Once ʿAbdullah bin Masʿud delivered a sermon before us and said, "By Allah, I learnt over seventy Suras direct from Messenger of Allah ﷺ . By Allah, the companions of the Prophet ﷺ 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).
وَاللَّهِ لَقَدْ أَخَذْتُ مِنْ فِي رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ بِضْعًا وَسَبْعِينَ سُورَةً وَاللَّهِ لَقَدْ عَلِمَ أَصْحَابُ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ أَنِّي مِنْ أَعْلَمِهِمْ بِكِتَابِ اللَّهِ وَمَا أَنَا بِخَيْرِهِمْ قَالَ شَقِيقٌ فَجَلَسْتُ فِي الْحِلَقِ أَسْمَعُ مَا يَقُولُونَ فَمَا سَمِعْتُ رَادًّا يَقُولُ غَيْرَ ذَلِكَ