Caution: Translations of Quran and Ḥadīth may lead to possible misapplications and misinterpretations. This site is intended for students of sacred knowledge that are proficient in comprehending classical Arabic and have a strong foundation in Islamic sciences. Also note that religious injunctions rely on several aspects beyond what one may glean through reading individual aḥādīth.
Qurʾān Bukhārī Muslim Nasāʾī Abū Dāwūd Tirmidhī Ibn Mājah Mālik Aḥmad Dārimī Ḥākim Ibn Ḥibbān Ṭabarānī Nasāʾī's Kubrá Bayhaqī al-Luʾluʾ wa-al-Marjān Ibn Rajab's Fifty Riyāḍ al-Ṣāliḥīn Aḥmad's Zuhd Suyūṭī
bayhaqi:4052 – Muḥammad b. ʿAbdullāh al-Ḥāfiẓ > Abū al-ʿAbbās Muḥammad b. Yaʿqūb > al-Ḥasan b. ʿAlī b. ʿAffān > Ibn Numayr > al-Aʿmash > Shaqīq

[Machine] Abdullah said, "Make a pledge to protect these Qurans, for they are more detailed than the chests of men in their blessings, from their wisdom. And do not say, 'I have forgotten a verse like so and so says.' The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, 'No, it was forgotten.'"  

البيهقي:٤٠٥٢ – أنبأ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللهِ الْحَافِظُ أنبأ أَبُو الْعَبَّاسِ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَعْقُوبَ ثنا الْحَسَنُ بْنُ عَلِيِّ بْنِ عَفَّانَ ثنا ابْنُ نُمَيْرٍ عَنِ الْأَعْمَشِ عَنْ شَقِيقٍ قَالَ

قَالَ عَبْدُ اللهِ تَعَاهَدُوا هَذِهِ الْمَصَاحِفَ فَلَهِيَ أَشَدُّ تَفَصِّيًا مِنْ صُدُورِ الرِّجَالِ مِنَ النَّعَمِ مِنْ عُقُلِهَا وَلَا يَقُولَنَّ أَحَدُكُمْ إِنِّي نَسِيتُ آيَةَ كَيْتَ وَكَيْتَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ بَلْ هُوَ نُسِّيَ  

رَوَاهُ مُسْلِمٌ فِي الصَّحِيحِ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ نُمَيْرٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ

See similar narrations below:

Collected by Muslim, Aḥmad, Nasāʾī's Kubrá, Bayhaqī
muslim:790b – [Chain 1] Ibn Numayr > Abū And ʾAbū Muʿāwiyah [Chain 2] Yaḥyá b. Yaḥyá > Abū Muʿāwiyah > al-Aʿmash > Shaqīq > Qāl ʿAbdullāh Taʿāhadūā Hadhih al-Maṣāḥif Warubbamā

Keep refreshing your knowledge of the sacred books (or always renew your knowledge of these sacred books) and sometimes he would mention the Qur'an for it is more apt to escape from men's minds than animals which are hobbled, and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: None of you should say: I forgot such and such a verse, but he has been made to forget.  

مسلم:٧٩٠b – حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ نُمَيْرٍ حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي وَأَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ ح وَحَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ يَحْيَى وَاللَّفْظُ لَهُ قَالَ أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ عَنْ شَقِيقٍ قَالَ قَالَ

عَبْدُ اللَّهِ تَعَاهَدُوا هَذِهِ الْمَصَاحِفَ وَرُبَّمَا قَالَ الْقُرْآنَ فَلَهُوَ أَشَدُّ تَفَصِّيًا مِنْ صُدُورِ الرِّجَالِ مِنَ النَّعَمِ مِنْ عُقُلِهِ قَالَ وَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ لاَ يَقُلْ أَحَدُكُمْ نَسِيتُ آيَةَ كَيْتَ وَكَيْتَ بَلْ هُوَ نُسِّيَ  

ahmad:3620 – Abū Muʿāwiyah > al-Aʿmash > Shaqīqʿan ʿAbdullāh > Taʿāhadūā Hadhih al-Maṣāḥif And Rubbamā

[Machine] "The Quran is more detailed than the chests of men and more delightful than blessings from one's intellect," He said. And the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, "None of you should say, 'I have forgotten a verse' when indeed it is forgotten."  

أحمد:٣٦٢٠ – حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ حَدَّثَنَا الْأَعْمَشُ عَنْ شَقِيقٍعَنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ قَالَ تَعَاهَدُوا هَذِهِ الْمَصَاحِفَ وَرُبَّمَا قَالَ

الْقُرْآنَ فَلَهُوَ أَشَدُّ تَفَصِّيًا مِنْ صُدُورِ الرِّجَالِ مِنَ النَّعَمِ مِنْ عُقُلِهِ قَالَ وَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ عَلَيْهِ الصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ لَا يَقُلْ أَحَدُكُمْ إِنِّي نَسِيتُ آيَةَ كَيْتَ وَكَيْتَ بَلْ هُوَ نُسِّيَ  

nasai-kubra:7986 – Isḥāq b. Ibrāhīm > Jarīr > Manṣūr > Abū Wāʾil > ʿAbdullāh

What a wretched person is he amongst them who says: I have forgotten such and such a verse. (He should instead of using this expression say): I have been made to forget it. Try to remember the Qur'an for it is more apt to escape from men's minds than a hobbled camel. (Using translation from Muslim 790a)   

الكبرى للنسائي:٧٩٨٦ – أَخْبَرَنَا إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ قَالَ أَخْبَرَنَا جَرِيرٌ عَنْ مَنْصُورٍ عَنْ أَبِي وَائِلٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ قَالَ

اسْتَذْكِرُوا الْقُرْآنَ فَلَهُوَ أَشَدُّ تَفَصِّيًا مِنْ صُدُورِ الرِّجَالِ مِنَ النَّعَمِ مِنْ عُقُلِهِ وَلَا يَقُولَنَّ أَحَدُكُمْ نَسِيتُ آيَةَ كَيْتَ وَكَيْتَ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ «بَلْ هُوَ نُسِّيَ»  

bayhaqi:4053 – [Chain 1] al-Ḥasan b. Muḥammad b. Isḥāq > Yūsuf b. Yaʿqūb > Abū al-Rabīʿ > Jarīr [Chain 2] Muḥammad b. Yaʿqūb > ʿImrān b. Mūsá > ʿUthmān b. Abū Shaybah > Jarīr > Manṣūr > Abū Wāʾil > ʿAbdullāh

What a wretched person is he amongst them who says: I have forgotten such and such a verse. (He should instead of using this expression say): I have been made to forget it. Try to remember the Qur'an for it is more apt to escape from men's minds than a hobbled camel. (Using translation from Muslim 790a)   

البيهقي:٤٠٥٣ – وَأنبأ أَبُو الْحَسَنِ عَلِيُّ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ الْمُقْرِئُ أنبأ الْحَسَنُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ إِسْحَاقَ ثنا يُوسُفُ بْنُ يَعْقُوبَ ثنا أَبُو الرَّبِيعِ ثنا جَرِيرٌ ح وَأنبأ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللهِ الْحَافِظُ ثنا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَعْقُوبَ ثنا عِمْرَانُ بْنُ مُوسَى ثنا عُثْمَانُ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ ثنا جَرِيرٌ عَنْ مَنْصُورٍ عَنْ أَبِي وَائِلٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ قَالَ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ بِئْسَمَا لِأَحَدِهِمْ أَنْ يَقُولَ نَسِيتُ آيَةَ كَيْتَ وَكَيْتَ بَلْ هُوَ نُسِّيَ اسْتَذْكِرُوا الْقُرْآنَ فَلَهُوَ أَشَدُّ تَفَصِّيًا مِنْ صُدُورِ الرِّجَالِ مِنَ النَّعَمِ مِنْ عُقُلِهَا  

رَوَاهُ الْبُخَارِيُّ وَمُسْلِمٌ فِي الصَّحِيحِ عَنْ عُثْمَانَ بْنِ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ