My brother and I came from Yemen, and for some time we continued to consider ʿAbdullah bin Masʿud as one of the members of the family of the Prophet ﷺ because we used to see him and his mother going in the house of the Prophet ﷺ very often.

سَمِعْتُ أَبَا مُوسَى الأَشْعَرِيَّ ؓ يَقُولُ قَدِمْتُ أَنَا وَأَخِي مِنَ الْيَمَنِ فَمَكُثْنَا حِينًا مَا نُرَى إِلاَّ أَنَّ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ مَسْعُودٍ رَجُلٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ بَيْتِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ لِمَا نَرَى مِنْ دُخُولِهِ وَدُخُولِ أُمِّهِ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ

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

By Allah other than Whom none has the right to be worshipped! There is no Sura revealed in Allah's Book but I know at what place it was revealed; and there is no Verse revealed in Allah's Book but I know about whom it was revealed. And if I know that there is somebody who knows Allah's Book better than I, and he is at a place that camels can reach, I would go to him.

وَاللَّهِ الَّذِي لاَ إِلَهَ غَيْرُهُ مَا أُنْزِلَتْ سُورَةٌ مِنْ كِتَابِ اللَّهِ إِلاَّ أَنَا أَعْلَمُ أَيْنَ أُنْزِلَتْ وَلاَ أُنْزِلَتْ آيَةٌ مِنْ كِتَابِ اللَّهِ إِلاَّ أَنَا أَعْلَمُ فِيمَ أُنْزِلَتْ وَلَوْ أَعْلَمُ أَحَدًا أَعْلَمَ مِنِّي بِكِتَابِ اللَّهِ تُبَلِّغُهُ الإِبِلُ لَرَكِبْتُ إِلَيْهِ

Abdullah ˹b. Masud˺ was mentioned in the presence of Abdullah b. Amr, and he said: That is a man whom I will continue to love after I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: "Learn the recitation of the Quran from four: from Abdullah b. Masud," and he began with him, "and Salim, the freedman of Abu Hudhayfah, and Ubayy b. Kaab, and Muadh b. Jabal." He said: I do not know whether he began with Ubayy or with Muadh.

ذُكِرَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ عِنْدَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو فَقَالَ: ذَاكَ رَجُلٌ لاَ أَزَالُ أُحِبُّهُ بَعْدَ مَا سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ: «اسْتَقْرِئُوا الْقُرْآنَ مِنْ أَرْبَعَةٍ: مِنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مَسْعُودٍ، فَبَدَأَ بِهِ، وَسَالِمٍ مَوْلَى أَبِي حُذَيْفَةَ، وَأُبَىِّ بْنِ كَعْبٍ، وَمُعَاذِ بْنِ جَبَلٍ». قَالَ: لاَ أَدْرِي بَدَأَ بِأُبَىٍّ أَوْ بِمُعَاذٍ.