I have come from Koofah, O Ameer al-­Mu'mineen, and I left behind in it a man who dictates the Mushaf From memory. ‘Umar got exceedingly angry and said: Who is he, woe to you? He said: 'Abdullah bin Mas'ood. ‘Umar began to calm down, and went back to normal, then he said: Woe to you, I do not know of anyone who is more qualified to do that than him, and I will tell you about that. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to stay up at night talking with Abu Bakr ؓ discussing some affairs of the Muslims. He stayed up talking with him one night, and I was with him. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ went out, and we went out with him, and we saw a man standing and praying in the mosque. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ listened to his recitation, and as soon as we recognised him the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: ʿWhoever would like to recite the Qur'an fresh as it was revealed, let him recite it according to the recitation of Ibn Umm 'Abd.ʿ Then the same man sat and offered supplication (du'a') and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ started saying to him: ʿAsk, you will be given;ask, you will be given.” ‘Umar said: By Allah, I shall go to him tomorrow and tell hirm the glad tidings. I went to him the next morning to tell him the glad tidings, and I found that Abu Bakr had beaten me to it and given him the glad tidings. By Allah, I never competed with him to do good but he beat me to it.  

عَنْ عَلْقَمَةَ قَالَجَاءَ رَجُلٌ إِلَى عُمَرَ وَهُوَ بِعَرَفَةَ قَالَ أَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ وَحَدَّثَنَا الْأَعْمَشُعَنْ خَيْثَمَةَ عَنْ قَيْسِ بْنِ مَرْوَانَ أَنَّهُ أَتَى عُمَرَ فَقَالَ جِئْتُ يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ مِنَ الْكُوفَةِ وَتَرَكْتُ بِهَا رَجُلًا يُمْلِي الْمَصَاحِفَ عَنْ ظَهْرِ قَلْبِهِ فَغَضِبَ وَانْتَفَخَ حَتَّى كَادَ يَمْلَأُ مَا بَيْنَ شُعْبَتَيِ الرَّحْلِ فَقَالَ وَمَنْ هُوَ وَيْحَكَ؟ قَالَ عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ مَسْعُودٍ فَمَا زَالَ يُطْفَأُ وَيُسَرَّى عَنْهُ الْغَضَبُ حَتَّى عَادَ إِلَى حَالِهِ الَّتِي كَانَ عَلَيْهَاثُمَّ قَالَ وَيْحَكَ وَاللهِ مَا أَعْلَمُهُ بَقِيَ مِنَ النَّاسِ أَحَدٌ هُوَ أَحَقُّ بِذَلِكَ مِنْهُ وَسَأُحَدِّثُكَ عَنْ ذَلِكَ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ لَا يَزَالُ يَسْمُرُ عِنْدَ أَبِي بَكْرٍ اللَّيْلَةَ كَذَاكَ فِي الْأَمْرِ مِنْ أَمْرِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ وَإِنَّهُ سَمَرَ عِنْدَهُ ذَاتَ لَيْلَةٍ وَأَنَا مَعَهُ فَخَرَجَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ وَخَرَجْنَا مَعَهُ فَإِذَا رَجُلٌ قَائِمٌ يُصَلِّي فِي الْمَسْجِدِ فَقَامَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ يَسْتَمِعُ قِرَاءَتَهُ فَلَمَّا كِدْنَا أَنْ نَعْرِفَهُ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ مَنْ سَرَّهُ أَنْ يَقْرَأَ الْقُرْآنَ رَطْبًا كَمَا أُنْزِلَ فَلْيَقْرَأْهُ عَلَى قِرَاءَةِ ابْنِ أُمِّ عَبْدٍ قَالَ ثُمَّ جَلَسَ الرَّجُلُ يَدْعُو فَجَعَلَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ لَهُ سَلْ تُعْطَهْ سَلْ تُعْطَهْ قَالَ عُمَرُ قُلْتُ وَاللهِ لَأَغْدُوَنَّ إِلَيْهِ فَلَأُبَشِّرَنَّهُ قَالَ فَغَدَوْتُ إِلَيْهِ لِأُبَشِّرَهُ فَوَجَدْتُ أَبَا بَكْرٍ قَدْ سَبَقَنِي إِلَيْهِ فَبَشَّرَهُ وَلا وَاللهِ مَا سَابَقْتُهُ إِلَى خَيْرٍ قَطُّ إِلَّا سَبَقَنِي إِلَيْهِ  

I have come from Koofah, O Ameer al-­Mu'mineen, and I left behind in it a man who dictates the Mushaf From memory. ‘Umar got exceedingly angry and said: Who is he, woe to you? He said: 'Abdullah bin Mas'ood. ‘Umar began to calm down, and went back to normal, then he said: Woe to you, I do not know of anyone who is more qualified to do that than him, and I will tell you about that. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to stay up at night talking with Abu Bakr ؓ discussing some affairs of the Muslims. He stayed up talking with him one night, and I was with him. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ went out, and we went out with him, and we saw a man standing and praying in the mosque. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ listened to his recitation, and as soon as we recognised him the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: ʿWhoever would like to recite the Qur'an fresh as it was revealed, let him recite it according to the recitation of Ibn Umm 'Abd.ʿ Then the same man sat and offered supplication (du'a') and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ started saying to him: ʿAsk, you will be given;ask, you will be given.” ‘Umar said: By Allah, I shall go to him tomorrow and tell hirm the glad tidings. I went to him the next morning to tell him the glad tidings, and I found that Abu Bakr had beaten me to it and given him the glad tidings. By Allah, I never competed with him to do good but he beat me to it. (Using translation from Aḥmad 175)   

جَاءَ رَجُلٌ إِلَى عُمَرَ وَهُوَ بِعَرَفَةَ فَقَالَ يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ جِئْتُ مِنَ الْكُوفَةِ وَتَرَكْتُ بِهَا مَنْ يُمْلِي الْمَصَاحِفَ عَنْ ظَهْرِ قَلْبِهِ قَالَ فَغَضِبَ عُمَرُ وَانْتَفَخَ حَتَّى كَادَ يَمْلَأُ مَا بَيْنَ شُعْبَتَيِ الرَّجُلِ ثُمَّ قَالَ وَيْحَكَ مَنْ هُوَ؟ قَالَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مَسْعُودٍ فَمَا زَالَ يُطْفِئُ وَيُسَرِّي الْغَضَبَ حَتَّى عَادَ إِلَى حَالِهِ الَّتِي كَانَ عَلَيْهَا ثُمَّ قَالَ وَيْحَكَ وَاللَّهِ مَا أَعْلَمُهُ بَقِيَ أَحَدٌ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ هُوَ أَحَقُّ بِذَلِكَ مِنْهُ سَأُحَدِّثُكَ عَنْ ذَلِكَ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ لَا يَزَالُ يَسْمُرُ فِي الْأَمْرِ مِنْ أَمْرِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ عِنْدَ أَبِي بَكْرٍ وَأَنَّهُ سَمَرَ عِنْدَهُ ذَاتَ لَيْلَةٍ وَأَنَا مَعَهُ ثُمَّ خَرَجَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَخَرَجْنَا نَمْشِي مَعَهُ فَإِذَا رَجُلٌ قَائِمٌ يُصَلِّي فِي الْمَسْجِدِ فَقَامَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَسْتَمِعُ قِرَاءَتَهُ فَلَمَّا أَعْيَانَا أَنْ نَعْرِفَ مَنِ الرَّجُلُ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ «مَنْ سَرَّهُ أَنْ يَقْرَأَ الْقُرْآنَ كَمَا أُنْزِلَ فَلْيَقْرَأْهُ عَلَى ابْنِ أُمِّ عَبْدٍ» ثُمَّ جَلَسَ الرَّجُلُ يَدْعُو فَجَعَلَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ لَهُ «سَلْ تُعْطَهْ» فَقَالَ عُمَرُ فَقُلْتُ «وَاللَّهِ لَأَغْدُوَنَّ إِلَيْهِ فَلَأُبَشِّرَنَّهُ» قَالَ «فَغَدَوْتُ إِلَيْهِ لِأُبَشِّرَهُ فَوَجَدْتُ أَبَا بَكْرٍ قَدْ سَبَقَنِي فَبَشَّرَهُ فَوَاللَّهِ مَا سَابَقْتُهُ إِلَى خَيْرٍ قَطُّ إِلَّا سَبَقَنِي إِلَيْهِ» على شرط البخاري ومسلم  

[Machine] "O Commander of the faithful, I have left in Iraq a man who recites the Qur'an from the depths of his heart, which angered Umar until his face turned red. Umar said to him, "I know what you are saying repeatedly." The man replied, "I only inform you of the truth." Umar asked, "Who is he?" The man said, "He is the son of Umm Abd." Umar calmed down until his anger subsided, then he said, "No one on the face of the earth is more deserving of that than him." Umar continued, "Let me tell you about this: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ stayed overnight at the house of Abu Bakr due to some need, until he was very late. When he returned between me and Abu Bakr, I reached the mosque and saw a man from the migrants praying. He stood listening to his recitation, and I and my companion did not know who he was. When he stood for an hour, I said, 'O Messenger of Allah, there is a man from the migrants praying, if only you had come back while I was still bald.' He winked at me and the Prophet ﷺ began to listen to his recitation. Then he performed the bowing, and prostrated, then sat and supplicated. The Prophet ﷺ said, 'Ask, and you will be given.' I and my companion did not know who he was, until we heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ saying, 'Whoever desires to recite the Qur'an as it was revealed, then let him recite it as Ibn Umm Abd recites.' He said, 'That is when I and my companion knew who he was.' He said, 'So I went to Abdullah, I wanted to give him the good news, and he said, 'Abu Bakr has already beaten you, and by the name of Allah, I have not preceded Abu Bakr to anything good except that he has preceded me.'"  

يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ قَدْ تَرَكْتُ بِالْعِرَاقِ رَجُلًا يُمْلِي الْمَصَاحِفَ عَنْ ظَهْرِ قَلْبٍ فَغَضِبَ عُمَرُ ؓ حَتَّى احْمَرَّ وَجْهُهُ فَقَالَ لَهُ عُمَرُ اعْلَمْ مَا تَقُولُهُ مِرَارًا فَقَالَ مَا أُنَبِّئُكَ إِلَّا بِالْحَقِّ فَقَالَ عُمَرُ ؓ مَنْ هُوَ؟ قَالَ ابْنُ أُمِّ عَبْدٍ قَالَ فَسَكَنَ حَتَّى ذَهَبَ عَنْهُ الْغَضَبُ ثُمَّ قَالَ مَا أَصْبَحَ عَلَى ظَهْرِ الْأَرْضِ أَحَدٌ أَحَقُّ بِذَلِكَ مِنْهُ وَسَأُحَدِّثُكُمْ عَنْ ذَلِكَ إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ سَمَرَ فِي بَيْتِ أَبِي بَكْرٍ ؓ ذَاتَ لَيْلَةٍ لِبَعْضِ حَاجَةٍ حَتَّى أَعْتَمَ ثُمَّ رَجَعَ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَ أَبِي بَكْرٍ حَتَّى انْتَهَيْتُ إِلَى الْمَسْجِدِ إِذَا رَجُلٌ مِنَ الْمُهَاجِرِينَ يُصَلِّي فَقَامَ يَسْتَمِعُ لِقِرَاءَتِهِ مَا أَدْرِي أَنَا وَصَاحِبِي مَنْ هُوَ؟ قَالَ فَلَمَّا قَامَ سَاعَةً قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ رَجُلٌ مِنَ الْمُهَاجِرِينَ يُصَلِّي لَوْ رَجَعْتَ وَقَدْ أَعْتَمْتَ قَالَ فَغَمَزَنِي وَجَعَلَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ يَسْتَمِعُ لِقِرَاءَتِهِ قَالَ فَرَكَعَ وَسَجَدَ ثُمَّ قَعَدَ يَدْعُو فَجَعَلَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ يَقُولُ «سَلْ تُعْطَهْ سَلْ تُعْطَهْ» وَلَا أَدْرِي أَنَا وَصَاحِبِي مَنْ هُوَ حَتَّى سَمِعْنَا رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ «مَنْ سَرَّهُ أَنْ يَقْرَأَ الْقُرْآنَ غَضًّا كَمَا أُنْزِلَ فَلْيَقْرَأْ كَمَا يَقْرَأُ ابْنُ أُمِّ عَبْدٍ» قَالَ «فَذَلِكَ حِينَ عَلِمْتُ أَنَا وَصَاحِبِي مَنْ هُوَ» قَالَ «فَغَدَوْتُ إِلَى عَبْدِ اللهِ لِأُبَشِّرَهُ فَقَالَ قَدْ سَبَقَكَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ وَايْمُ اللهِ مَا سَابَقْتُ أَبَا بَكْرٍ إِلَى خَيْرٍ إِلَّا سَبَقَنِي»  

"عن قيس بن مروان أنه أتى عمرَ فقال: جئتُ يا أميرَ المؤمنين من الكُوفةِ وتركت بها رَجلًا يُمْلى المَصَاحِف عَنْ ظهرِ قلبهِ، فَغَضِب وانتفخَ حتى كادَ يملأُ مَا بَيْنَ شُعْبَتَى الرَّحْل، فقال: مَنْ هُو وَيْحَكَ؟ ! قال عبدُ الله بن مسعودٍ، فما يزالُ يُطْفَأُ وَيُسَرِّي عنه الغضبُ حتى عادَ إلى حالهِ التي كانَ عَلَيْها، ثم قال: وَيْحَكَ! وَالله مَا أعْلَمُه بَقى من الناسِ أحدٌ هو أحقُّ بِذلِك مِنْه، وَسَأُحَدِّثُك عن ذَلِكَ: كان رسول الله ﷺ لَا يَزَال يَسْمُرُ عند أبي بكرٍ الليلةَ كذاك في الأمرِ من أمر المسلمين وَإِنَّه سمَر عِنْدَهُ ذات ليلةٍ وأنا مَعَه، فَخَرجَ رسولُ الله ﷺ وخرجنا مَعَه، فَإِذَا رجلٌ قَائِمٌ يُصَلِي في المسجد، فقامَ رسولُ الله ﷺ يسْتَمِعُ قراءته، فلما كدنا أن نعرفه قال رسول الله ﷺ : "من سرَّه أن يقرأ القرآن رطبا كما أُنزل فليقرأه على قراءة ابن أم عبد" ثم جلسَ الرجلُ يدعو، فجعل رسول

الله ﷺ يقول: "سل تُعْطه" قلتُ: والله لأغدونَّ إليه فلأبشرنه، فغدوت إليه لأبشره، فوجدتُ أبا بكر قد سبقني إليه فبشَّرَه، والله ما سابقته إلى خيرٍ قط إلَا سَبَقَنِي إِليه".