Compiled by Imam Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، وَابْنُ، نُمَيْرٍ جَمِيعًا عَنْ وَكِيعٍ، - قَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ حَدَّثَنَا وَكِيعٌ، - عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ، عَنْ أَبِي وَائِلٍ، قَالَ جَاءَ رَجُلٌ يُقَالُ لَهُ نَهِيكُ بْنُ سِنَانٍ إِلَى عَبْدِ اللَّهِ فَقَالَ يَا أَبَا عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ كَيْفَ تَقْرَأُ هَذَا الْحَرْفَ أَلِفًا تَجِدُهُ أَمْ يَاءً مِنْ مَاءٍ غَيْرِ آسِنٍ أَوْ مِنْ مَاءٍ غَيْرِ يَاسِنٍ قَالَ فَقَالَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ وَكُلَّ الْقُرْآنِ قَدْ أَحْصَيْتَ غَيْرَ هَذَا قَالَ إِنِّي لأَقْرَأُ الْمُفَصَّلَ فِي رَكْعَةٍ . فَقَالَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ هَذًّا كَهَذِّ الشِّعْرِ إِنَّ أَقْوَامًا يَقْرَءُونَ الْقُرْآنَ لاَ يُجَاوِزُ تَرَاقِيَهُمْ وَلَكِنْ إِذَا وَقَعَ فِي الْقَلْبِ فَرَسَخَ فِيهِ نَفَعَ إِنَّ أَفْضَلَ الصَّلاَةِ الرُّكُوعُ وَالسُّجُودُ إِنِّي لأَعْلَمُ النَّظَائِرَ الَّتِي كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقْرُنُ بَيْنَهُنَّ سُورَتَيْنِ فِي كُلِّ رَكْعَةٍ . ثُمَّ قَامَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ فَدَخَلَ عَلْقَمَةُ فِي إِثْرِهِ ثُمَّ خَرَجَ فَقَالَ قَدْ أَخْبَرَنِي بِهَا . قَالَ ابْنُ نُمَيْرٍ فِي رِوَايَتِهِ جَاءَ رَجُلٌ مِنْ بَنِي بَجِيلَةَ إِلَى عَبْدِ اللَّهِ وَلَمْ يَقُلْ نَهِيكُ بْنُ سِنَانٍ .
Abu 'Abd al-Rahman, how do you recite this word (alif) or (ya)? Would you read It as: min ma'in ghaira asin or au min ma'in ghaira ghaira yasin. (al-Qur'an, xlvii. 15)? 'Abdullah said: You (seem to) have memorised the whole of the Qur'an except this. He (again) said: I recite all the mufassal surahs in one rak'ah. Upon this 'Abdullah said: (You must have been reciting It) hastily like the recitation of poetry. Verily. there are people who recite the Qur'an, but it does not go down beyond their collar bones. It is (a fact with the Qur'an) that it is beneficial only when it settles in the heart and is rooted deeply in it. The best of (the acts) in prayer are bowing and prostration. I am quite aware of the occasions when the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) combined together two surahs in every rak'ah. 'Abdullah then stood up and went out with 'Alqama following in his footstep. He said Ibn Numair had told him that the narration was like that:" A person belonging to Banu Bajila came to 'Abdullah," and he did not mention (the name of) Nahik b. Sinan.