I went to Sham and offered a two-rakʿat prayer and then said, "O Allah! Bless me with a good pious companion." So I went to some people and sat with them. An old man came and sat by my side. I asked, "Who is he?" They replied, "(He is) Abu-Ad-Darda.' I said (to him), "I prayed to Allah to bless me with a pious companion and He sent you to me." He asked me, "From where are you?" I replied, "From the people of Al-Kufa." He said, "Isn't there amongst you Ibn Um ʿAbd, the one who used to carry the shoes, the cushion(or pillow) and the water for ablution? Is there amongst you the one whom Allah gave Refuge from Satan through the request of His Prophet. Is there amongst you the one who keeps the secrets of the Prophet ﷺ which nobody knows except him?" Abu Darda further asked, "How does ʿAbdullah (bin Masʿud) recite the Sura starting with, 'By the Night as it conceals (the light)." (92.1) Then I recited before him: 'By the Night as it envelops: And by the Day as it appears in brightness; And by male and female.' (91.1-3) On this Abu Ad-Darda' said, "By Allah, the Prophet ﷺ made me recite the Sura in this way while I was listening to him (reciting it).  

قَدِمْتُ الشَّأْمَ فَصَلَّيْتُ رَكْعَتَيْنِ ثُمَّ قُلْتُ اللَّهُمَّ يَسِّرْ لِي جَلِيسًا صَالِحًا فَأَتَيْتُ قَوْمًا فَجَلَسْتُ إِلَيْهِمْ فَإِذَا شَيْخٌ قَدْ جَاءَ حَتَّى جَلَسَ إِلَى جَنْبِي قُلْتُ مَنْ هَذَا قَالُوا أَبُو الدَّرْدَاءِ فَقُلْتُ إِنِّي دَعَوْتُ اللَّهَ أَنْ يُيَسِّرَ لِي جَلِيسًا صَالِحًا فَيَسَّرَكَ لِي قَالَ مِمَّنْ أَنْتَ قُلْتُ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكُوفَةِ قَالَ أَوَلَيْسَ عِنْدَكُمُ ابْنُ أُمِّ عَبْدٍ صَاحِبُ النَّعْلَيْنِ وَالْوِسَادِ وَالْمِطْهَرَةِ وَفِيكُمُ الَّذِي أَجَارَهُ اللَّهُ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ عَلَى لِسَانِ نَبِيِّهِ ﷺ أَوَلَيْسَ فِيكُمْ صَاحِبُ سِرِّ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ الَّذِي لاَ يَعْلَمُ أَحَدٌ غَيْرُهُ ثُمَّ قَالَ كَيْفَ يَقْرَأُ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ {وَاللَّيْلِ إِذَا يَغْشَى} فَقَرَأْتُ عَلَيْهِ {وَاللَّيْلِ إِذَا يَغْشَى * وَالنَّهَارِ إِذَا تَجَلَّى * وَالذَّكَرِ وَالأُنْثَى} قَالَ وَاللَّهِ لَقَدْ أَقْرَأَنِيهَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ مِنْ فِيهِ إِلَى فِيَّ  

'Alqama went to Sham and when he entered the mosque, he said, "O Allah ! Bless me with a pious companion." So he sat with Abu Ad-Darda. Abu Ad-Darda' asked him, "Where are you from?" 'Alqama replied, "From the people of Kufa." Abu Ad-Darda said, "Isn't there amongst you the Keeper of the secret which nobody else knows i.e. Hudhaifa?" Al-qama said, "Yes." Then Abu Ad-Darda further said, "Isn't there amongst you the person whom Allah gave Refuge from Satan through the invocation of His Prophet namely ʿAmmar?" Alqama replied in the affirmative Abu Ad-Darda said, "Isn't there amongst you the person who carries the Siwak (or the Secret) (i.e. of the Prophet ﷺ namely ʿAbdullah bin Massud)?" Alqama said, "Yes." Then Abu Ad-Darda asked, "How (Abdullah bin Masud) used to recite the Sura starting with: "By the night as it envelopes; By the day as it appears in brightness?" (92.1-2). Alqama said "And by male and female." Abu Ad-Darda then said, "These people (of Sham) tried hard to make me accept something other than what I had heard from the Prophet."  

ذَهَبَ عَلْقَمَةُ إِلَى الشَّأْمِ فَلَمَّا دَخَلَ الْمَسْجِدَ قَالَ اللَّهُمَّ يَسِّرْ لِي جَلِيسًا صَالِحًا فَجَلَسَ إِلَى أَبِي الدَّرْدَاءِ فَقَالَ أَبُو الدَّرْدَاءِ مِمَّنْ أَنْتَ قَالَ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكُوفَةِ قَالَ أَلَيْسَ فِيكُمْ أَوْ مِنْكُمْ صَاحِبُ السِّرِّ الَّذِي لاَ يَعْلَمُهُ غَيْرُهُ يَعْنِي حُذَيْفَةَ قَالَ قُلْتُ بَلَى قَالَ أَلَيْسَ فِيكُمُ أَوْ مِنْكُمُ الَّذِي أَجَارَهُ اللَّهُ عَلَى لِسَانِ نَبِيِّهِ ﷺ يَعْنِي مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ يَعْنِي عَمَّارًا قُلْتُ بَلَى قَالَ أَلَيْسَ فِيكُمْ أَوْ مِنْكُمْ صَاحِبُ السِّوَاكِ أَوِ السِّرَارِ قَالَ بَلَى قَالَ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ يَقْرَأُ {وَاللَّيْلِ إِذَا يَغْشَى * وَالنَّهَارِ إِذَا تَجَلَّى} قُلْتُ {وَالذَّكَرِ وَالأُنْثَى} قَالَ مَا زَالَ بِي هَؤُلاَءِ حَتَّى كَادُوا يَسْتَنْزِلُونِي عَنْ شَىْءٍ سَمِعْتُهُ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ  

I went to Sham and was offering a two-rakʿat prayer; I said, "O Allah! Bless me with a (pious) companion." Then I saw an old man coming towards me, and when he came near I said, (to myself), "I hope Allah has given me my request." The man asked (me), "Where are you from?" I replied, "I am from the people of Kufa." He said, "Weren't there amongst you the Carrier of the (Prophet's) shoes, Siwak and the ablution water container? Weren't there amongst you the man who was given Allah's Refuge from the Satan? And weren't there amongst you the man who used to keep the (Prophet's) secrets which nobody else knew? How did Ibn Um ʿAbd (i.e. ʿAbdullah bin Masʿud) use to recite Surat-al-lail (the Night:92)?" I recited:-- "By the Night as it envelops By the Day as it appears in brightness. And by male and female." (92.1- 3) On that, Abu Darda said, "By Allah, the Prophet ﷺ made me read the Verse in this way after listening to him, but these people (of Sham) tried their best to let me say something different."  

عَنْ عَلْقَمَةَ دَخَلْتُ الشَّأْمَ فَصَلَّيْتُ رَكْعَتَيْنِ فَقُلْتُ اللَّهُمَّ يَسِّرْ لِي جَلِيسًا فَرَأَيْتُ شَيْخًا مُقْبِلاً فَلَمَّا دَنَا قُلْتُ أَرْجُو أَنْ يَكُونَ اسْتَجَابَ قَالَ مِنْ أَيْنَ أَنْتَ قُلْتُ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكُوفَةِ قَالَ أَفَلَمْ يَكُنْ فِيكُمْ صَاحِبُ النَّعْلَيْنِ وَالْوِسَادِ وَالْمِطْهَرَةِ أَوَلَمْ يَكُنْ فِيكُمُ الَّذِي أُجِيرَ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ أَوَلَمْ يَكُنْ فِيكُمْ صَاحِبُ السِّرِّ الَّذِي لاَ يَعْلَمُهُ غَيْرُهُ كَيْفَ قَرَأَ ابْنُ أُمِّ عَبْدٍ {وَاللَّيْلِ} فَقَرَأْتُ {وَاللَّيْلِ إِذَا يَغْشَى * وَالنَّهَارِ إِذَا تَجَلَّى * وَالذَّكَرِ وَالأُنْثَى} قَالَ أَقْرَأَنِيهَا النَّبِيُّ ﷺ فَاهُ إِلَى فِيَّ فَمَا زَالَ هَؤُلاَءِ حَتَّى كَادُوا يَرُدُّونِي  

'Alaqama went to Sham and came to the mosque and offered a two-rakʿat prayer, and invoked Allah: "O Allah! Bless me with a (pious) good companion." So he sat beside Abu Ad-Darda' who asked, "From where are you?" He said, "From the people of Kufa." Abu Darda' said, "Wasn't there among you the person who keeps the secrets (of the Prophet ﷺ ) which nobody knew except him (i.e., Hudhaifa (bin Al-Yaman)). And isn't there among you the person whom Allah gave refuge from Satan through the request (tongue) of Messenger of Allah ﷺ? (i.e., ʿAmmar). Isn't there among you the one who used to carry the Siwak and the cushion (or pillows (of the Prophets)? (i.e., Ibn Masʿud). How did Ibn Masʿud use to recite 'By the night as it conceals (the light)?" (Sura 92). 'Alqama said, "Wadhdhakari Wal Untha' (And by male and female.") Abu Ad-Darda added. 'These people continued to argue with me regarding it till they were about to cause me to have doubts although I heard it from Messenger of Allah ﷺ."  

ذَهَبَ عَلْقَمَةُ إِلَى الشَّأْمِ فَأَتَى الْمَسْجِدَ فَصَلَّى رَكْعَتَيْنِ فَقَالَ اللَّهُمَّ ارْزُقْنِي جَلِيسًا فَقَعَدَ إِلَى أَبِي الدَّرْدَاءِ فَقَالَ مِمَّنْ أَنْتَ قَالَ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكُوفَةِ قَالَ أَلَيْسَ فِيكُمْ صَاحِبُ السِّرِّ الَّذِي كَانَ لاَ يَعْلَمُهُ غَيْرُهُ يَعْنِي حُذَيْفَةَ أَلَيْسَ فِيكُمْ أَوْ كَانَ فِيكُمُ الَّذِي أَجَارَهُ اللَّهُ عَلَى لِسَانِ رَسُولِهِ ﷺ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ يَعْنِي عَمَّارًا أَوَلَيْسَ فِيكُمْ صَاحِبُ السِّوَاكِ وَالْوِسَادِ يَعْنِي ابْنَ مَسْعُودٍ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ يَقْرَأُ {وَاللَّيْلِ إِذَا يَغْشَى} قَالَ {وَالذَّكَرِ وَالأُنْثَى} فَقَالَ مَا زَالَ هَؤُلاَءِ حَتَّى كَادُوا يُشَكِّكُونِي وَقَدْ سَمِعْتُهَا مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ  

[Machine] Alqamah Al-Shami came and prayed two units of prayer. He said, "O Allah, grant me a righteous companion." So, I sat next to a man and he turned out to be Abu Al-Darda. He asked me, "Who are you?" I said, "I am from the people of Kufa." He asked, "Do you know how Abdullah used to recite this verse?" [By the night when it covers, and by the day when it appears, and by He who created the male and female.] So, I said, "He used to recite it as: 'By the night when it covers, and by the day when it appears, and by the male and female.'" He said, "That is how I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ recite it." He continued to question me until I began to doubt myself. Then, he said, "Isn't among you the one who uses the cushion and the tooth stick?" He meant Abdullah ibn Mas'ud. "Isn't among you the one whom Allah protected from the tongue of his Prophet from the Devil?" He meant Ammar ibn Yasar. "Isn't among you the one who knows the secret that no one else knows?" He meant Hudhayfah.  

أَتَى عَلْقَمَةُ الشَّامَ فَصَلَّى رَكْعَتَيْنِ فَقَالَ اللهُمَّ وَفِّقْ لِي جَلِيسًا صَالِحًا قَالَ فَجَلَسْتُ إِلَى رَجُلٍ فَإِذَا هُوَ أَبُو الدَّرْدَاءِ فَقَالَ مِمَّنْ أَنْتَ؟ قُلْتُ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكُوفَةِ فَقَالَ هَلْ تَدْرِي كَيْفَ كَانَ عَبْدُ اللهِ يَقْرَأُ هَذَا الْحَرْفَ؟ {وَاللَّيْلِ إِذَا يَغْشَى وَالنَّهَارِ إِذَا تَجَلَّى وَمَا خَلَقَ الذَّكَرَ وَالْأُنْثَى} [الليل 2] فَقُلْتُ كَانَ يَقْرَؤُهَا وَاللَّيْلِ إِذَا يَغْشَى وَالنَّهَارِ إِذَا تَجَلَّى وَالذَّكَرِ وَالْأُنْثَى فَقَالَ هَكَذَا سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ يَقْرَؤُهَا فَمَا زَالَ بِي هَؤُلَاءِ حَتَّى كَادُوا يُشَكِّكُونِي ثُمَّ قَالَ أَلَيْسَ فِيكُمْ صَاحِبُ الْوِسَادِ وَالسِّوَاكِ يَعْنِي عَبْدَ اللهِابْنَ مَسْعُودٍ أَلَيْسَ فِيكُمُ الَّذِي أَجَارَهُ اللهُ عَلَى لِسَانِ نَبِيِّهِ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ يَعْنِي عَمَّارَ بْنَ يَاسِرٍ أَلَيْسَ فِيكُمُ الَّذِي يَعْلَمُ السِّرَّ وَلَا يَعْلَمُهُ غَيْرُهُ يَعْنِي حُذَيْفَةَ  

[Machine] "I traveled to Sham (Levant) and performed two units of prayer, then I said: "O Allah, facilitate for me a righteous companion." I met a group of people, so I sat down, and suddenly, someone came and sat beside me. I asked, 'Who is this?' He replied, 'Abu Darda.' I said, 'Verily, I prayed to Allah to facilitate for me a righteous companion, and He facilitated for me.' He asked, 'Where are you from?' I said, 'From the people of Kufa.' He said, 'Do you not have with you the son of Umm Abdu, the companion of the two sandals, the pillow, and the pitcher, and among you the one whom Allah protected from Satan on the tongue of His Prophet ﷺ , and among you is the companion of the secret of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ that no one else knows?'"  

قَدِمْتُ الشَّامَ فَصَلَّيْتُ رَكْعَتَيْنِ ثُمَّ قُلْتُ «اللَّهُمَّ يَسِّرْ لِي جَلِيسًا صَالِحًا» فَلَقِيتُ قَوْمًا فَجَلَسْتُ فَإِذَا بِوَاحِدٍ جَاءَ حَتَّى جَلَسَ إِلَى جَنْبِي فَقُلْتُ مَنْ ذَا؟ قَالَ أَبُو الدَّرْدَاءِ فَقُلْتُ «إِنِّي دَعَوْتُ اللَّهَ أَنْ يُيَسِّرَ لِي جَلِيسًا صَالِحًا فَيَسَّرَ لِي» فَقَالَ مِمَّنْ أَنْتَ؟ قُلْتُ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكُوفَةِ قَالَ «أَوَلَيْسَ عِنْدَكُمُ ابْنُ أُمِّ عَبْدٍ صَاحِبُ النَّعْلَيْنِ وَالْوِسَادَةِ وَالْمِطْهَرَةِ وَفِيكُمُ الَّذِي أَجَارَهُ اللَّهُ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ عَلَى لِسَانِ نَبِيِّهِ ﷺ وَفِيكُمْ صَاحِبُ سِرِّ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ الَّذِي لَا يَعْلَمُهُ غَيْرُهُ؟»  

[Machine] I heard Ibrahim say that Alqamah went to Damascus. He came to the mosque and prayed two units of prayer, then said, "O Allah, grant me a righteous companion." He sat next to Abu Darda and asked, "Who are you?" Abu Darda said, "I am from the people of Kufa." Alqamah asked, "Do you not have the companion of the secret who no one else knew except Hudhaifah?" Alqamah continued, "Do you not have the one whom Allah entrusted with protection from the devil through the tongue of His Prophet ﷺ , Ammar ibn Yasir?" And do you not have the companion of the blackness, Abdullah ibn Mas'ud?" Then Alqamah asked, "How do you read this verse, 'And [by] the night when it covers and [by] the day when it appears'?" Abu Darda replied, "I said, 'And [by] the male and female.' He said, 'These people continued to doubt me, even though I heard it from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ .'"  

سَمِعْتُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ يَقُولُ ذَهَبَ عَلْقَمَةُ إِلَى الشَّامِ فَأَتَى الْمَسْجِدَ فَصَلَّى رَكْعَتَيْنِ ثُمَّ قَالَ اللَّهُمَّ ارْزُقْنِي جَلِيسًا صَالِحًا فَقَعَدَ إِلَى أَبِي الدَّرْدَاءِ فَقَالَ «مِمَّنْ أَنْتَ؟ » قَالَ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكُوفَةِ قَالَ «أَلَيْسَ فِيكُمْ صَاحِبُ السِّرِّ الَّذِي كَانَ لَا يَعْلَمُهُ غَيْرُهُ حُذَيْفَةُ؟ » أَلَيْسَ فِيكُمُ الَّذِي أَجَارَهُ اللَّهُ عَلَى لِسَانِ نَبِيِّهِ ﷺ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ عَمَّارُ بْنُ يَاسِرٍ؟ أَلَيْسَ فِيكُمْ صَاحِبُ السَّوَادِ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مَسْعُودٍ؟ وَقَالَ كَيْفَ تَقْرَأُ هَذِهِ الْآيَةَ {وَاللَّيْلِ إِذَا يَغْشَى وَالنَّهَارِ إِذَا تَجَلَّى} فَقُلْتُ وَالذَّكَرِ وَالْأُنْثَى قَالَ «فَمَا زَالَ هَؤُلَاءِ كَادُوا يُشَكِّكُونِي وَقَدْ سَمِعْتُهَا مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ»  

[Machine] Al-Qama from Sham came and entered the mosque and performed prayer in it. Then he approached a group and sat among them. A man came and sat next to me, so I said, "Praise be to Allah, I hope that Allah has answered my prayer." He said, "And who is that?" al-Qama said, "I prayed to Allah to grant me a righteous companion, and I hope it is you." Abu Al-Darda' said, "Who are you?" I said, "I am from the people of Kufa or from the people of Iraq, and then from the people of Kufa." Abu Al-Darda' said, "Didn't you have the one who possesses the secret that no one else knows, meaning Hudhayfah?" He said, "Then he said, “Do you preserve it as Abdullah used to recite?’ I said, ‘Yes.’ He said, ‘{By the night when it covers, and [by] the day when it appears}.’ Al-Qama said, "So I said, 'And the male and the female.' Abu Al-Darda' said, 'By Allah, whom there is no deity except Him, this is how the Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to recite it, from (fihi) to (fiiya).' They continued on like this until they almost turned me away from it."  

أَتَى عَلْقَمَةُ الشَّامَ فَدَخَلَ الْمَسْجِدَ فَصَلَّى فِيهِ ثُمَّ مَالَ إِلَى حَلْقَةٍ فَجَلَسَ فِيهَا قَالَ فَجَاءَ رَجُلٌ فَجَلَسَ إِلَى جَنْبِي فَقُلْتُ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ إِنِّي لَأَرْجُو أَنْ يَكُونَ اللَّهُ قَدِ اسْتَجَابَ دَعْوَتِي قَالَ وَذَلِكَ الرَّجُلُ أَبُو الدَّرْدَاءِ فَقَالَ «وَمَا ذَاكَ؟ » فَقَالَ عَلْقَمَةُ دَعَوْتُ اللَّهَ أَنْ يَرْزُقَنِيَ جَلِيسًا صَالِحًا فَأَرْجُو أَنْ تَكُونَ أَنْتَ فَقَالَ «مَنْ أَنْتَ؟ » قُلْتُ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكُوفَةِ أَوْ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْعِرَاقِ ثُمَّ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكُوفَةِ فَقَالَ أَبُو الدَّرْدَاءِ «أَلَمْ يَكُنْ فِيكُمْ صَاحِبُ السِّرِّ الَّذِي لَا يَعْلَمُهُ غَيْرُهُ أَحَدٌ يَعْنِي حُذَيْفَةَ » قَالَ ثُمَّ قَالَ «أَتَحْفَظُ كَمَا كَانَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ يَقْرَأُ؟ » قُلْتُ نَعَمْ قَالَ «{وَاللَّيْلِ إِذَا يَغْشَى وَالنَّهَارِ إِذَا تَجَلَّى} قَالَ عَلْقَمَةُ فَقُلْتُ وَالذَّكَرِ وَالْأُنْثَى فَقَالَ أَبُو الدَّرْدَاءِ وَاللَّهِ الَّذِي لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا هُوَ هَكَذَا أَقْرَأَنِيهَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ مِنْ فِيهِ إِلَى فِيَّ فَمَا زَالَ هَؤُلَاءِ حَتَّى كَادُوا يَرُدُّونَنِي عَنْهَا»