I went to Sham with a group of the companions of ʿAbdullah (bin Masʿud). Abu Ad-Darda' heard of our arrival so he came to us and said, "Is there anybody among you who can recite (Qur'an)" We replied in the affirmative. Then he asked, "Who is the best reciter?" They pointed at me. Then he told me to recite, so I recited the verse:-- 'By the night as it envelops 'By the day as it appears in brightness; By (Him Who created) male and the female.' (92.1-3) Abu Ad-Darda' then said to me, "Did you hear it (like this) from the mouth of your friend (ʿAbdullah bin Masʿud)?" I said, "Yes." He said, "I too, heard it (like this) from the mouth of the Prophet, but these people do not consider this recitation as the correct one."  

دَخَلْتُ فِي نَفَرٍ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الشَّأْمَ فَسَمِعَ بِنَا أَبُو الدَّرْدَاءِ فَأَتَانَا فَقَالَ أَفِيكُمْ مَنْ يَقْرَأُ فَقُلْنَا نَعَمْ قَالَ فَأَيُّكُمْ أَقْرَأُ فَأَشَارُوا إِلَىَّ فَقَالَ اقْرَأْ فَقَرَأْتُ {وَاللَّيْلِ إِذَا يَغْشَى * وَالنَّهَارِ إِذَا تَجَلَّى * وَالذَّكَرِ وَالأُنْثَى} قَالَ أَنْتَ سَمِعْتَهَا مِنْ فِي صَاحِبِكَ قُلْتُ نَعَمْ قَالَ وَأَنَا سَمِعْتُهَا مِنْ فِي النَّبِيِّ ﷺ وَهَؤُلاَءِ يَأْبَوْنَ عَلَيْنَا  

The companions of ʿAbdullah (bin Masʿud) came to Abu Darda', (and before they arrived at his home), he looked for them and found them. Then he asked them,: 'Who among you can recite (Qur'an) as ʿAbdullah recites it?" They replied, "All of us." He asked, "Who among you knows it by heart?" They pointed at 'Alqama. Then he asked Alqama. "How did you hear ʿAbdullah bin Masʿud reciting Surat Al-Lail (The Night)?" Alqama recited: 'By the male and the female.' Abu Ad-Darda said, "I testify that I heard me Prophet reciting it likewise, but these people want me to recite it:-- 'And by Him Who created male and female.' but by Allah, I will not follow them."  

قَدِمَ أَصْحَابُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ عَلَى أَبِي الدَّرْدَاءِ فَطَلَبَهُمْ فَوَجَدَهُمْ فَقَالَ أَيُّكُمْ يَقْرَأُ عَلَى قِرَاءَةِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ كُلُّنَا قَالَ فَأَيُّكُمْ يَحْفَظُ وَأَشَارُوا إِلَى عَلْقَمَةَ قَالَ كَيْفَ سَمِعْتَهُ يَقْرَأُ {وَاللَّيْلِ إِذَا يَغْشَى} قَالَ عَلْقَمَةُ {وَالذَّكَرِ وَالأُنْثَى} قَالَ أَشْهَدُ أَنِّي سَمِعْتُ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ يَقْرَأُ هَكَذَا وَهَؤُلاَءِ يُرِيدُونِي عَلَى أَنْ أَقْرَأَ {وَمَا خَلَقَ الذَّكَرَ وَالأُنْثَى} وَاللَّهِ لاَ أُتَابِعُهُمْ  

Is there anyone among you who recites according to the recitation of Abdullah? I said: Yes, it is I. He again said: How did you hear 'Abdullah reciting this verse: (wa'l-lail-i-idha yaghsha = when the night covers)? He ('Alqama) said: I heard him reciting it (like this) (wa'l-lail-i-idha yaghsha) wa-dhakar wal untha = when the night covers and the males and the females). Upon this he said: By Allah, I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ reciting in this way, but they (the Muslims of Syria) desire us to recite: (wa ma khalaqa), but I do not yield to their desire.  

قَدِمْنَا الشَّامَ فَأَتَانَا أَبُو الدَّرْدَاءِ فَقَالَ: أَفِيكُمْ أَحَدٌ يَقْرَأُ عَلَى قِرَاءَةِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ؟ فَقُلْتُ نَعَمْ أَنَا۔ قَالَ: فَكَيْفَ سَمِعْتَ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ يَقْرَأُ هَذِهِ الآيَةَ {وَاللَّيْلِ إِذَا يَغْشَى}؟ قَالَ: سَمِعْتُهُ يَقْرَأُ {وَاللَّيْلِ إِذَا يَغْشَى * وَالذَّكَرِ وَالأُنْثَى} قَالَ: وَأَنَا وَاللَّهِ هَكَذَا سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقْرَؤُهَا وَلَكِنْ هَؤُلاَءِ يُرِيدُونَ أَنْ أَقْرَأَ {وَمَا خَلَقَ} فَلاَ أُتَابِعُهُمْ۔  

"We arrived in Ash-Sham and we went to Abu Ad-Darda. So he said: 'Is there any among you who can recite for me according to the recitation of 'Abdullah?'" He said: "They pointed to me, so I said: 'Yes, [I (can recite)].' He said: 'How did you hear 'Abdullah recite this Ayah: By the night as it envelopes?'" He said: "I said: 'I heard him recite it: "Wal-Laili Idha Yaghsha, Wadh-Dhakari Wal-Untha" Abu Ad-Darda said: 'Me too, By Allah, this is how I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ reciting it. But these people want me to recite it: Wa Ma Khalaqa but I will not follow them.'"  

أَفِيكُمْ أَحَدٌ يَقْرَأُ عَلَىَّ قِرَاءَةَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ فَأَشَارُوا إِلَىَّ فَقُلْتُ نَعَمْ أَنَا قَالَ كَيْفَ سَمِعْتَ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ يَقْرَأُ هَذِهِ الآيَةَ (وَاللَّيْلِ إِذَا يَغْشَى ) قَالَ قُلْتُ سَمِعْتُهُ يَقْرَؤُهَا (وَاللَّيْلِ إِذَا يَغْشَى ) (وَالذَّكَر وَالأُنْثَى ) فَقَالَ أَبُو الدَّرْدَاءِ وَأَنَا وَاللَّهِ هَكَذَا سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقْرَؤُهَا وَهَؤُلاَءِ يُرِيدُونَنِي أَنْ أَقْرَأَهَا(وَمَا خَلَقَ ) فَلاَ أُتَابِعُهُمْ  

[Machine] I arrived in Sham and Abu Darda was informed about it. He came to us and said, "Which one of you recites the recitation of Ibn Umm 'Abd?" We all said, "We all recite." He asked, "Which one of you recites the best?" He pointed to me with his companions and Abu Darda said, "Did you memorize it?" I said, "Yes." He asked, "How does it recite "By the night when it covers"? I said, "By the night when it covers and by the day when it appears and by the male and the female." He said, "Did you learn it from Abdullah?" I said, "Yes." He said, "By the One in Whose hand is my soul, this is how I heard it from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ , and these people, by Allah, want me to stop following them forever."  

قَدِمْتُ الشَّامَ فَأُخْبِرَ أَبُو الدَّرْدَاءِ فَأَتَانَا فَقَالَ «أَيُّكُمْ يَقْرَأُ عَلَيَّ قِرَاءَةَ ابْنِ أُمِّ عَبْدٍ؟ » قَالَ قُلْنَا كُلُّنَا نَقْرَأُ قَالَ «أَيُّكُمْ أَقْرَأُ؟ » قَالَ فَأَشَارَ أَصْحَابِي إِلَيَّ قَالَ أَبُو الدَّرْدَاءِ «أَحَفِظْتَ؟ » قُلْتُ نَعَمْ قَالَ «كَيْفَ كَانَ يَقْرَأُ {وَاللَّيْلِ إِذَا يَغْشَى} ؟ » قُلْتُ وَاللَّيْلِ إِذَا يَغْشَى وَالنَّهَارِ إِذَا تَجَلَّى وَالذَّكَرِ وَالْأُنْثَى فَقَالَ «أَنْتَ حَفِظْتُهَا مِنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ؟ » قَالَ قُلْتُ نَعَمْ قَالَ «وَأَنَا وَالَّذِي لَا إِلَهَ غَيْرُهُ هَكَذَا سَمِعْتُهَا مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَهَؤُلَاءِ يُرِيدُونَ وَاللَّهِ لَا أُتَابِعُهُمْ أَبَدًا»