“A group of us Companions of the Messenger of Allah sat talking, and we said: ‘If we knew which deed was most beloved to Alllah then we would do it.’ So Allah, Most High, revealed: Whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is on the earth glorifies Allah. And He is Almighty, the All-Wise. O you who believe! Why do you say that which you do not do?” Abdullah bin Salam said: “So the Messenger of Allah recited it to us.” Abu Salamah (one of the narrators) said: “So Ibn Salam recited it to us.” Yahya (one of the narrators) said: “So Abu Salamah narrated it to us.” Ibn Kathir said: “So Al-Awza’i recited it to us.” Abdullah said: “So Ibn Kathir recited it to us.”  

قَعَدْنَا نَفَرٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَتَذَاكَرْنَا فَقُلْنَا لَوْ نَعْلَمُ أَىَّ الأَعْمَالِ أَحَبُّ إِلَى اللَّهِ لَعَمِلْنَاهُ فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى ( سبَّحَ لِلَّهِ مَا فِي السَّمَوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الأَرْضِ وَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ * يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لِمَ تَقُولُونَ مَا لاَ تَفْعَلُونَ ) قَالَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ سَلاَمٍ فَقَرَأَهَا عَلَيْنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ أَبُو سَلَمَةَ فَقَرَأَهَا عَلَيْنَا ابْنُ سَلاَمٍ قَالَ يَحْيَى فَقَرَأَهَا عَلَيْنَا أَبُو سَلَمَةَ قَالَ ابْنُ كَثِيرٍ فَقَرَأَهَا عَلَيْنَا الأَوْزَاعِيُّ قَالَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ فَقَرَأَهَا عَلَيْنَا ابْنُ كَثِيرٍ  

[Machine] "We sat, a group from the companions of the Prophet ﷺ , and said, 'If we knew which actions are most beloved to Allah, we would perform them.' So Allah, the Most High, revealed: 'Glorify Allah, whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. He is the Almighty, the All-Wise. O you who believe! Why do you say that which you do not do? It is most hateful to Allah that you say that which you do not do. Indeed, Allah loves those who fight in His cause in a line as though they are a [single] structure joined firmly.' He recited this until the end of the Surah, and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ recited it to us. Muhammad ibn Kathir added in his narration, 'And Al-Awza'i recited it to us in this way.' Muhammad ibn Kathir said, 'And Al-Awza'i recited it to us in this way.' Ibrahim said, 'And Muhammad ibn Kathir recited it to us until the end of the Surah in this way.' Abu Amr ibn As-Sammak said, 'And Ibrahim ibn Al-Haytham recited it to us until the end of the Surah in this way.'"  

قَعَدْنَا نَفَرٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فَقُلْنَا لَوْ نَعْلَمُ أَيُّ الْأَعْمَالِ أَحَبُّ إِلَى اللَّهِ عَمِلْنَا فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى {سَبَّحَ لِلَّهِ مَا فِي السَّمَوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ وَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لِمَ تَقُولُونَ مَا لَا تَفْعَلُونَ كَبُرَ مَقْتًا عِنْدَ اللَّهِ أَنْ تَقُولُوا مَا لَا تَفْعَلُونَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الَّذِينَ يُقَاتِلُونَ فِي سَبِيلِهِ صَفًّا كَأَنَّهُمْ بُنْيَانٌ مَرْصُوصٌ} إِلَى آخِرِ السُّورَةِ وَقَرَأَهَا عَلَيْنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ زَادَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ كَثِيرٍ فِي حَدِيثِهِ وَقَالَ لَنَا الْأَوْزَاعِيُّ «قَرَأَهَا عَلَيْنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ أَبِي كَثِيرٍ هَكَذَا» قَالَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ كَثِيرٍ «وَقَرَأَهَا عَلَيْنَا الْأَوْزَاعِيُّ هَكَذَا» قَالَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ «وَقَرَأَهَا عَلَيْنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ كَثِيرٍ إِلَى آخِرِ السُّورَةِ هَكَذَا» قَالَ أَبُو عَمْرِو بْنُ السَّمَّاكِ «وَقَرَأَهَا عَلَيْنَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ الْهَيْثَمِ إِلَى آخِرِ السُّورَةِ هَكَذَا»  

[Machine] We were sitting with a group of companions of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ , and we said, "If only we knew which actions are most beloved to Allah, we would do them." So Allah, the Mighty and Wise, revealed {Glorify Allah, whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. And He is the Exalted in Might, the Wise} until the end of the Surah. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ recited it to us. This is what Al-Awza'i said, and Yahya ibn Abi Kathir recited it to us in Makkah. Muhammad ibn Kathir also recited it to us, and Al-Awza'i recited it to us. This is what Abu al-Walid said, and Ibn Kathir recited it to us. This is what Abu al-Hasan ibn 'Uqbah said, and Abu al-Walid recited it to us.  

قَعَدْنَا نَفَرٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقُلْنَا «لَوْ نَعْلَمُ أَيَّ الْأَعْمَالِ أَحَبَّ إِلَى اللَّهِ عَمِلْنَاهُ فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ ﷻ {سَبَّحَ لِلَّهِ مَا فِي السَّمَوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ وَهُوَ الْعَزِيزِ الْحَكِيمُ} » إِلَى آخِرِ السُّورَةِ «فَقَرَأَهَا عَلَيْنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ» هَكَذَا قَالَ الْأَوْزَاعِيُّ وَقَرَأَهَا عَلَيْنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ أَبِي كَثِيرٍ بِمَكَّةَ قَالَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ كَثِيرٍ وَقَرَأَهَا عَلَيْنَا الْأَوْزَاعِيُّ هَكَذَا قَالَ أَبُو الْوَلِيدِ وَقَرَأَهَا عَلَيْنَا ابْنُ كَثِيرٍ هَكَذَا قَالَ أَبُو الْحَسَنِ بْنُ عُقْبَةَ وَقَرَأَهَا عَلَيْنَا أَبُو الْوَلِيدِ هَكَذَا