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.

ذِكْرُ اسْتِحْقَاقِ الْإِمَامَةِ بِالِازْدِيَادِ مِنْ حِفْظِ الْقُرْآنِ عَلَى الْقَوْمِ وَإِنْ كَانَ فِيهِمْ مَنْ هُوَ أَحْسَبُ وَأَشْرَفُ مِنْهُ

ibnhibban:2126Ibn Khuzaymah > Abū ʿAmmār > al-Faḍl b. Mūsá > ʿAbd al-Ḥamīd b. Jaʿfar > Saʿīd al-Maqburī > ʿAṭāʾ a freed slave of Abū Aḥmad > Abū Hurayrah

"The Messenger of Allah ﷺ sent an expedition force [comprised] of many, and he asked each what he could recite, so each one of them mentioned what he could recite - meaning what he had memorized of the Qur'an. He came to one of the youngest men among them and said: 'What have you memorized O so-and-so?' He said: 'I memorized this and that and Surat Al-Baqarah.' He said: 'You memorized Surat Al-Baqarah?' He said: "Yes.' He said: "Then go, for you are their commander.' A man among their chief said: 'By Allah [O Messenger of Allah]! Nothing prevented me from learning Surat Al-Baqarah except fearing that I would not be able to stand with (in voluntary night prayer).' The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: 'Learn the Qur'an to recite it, for indeed the parable of the Qur'an for the one who recites it and stands with it (in prayer) is that of a bag full of musk whose scent fills the air all around. And the parable of the one who learns it then sleeps while it is in his memory is that of a bag containing musk that is tied shut.'" (Using translation from Tirmidhī 2876)   

ابن حبّان:٢١٢٦أَخْبَرَنَا ابْنُ خُزَيْمَةَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو عَمَّارٍ حَدَّثَنَا الْفَضْلُ بْنُ مُوسَى عَنْ عَبْدِ الْحَمِيدِ بْنِ جَعْفَرٍ عَنْ سَعِيدٍ الْمَقْبُرِيِّ عَنْ عَطَاءٍ مَوْلَى أَبِي أَحْمَدَ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ

بَعَثَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ بَعْثًا وَهُمْ نَفَرٌ فَدَعَاهُمْ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ «مَاذَا مَعَكُمْ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ؟ » فَاسْتَقْرَأَهُمْ حَتَّى مَرَّ عَلَى رَجُلٍ مِنْهُمْ هُوَ مِنْ أَحْدَثِهِمْ سِنًّا فَقَالَ «مَاذَا مَعَكَ يَا فُلَانُ؟ » قَالَ مَعِي كَذَا وَكَذَا وَسُورَةُ الْبَقَرَةِ قَالَ «مَعَكَ سُورَةُ الْبَقَرَةِ؟ » قَالَ نَعَمْ قَالَ «اذْهَبْ فَأَنْتَ أَمِيرُهُمْ» فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ مِنْ أَشْرَفِهِمْ وَالَّذِي كَذَا وَكَذَا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ مَا يَمْنَعُنِي أَنْ أَتَعَلَّمَ الْقُرْآنَ إِلَّا خَشْيَةَ أَنْ لَا أَقُومَ بِهِ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ «تَعَلَّمِ الْقُرْآنَ وَاقْرَأْهُ وَارْقُدْ فَإِنَّ مَثَلَ الْقُرْآنِ لِمَنْ تَعَلَّمَهُ فَقَرَأَهُ وَقَامَ بِهِ كَمَثَلِ جِرَابٍ مَحْشُوٍّ مِسْكًا يَفُوحُ رِيحُهُ عَلَى كُلِّ مَكَانٍ وَمَنْ تَعَلَّمَهُ فَرْقَدَ وَهُوَ فِي جَوْفِهِ كَمَثَلِ جِرَابٍ وُكِئَ عَلَى مِسْكٍ»  


See similar narrations below:

Collected by Tirmidhī, Ibn Ḥibbān, Nasāʾī's Kubrá
tirmidhi:2876al-Ḥasan b. ʿAlī al-Khalāal al-Ḥulwānī > Abū Usāmah > ʿAbd al-Ḥamīd b. Jaʿfar > Saʿīd al-Maqburī > ʿAṭāʾ a freed slave of Abū Aḥmad > Abū Hurayrah

"The Messenger of Allah ﷺ sent an expedition force [comprised] of many, and he asked each what he could recite, so each one of them mentioned what he could recite - meaning what he had memorized of the Qur'an. He came to one of the youngest men among them and said: 'What have you memorized O so-and-so?' He said: 'I memorized this and that and Surat Al-Baqarah.' He said: 'You memorized Surat Al-Baqarah?' He said: "Yes.' He said: "Then go, for you are their commander.' A man among their chief said: 'By Allah [O Messenger of Allah]! Nothing prevented me from learning Surat Al-Baqarah except fearing that I would not be able to stand with (in voluntary night prayer).' The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: 'Learn the Qur'an to recite it, for indeed the parable of the Qur'an for the one who recites it and stands with it (in prayer) is that of a bag full of musk whose scent fills the air all around. And the parable of the one who learns it then sleeps while it is in his memory is that of a bag containing musk that is tied shut.'"  

الترمذي:٢٨٧٦حَدَّثَنَا الْحَسَنُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ الْخَلاَّلُ الْحُلْوَانِيُّ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو أُسَامَةَ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْحَمِيدِ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ عَنْ سَعِيدٍ الْمَقْبُرِيِّ عَنْ عَطَاءٍ مَوْلَى أَبِي أَحْمَدَ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ

بَعَثَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ بَعْثًا وَهُمْ ذُو عَدَدٍ فَاسْتَقْرَأَهُمْ فَاسْتَقْرَأَ كُلَّ رَجُلٍ مِنْهُمْ مَا مَعَهُ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ فَأَتَى عَلَى رَجُلٍ مِنْهُمْ مِنْ أَحْدَثِهِمْ سِنًّا فَقَالَ مَا مَعَكَ يَا فُلاَنُ قَالَ مَعِي كَذَا وَكَذَا وَسُورَةُ الْبَقَرَةِ قَالَ أَمَعَكَ سُورَةُ الْبَقَرَةِ فَقَالَ نَعَمْ قَالَ فَاذْهَبْ فَأَنْتَ أَمِيرُهُمْ فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ مِنْ أَشْرَافِهِمْ وَاللَّهِ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ مَا مَنَعَنِي أَنْ أَتَعَلَّمَ سُورَةَ الْبَقَرَةِ إِلاَّ خَشْيَةَ أَلاَّ أَقُومَ بِهَا فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ تَعَلَّمُوا الْقُرْآنَ فَاقْرَءُوهُ وَأَقْرِئُوهُ فَإِنَّ مَثَلَ الْقُرْآنِ لِمَنْ تَعَلَّمَهُ فَقَرَأَهُ وَقَامَ بِهِ كَمَثَلِ جِرَابٍ مَحْشُوٍّ مِسْكًا يَفُوحُ بِرِيحِهِ كُلُّ مَكَانٍ وَمَثَلُ مَنْ تَعَلَّمَهُ فَيَرْقُدُ وَهُوَ فِي جَوْفِهِ كَمَثَلِ جِرَابٍ وُكِئَ عَلَى مِسْكٍ  

قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ وَقَدْ رَوَاهُ اللَّيْثُ بْنُ سَعْدٍ عَنْ سَعِيدٍ الْمَقْبُرِيِّ عَنْ عَطَاءٍ مَوْلَى أَبِي أَحْمَدَ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ مُرْسَلاً وَلَمْ يَذْكُرْ فِيهِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ عَنِ اللَّيْثِ فَذَكَرَهُ

ذِكْرُ تَمْثِيلِ الْمُصْطَفَى ﷺ الْمُتَهَجِّدَ بِالْقُرْآنِ الَّذِي آتَاهُ اللَّهُ وَالنَّائِمَ عَلَيْهِ لِنَيْلِهِ بِمَا مَثَّلَ لَهُ

ibnhibban:2578Ibn Khuzaymah > Abū ʿAmmār > al-Faḍl b. Mūsá > ʿAbd al-Ḥamīd b. Jaʿfar > Saʿīd al-Maqburī > ʿAṭāʾ a freed slave of Abū Aḥmad > Abū Hurayrah

"The Messenger of Allah ﷺ sent an expedition force [comprised] of many, and he asked each what he could recite, so each one of them mentioned what he could recite - meaning what he had memorized of the Qur'an. He came to one of the youngest men among them and said: 'What have you memorized O so-and-so?' He said: 'I memorized this and that and Surat Al-Baqarah.' He said: 'You memorized Surat Al-Baqarah?' He said: "Yes.' He said: "Then go, for you are their commander.' A man among their chief said: 'By Allah [O Messenger of Allah]! Nothing prevented me from learning Surat Al-Baqarah except fearing that I would not be able to stand with (in voluntary night prayer).' The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: 'Learn the Qur'an to recite it, for indeed the parable of the Qur'an for the one who recites it and stands with it (in prayer) is that of a bag full of musk whose scent fills the air all around. And the parable of the one who learns it then sleeps while it is in his memory is that of a bag containing musk that is tied shut.'" (Using translation from Tirmidhī 2876)   

ابن حبّان:٢٥٧٨أَخْبَرَنَا ابْنُ خُزَيْمَةَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو عَمَّارٍ حَدَّثَنَا الْفَضْلُ بْنُ مُوسَى عَنْ عَبْدِ الْحَمِيدِ بْنِ جَعْفَرٍ عَنْ سَعِيدٍ الْمَقْبُرِيِّ عَنْ عَطَاءٍ مَوْلَى أَبِي أَحْمَدَ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ

بَعَثَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ بَعْثًا وَهُمْ نَفَرٌ فَدَعَاهُمْ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ «مَاذَا مَعَكُمْ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ؟ » فَاسْتَقْرَأَهُمْ حَتَّى مَرَّ عَلَى رَجُلٍ مِنْهُمْ هُوَ مِنْ أَحْدَثِهِمْ سِنًّا فَقَالَ «مَاذَا مَعَكَ يَا فُلَانُ؟ » قَالَ مَعِي كَذَا وَكَذَا وَسُورَةُ الْبَقَرَةِ قَالَ «مَعَكَ سُورَةُ الْبَقَرَةِ؟ » قَالَ نَعَمْ قَالَ «اذْهَبْ فَأَنْتَ أَمِيرُهُمْ» فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ هُوَ أَشْرَفُهُمْ وَالَّذِي كَذَا وَكَذَا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ مَا مَنَعَنِي أَنْ لَا أَتَعَلَّمَ الْقُرْآنَ إِلَّا خَشْيَةَ أَنْ لَا أَقُومَ بِهِ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ «تَعَلَّمِ الْقُرْآنَ وَاقْرَأْهُ وَارْقُدْ فَإِنَّ مَثَلَ الْقُرْآنِ لِمَنْ تَعَلَّمَهُ فَقَرَأَهُ وَقَامَ بِهِ كَمَثَلِ جِرَابٍ مَحْشُوٍّ مِسْكًا تَفُوحُ رِيحُهُ كُلَّ مَكَانٍ وَمَنْ تَعَلَّمَهُ فَرَقَدَ وَهُوَ فِي جَوْفِهِ كَمَثَلِ جِرَابٍ وُكِئَ عَلَى مِسْكٍ»  

nasai-kubra:8696ʿAbdullāh b. ʿAbd al-Ṣamad > Isḥāq b. ʿAbd al-Wāḥid > al-Muʿāfá b. ʿImrān > ʿAbd al-Ḥamīd b. Jaʿfar > Saʿīd al-Maqburī > ʿAṭāʾ a freed slave of Abū Aḥmad > Abū Hurayrah

[Machine] I heard Abu Huraira say that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ sent a delegation and called them, and he would say to a man, "What do you have from the Qur'an, O so-and-so?" The man would say such and such, and he would recite it to them until he came to a man among them who was one of their youngest in age. He said, "What do you have, O so-and-so?" He said such and such and he had Surah Al-Baqarah. The Prophet ﷺ said to him, "Do you have Surah Al-Baqarah?" He said, "Yes." He said, "Then go, for you are their leader." A man from their noble elite said, "By Allah, nothing prevented me from learning the Qur'an except fear that I would sleep and not perform it (i.e., not implement it)." So the Prophet ﷺ said to him, "Learn the Qur'an, recite it, and sleep, for the likeness of the Qur'an for whoever learned it and recited it and acted upon it, is like a bag full of musk, Its fragrance spreads in every direction. And the likeness of the one who learned it and slept while it was in his belly is like a bag of musk, tied up and placed in a (closed) place." Abu 'Abdul-Rahman Ishaq bin 'Abdul-Wahid said: I do not know him (i.e.,I do not know who this person is), and Abdullah bin 'Abdus-Samad narrated to us from Al-Mu'afa bin 'Imran in a narration other than that which we have mentioned, and we have only mentioned it to establish a connection between him (i.e.,Al-Mu'afa) and Mu'afa, and this narration was also narrated by other than 'Abdul-Hameed bin Ja'far, so he sent it (to Imam Ahmad). And the famous narration is that which is Mursal (i.e., without a companion).  

الكبرى للنسائي:٨٦٩٦أَخْبَرَنِي عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ عَبْدِ الصَّمَدِ عَنْ إِسْحَاقَ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْوَاحِدِ عَنِ الْمُعَافَى بْنِ عِمْرَانَ عَنْ عَبْدِ الْحَمِيدِ بْنِ جَعْفَرٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي سَعِيدٌ الْمَقْبُرِيُّ عَنْ عَطَاءٍ مَوْلَى أَبِي أَحْمَدَ قَالَ

سَمِعْتُ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ يَقُولُ إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ بَعَثَ بَعْثًا فَدَعَاهُمْ فَجَعَلَ يَقُولُ لِلرَّجُلِ «مَا مَعَكَ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ يَا فُلَانُ؟» قَالَ كَذَا وَكَذَا فَاسْتَقْرَأَهُمْ بِذَلِكَ حَتَّى مَرَّ عَلَى رَجُلٍ مِنْهُمْ هُوَ مِنْ أَحْدَثَهُمْ سِنًّا فَقَالَ «مَاذَا مَعَكَ يَا فُلَانُ؟» قَالَ كَذَا وَكَذَا وَسُورَةُ الْبَقَرَةِ فَقَالَ لَهُ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ «أَمَعَكَ سُورَةُ الْبَقَرَةِ؟» قَالَ نَعَمْ قَالَ «اذْهَبْ فَأَنْتَ أَمِيرُهُمْ» قَالَ رَجُلٌ مِنْ أَشْرَافِهِمْ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ «وَاللهِ مَا مَنَعَنِي أَنْ أَتَعَلَّمَ الْقُرْآنَ إِلَّا خَشْيَةَ أَنْ أَرْقُدَ وَلَا أَقُومَ بِهِ» فَقَالَ لَهُ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ «تَعَلَّمُوا الْقُرْآنَ فَاقْرَءُوهُ وَارْقُدُوا فَإِنَّ مَثَلَ الْقُرْآنِ لِمَنْ تَعَلَّمَهُ فَقَرَأَهُ وَقَامَ بِهِ كَمَثَلِ جِرَابٍ مَحْشُوٍّ مِسْكًا تَفُوحُ رِيحُهُ مِنْ كُلِّ مَكَانٍ وَمَثَلُ مَنْ تَعَلَّمَهُ فَرَقَدَ وَهُوَ فِي جَوْفِهِ كَمَثَلِ الْجِرَابِ أُوكِيَ عَلَى مَسْكٍ» قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْوَاحِدِ لَا أَعْرِفُهُ وَعَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ عَبْدِ الصَّمَدِ قَدْ حَدَّثَنَا عَنِ الْمُعَافَى بْنِ عِمْرَانَ بِغَيْرِ حَدِيثٍ وَإِنَّمَا أَخْرَجْنَاهُ لِإِدْخَالِهِ بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَ مُعَافَى وَقَدْ رَوَاهُ غَيْرُ عَبْدِ الْحَمِيدِ بْنِ جَعْفَرٍ فَأَرْسَلَهُ وَالْمَشْهُورُ مُرْسَلٌ