The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon (him) asked me to recite the Qur'an. He said: Messenger of Allah, (how) should I recite to you whereas it has been sent down to you? He (the Holy Prophet) said: I desire to hear it from someone else. So I recited Surat al-Nisa' till I reached the verse: How then shall it be when We shall bring from every people a witness and bring you against them as a witness?" (verse 41). I lifted my head or a person touched me in my side, and so I lifted my head and saw his tears falling (from the Holy Prophet's eyes).  

قَالَ لِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ اقْرَأْ عَلَىَّ الْقُرْآنَ قَالَ فَقُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَقْرَأُ عَلَيْكَ وَعَلَيْكَ أُنْزِلَ قَالَ إِنِّي أَشْتَهِي أَنْ أَسْمَعَهُ مِنْ غَيْرِي فَقَرَأْتُ النِّسَاءَ حَتَّى إِذَا بَلَغْتُ { فَكَيْفَ إِذَا جِئْنَا مِنْ كُلِّ أُمَّةٍ بِشَهِيدٍ وَجِئْنَا بِكَ عَلَى هَؤُلاَءِ شَهِيدًا} رَفَعْتُ رَأْسِي أَوْ غَمَزَنِي رَجُلٌ إِلَى جَنْبِي فَرَفَعْتُ رَأْسِي فَرَأَيْتُ دُمُوعَهُ تَسِيلُ  

" The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was on the pulpit when he asked me to recite to him."  

عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ بِهَذَا الإِسْنَادِ وَزَادَ هَنَّادٌ فِي رِوَايَتِهِ قَالَ لِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَهُوَ عَلَى الْمِنْبَرِ اقْرَأْ عَلَىَّ  

Should I recite it to you while it has been sent down or revealed to you? He (the Holy Prophet) said: I love to hear it from someone else. So he ('Abdullah b. Mas'ud) recited to him (from the beginning of Surat al Nisa' up to the verse:" How shall then it be when We bring from every people a witness and bring you as a witness against them?" He (the Holy Prophet) wept (on listening to it). It is narrated on the authority of Ibn Mas'ud through another chain of transmitters that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ also said that he had been a witness to his people as long as (said he): I lived among them or I had been among them.  

قَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ لِعَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مَسْعُودٍ اقْرَأْ عَلَىَّ قَالَ أَقْرَأُ عَلَيْكَ وَعَلَيْكَ أُنْزِلَ قَالَ إِنِّي أُحِبُّ أَنْ أَسْمَعَهُ مِنْ غَيْرِي قَالَ فَقَرَأَ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ أَوَّلِ سُورَةِ النِّسَاءِ إِلَى قَوْلِهِ { فَكَيْفَ إِذَا جِئْنَا مِنْ كُلِّ أُمَّةٍ بِشَهِيدٍ وَجِئْنَا بِكَ عَلَى هَؤُلاَءِ شَهِيدًا} فَبَكَى قَالَ مِسْعَرٌ فَحَدَّثَنِي مَعْنٌ عَنْ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ عَمْرِو بْنِ حُرَيْثٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ ابْنِ مَسْعُودٍ قَالَ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ شَهِيدًا عَلَيْهِمْ مَا دُمْتُ فِيهِمْ أَوْ مَا كُنْتُ فِيهِمْ شَكَّ مِسْعَرٌ  

I was in Hims when some of the people asked me to recite the Qur'an to them. So I recited Surah Yusuf to them. One of the persons among the people said: By Allah, this is not how it has been sent down. I said: Woe upon you! By Allah, I recited it to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and he said to me: You have (recited) it well. I was talking with him (the man who objected to my recitation) that I sensed the smell of wine from him. So I said to him. Do you drink wine and belie the Book (of Allah)? You would not depart till I would whip you. So I lashed him according to the prescribed punishment (for the offence of drinking wine).  

لِي بَعْضُ الْقَوْمِ اقْرَأْ عَلَيْنَا فَقَرَأْتُ عَلَيْهِمْ سُورَةَ يُوسُفَ قَالَ فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ مِنَ الْقَوْمِ وَاللَّهِ مَا هَكَذَا أُنْزِلَتْ قَالَ قُلْتُ وَيْحَكَ وَاللَّهِ لَقَدْ قَرَأْتُهَا عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ لِي أَحْسَنْتَ فَبَيْنَمَا أَنَا أُكَلِّمُهُ إِذْ وَجَدْتُ مِنْهُ رِيحَ الْخَمْرِ قَالَ فَقُلْتُ أَتَشْرَبُ الْخَمْرَ وَتُكَذِّبُ بِالْكِتَابِ لاَ تَبْرَحُ حَتَّى أَجْلِدَكَ قَالَ فَجَلَدْتُهُ الْحَدَّ  

" He said to me: You recited (the Qur'an) well."  

عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ بِهَذَا الإِسْنَادِ وَلَيْسَ فِي حَدِيثِ أَبِي مُعَاوِيَةَ فَقَالَ لِي أَحْسَنْتَ