recited Surat-An-Nisa' (The
Women), but when I recited the Verse:
'How (will it be) then when We bring from each nation a witness and We bring you (O Muhammad)
as a witness against these people.' (4.41) He said, "Enough for the present," I looked at him and
behold! His eyes were overflowing with tears

Ibn Shubruma said, "I wanted to see how much of the Qur'an can be enough (to recite in prayer) and I could not find a Surah containing less than three Verses, therefore I said to myself), "One ought not to recite less than three (Quranic) Verses (in prayer)."

The Prophet (PbUH) said, "If somebody recites the last two Verses of Surat al-Baqara at night, it will be sufficient for him.

My father got me married to a lady of a noble family, and often used to ask my wife about me, and she
used to reply, "What a wonderful man he is! He never comes to my bed, nor has he approached me
since he married me." When this state continued for a long period, my father told the story to the
Prophet who said to my father, "Let me meet him." Then I met him and he asked me, "How do you
fast?" I replied, "I fast daily," He asked, "How long does it take you to finish the recitation of the
whole Qur'an?" I replied, "I finish it every night." On that he said, "Fast for three days every month
and recite the Qur'an (and finish it) in one month." I said, "But I have power to do more than that." He
said, "Then fast for three days per week." I said, "i have the power to do more than that." He said,
"Therefore, fast the most superior type of fasting, (that is, the fasting of (prophet) David who used to
fast every alternate day; and finish the recitation of the whole Qur'an In seven days." I wish I had
accepted the permission of Allah's Messenger (PbUH) as I have become a weak old man. It is said that `Abdullah
used to recite one-seventh of the Qur'an during the day-time to some of his family members, for he
used to check his memorization of what he would recite at night during the daytime so that it would be
easier for him to read at night. And whenever he wanted to gain some strength, he used to give up
fasting for some days and count those days to fast for a similar period, for he disliked to leave those
things which he used to do during the lifetime of the Prophet.

The Prophet (PbUH) asked me, "How long does it take you to finish the recitation of the whole Qur'an?"

Allah's Messenger (PbUH) said to me, "Recite the whole Qur'an in one month's time." I said, "But I have power
(to do more than that)." Allah's Messenger (PbUH) said, "Then finish the recitation of the Qur'an in seven days,
and do not finish it in less than this period."

Allah's Messenger (PbUH) said (to me), "Recite the Qur'an to me." I said, "Shall I recite (it) to you while it has
been revealed to you?" He said, "I like to hear it from another person." So I recited Surat An-Nisa
(The Women) till I reached the Verse: 'How (will it be) then when We bring from each nation a
witness, and We bring you (O Muhammad) as a witness against these people.' (4.41) Then he said to
me, "Stop!" Thereupon I saw his eyes overflowing with tears.

The Prophet (PbUH) said to me, "Recite Qur'an to me." I said to him. "Shall I recite (it) to you while it has
been revealed to you?" He said, "I like to hear it from another person."

I heard the Prophet (PbUH) saying, "In the last days (of the world) there will appear young people with foolish
thoughts and ideas. They will give good talks, but they will go out of Islam as an arrow goes out of its
game, their faith will not exceed their throats. So, wherever you find them, kill them, for there will be
a reward for their killers on the Day of Resurrection."

I heard Allah's Messenger (PbUH) saying, "There will appear some people among you whose prayer will make
you look down upon yours, and whose fasting will make you look down upon yours, but they will
recite the Qur'an which will not exceed their throats (they will not act on it) and they will go out of
Islam as an arrow goes out through the game whereupon the archer would examine the arrowhead but
see nothing, and look at the unfeathered arrow but see nothing, and look at the arrow feathers but see
nothing, and finally he suspects to find something in the lower part of the arrow."

The Prophet (PbUH) said, "The example of a believer who recites the Qur'an and acts on it, like a citron which
tastes nice and smells nice. And the example of a believer who does not recite the Qur'an but acts on
it, is like a date which tastes good but has no smell. And the example of a hypocrite who recites the
Qur'an is like a Raihana (sweet basil) which smells good but tastes bitter And the example of a
hypocrite who does not recite the Qur'an is like a colocynth which tastes bitter and has a bad smell."

The Prophet (PbUH) said, "Recite (and study) the Qur'an as long as you agree about its interpretation, but if
you have any difference of opinion (as regards to its interpretation and meaning) then you should stop
reciting it (for the time being).

The Prophet (PbUH) said, "Recite (and study) the Qur'an as long as you agree about its interpretation, but
when you have any difference of opinion (as regards its interpretation and meaning) then you should
stop reciting it (for the time being)'

That he heard a man reciting a Quranic Verse which he had heard the Prophet (PbUH) reciting in a different way. So he took that man to the Prophet (PbUH) (and told him the story). The Prophet (PbUH) said, "Both of you are reciting in a correct way, so carry on reciting." The Prophet (PbUH) further added, "The nations which were before you were destroyed (by Allah) because they differed."