The Book of the Merits of the Companions

حَدَّثَنَا زُهَيْرُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ، وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمُثَنَّى، وَابْنُ، بَشَّارٍ قَالُوا حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ، عَنْ سُفْيَانَ، عَنْ أَبِي إِسْحَاقَ، عَنِ الأَسْوَدِ، عَنْ أَبِي مُوسَى، قَالَ أَتَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَأَنَا أُرَى أَنَّ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْبَيْتِ ‏.‏ أَوْ مَا ذَكَرَ مِنْ نَحْوِ هَذَا ‏.‏

I came to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and thought that 'Abdullah was amongst the members of the family, or like that.

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمُثَنَّى، وَابْنُ، بَشَّارٍ - وَاللَّفْظُ لاِبْنِ الْمُثَنَّى - قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ، بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، عَنْ أَبِي إِسْحَاقَ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا الأَحْوَصِ، قَالَ شَهِدْتُ أَبَا مُوسَى وَأَبَا مَسْعُودٍ حِينَ مَاتَ ابْنُ مَسْعُودٍ فَقَالَ أَحَدُهُمَا لِصَاحِبِهِ أَتُرَاهُ تَرَكَ بَعْدَهُ مِثْلَهُ فَقَالَ إِنْ قُلْتَ ذَاكَ إِنْ كَانَ لَيُؤْذَنُ لَهُ إِذَا حُجِبْنَا وَيَشْهَدُ إِذَا غِبْنَا ‏.‏

I was along with Abu Musa and Abu Mas'ud as Ibn Mas'ud died and one of them said to the other: Do you find one like him besides him? Thereupon he said: Do you say this (no one can be his rival)? He was admitted (to the company of the Holy Prophet) whereas we were detained and he had been present in the company of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) whereas we had been absent.

حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو كُرَيْبٍ، مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْعَلاَءِ حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ آدَمَ، حَدَّثَنَا قُطْبَةُ، هُوَ ابْنُ عَبْدِ الْعَزِيزِ عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ، عَنْ مَالِكِ بْنِ الْحَارِثِ، عَنْ أَبِي الأَحْوَصِ، قَالَ كُنَّا فِي دَارِ أَبِي مُوسَى مَعَ نَفَرٍ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ وَهُمْ يَنْظُرُونَ فِي مُصْحَفٍ فَقَامَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ فَقَالَ أَبُو مَسْعُودٍ مَا أَعْلَمُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم تَرَكَ بَعْدَهُ أَعْلَمَ بِمَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ مِنْ هَذَا الْقَائِمِ ‏.‏ فَقَالَ أَبُو مُوسَى أَمَا لَئِنْ قُلْتَ ذَاكَ لَقَدْ كَانَ يَشْهَدُ إِذَا غِبْنَا وَيُؤْذَنُ لَهُ إِذَا حُجِبْنَا ‏.‏

We were in the house of Abu Musa along with some of the companions of 'Abdullah and they were looking at the Holy Book. 'Abdullah stood up, whereupon Abu Mas'ud said: I do not know whether Allah's Messenger, (ﷺ) has left after him one having a better knowledge (of Islam) than the man who is standing. Abu Musa said: If you say this, that is correct, because he had been present when we had been absent and he was permitted when we were detained.

وَحَدَّثَنِي الْقَاسِمُ بْنُ زَكَرِيَّاءَ، حَدَّثَنَا عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ، - هُوَ ابْنُ مُوسَى - عَنْ شَيْبَانَ، عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ، عَنْ مَالِكِ بْنِ الْحَارِثِ، عَنْ أَبِي الأَحْوَصِ، قَالَ أَتَيْتُ أَبَا مُوسَى فَوَجَدْتُ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ وَأَبَا مُوسَى ح وَحَدَّثَنَا أَبُو كُرَيْبٍ، حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ أَبِي عُبَيْدَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي، عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ، عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ وَهْبٍ، قَالَ كُنْتُ جَالِسًا مَعَ حُذَيْفَةَ وَأَبِي مُوسَى وَسَاقَ الْحَدِيثَ وَحَدِيثُ قُطْبَةَ أَتَمُّ وَأَكْثَرُ ‏.‏

I was sitting along with Hudhaifa and Abu Musa, and the rest of the hadith is the same.

حَدَّثَنَا إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ الْحَنْظَلِيُّ، أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدَةُ بْنُ سُلَيْمَانَ، حَدَّثَنَا الأَعْمَشُ، عَنْ شَقِيقٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، أَنَّهُ قَالَ ‏ {‏ وَمَنْ يَغْلُلْ يَأْتِ بِمَا غَلَّ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ‏} ‏ ثُمَّ قَالَ عَلَى قِرَاءَةِ مَنْ تَأْمُرُونِي أَنْ أَقْرَأَ فَلَقَدْ قَرَأْتُ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم بِضْعًا وَسَبْعِينَ سُورَةً وَلَقَدْ عَلِمَ أَصْحَابُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَنِّي أَعْلَمُهُمْ بِكِتَابِ اللَّهِ وَلَوْ أَعْلَمُ أَنَّ أَحَدًا أَعْلَمُ مِنِّي لَرَحَلْتُ إِلَيْهِ ‏.‏ قَالَ شَقِيقٌ فَجَلَسْتُ فِي حَلَقِ أَصْحَابِ مُحَمَّدٍ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَمَا سَمِعْتُ أَحَدًا يَرُدُّ ذَلِكَ عَلَيْهِ وَلاَ يَعِيبُهُ ‏.‏

He who conceals anything he shall have to bring that which he had concealed on the Day of judgment, and then said: After whose mode of recitation you command me to recite? I in fact recited before AIlah's Messenger (ﷺ) more than seventy chapters of the Qur'an and the Companions of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) know it that I have better understanding of the Book of Allah (than they do), and if I were to know that someone had better understanding than I, I would have gone to him. Shaqiq said: I sat in the company of the Companions of Mubkmmad (ﷺ) but I did not hear anyone having rejected that (that is, his recitation) or finding fault with it.

حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو كُرَيْبٍ، حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ آدَمَ، حَدَّثَنَا قُطْبَةُ، عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ، عَنْ مُسْلِمٍ، عَنْ مَسْرُوقٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، قَالَ وَالَّذِي لاَ إِلَهَ غَيْرُهُ مَا مِنْ كِتَابِ اللَّهِ سُورَةٌ إِلاَّ أَنَا أَعْلَمُ حَيْثُ نَزَلَتْ وَمَا مِنْ آيَةٍ إِلاَّ أَنَا أَعْلَمُ فِيمَا أُنْزِلَتْ وَلَوْ أَعْلَمُ أَحَدًا هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِكِتَابِ اللَّهِ مِنِّي تَبْلُغُهُ الإِبِلُ لَرَكِبْتُ إِلَيْهِ ‏.‏

By Him besides Whom there is no god, there is no chapter in the Book of Allah about which I do not know as to where it was revealed and there is no verse about which I do not know in what context it was revealed, and if I were to know of one having a better understanding of the Book of Allah than I (and I could reach him) on the back of the mule, I would have definitely gone to him on camel's back.

"‏ خُذُوا الْقُرْآنَ مِنْ أَرْبَعَةٍ مِنِ ابْنِ أُمِّ عَبْدٍ - فَبَدَأَ بِهِ - وَمُعَاذِ بْنِ جَبَلٍ وَأُبَىِّ بْنِ كَعْبٍ وَسَالِمٍ مَوْلَى أَبِي حُذَيْفَةَ ‏"

We used to go to Abdullah b. 'Amr and talk to him, Ibn Numair said: One day we made a mention of Abdullah b. Mas'ud, whereupon he said: You have made mention of a person whom I love more than anything else. I heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: Learn Qur'an from four persons: Ibn Umm 'Abd (i. e. 'Abdullah b. Mas'ud) he started from him-then Mu'adh b. Jabal and Ubayya b. Ka'b, then Salim the ally of Abu Hudhaifa.

"‏ اقْرَءُوا الْقُرْآنَ مِنْ أَرْبَعَةِ نَفَرٍ مِنِ ابْنِ أُمِّ عَبْدٍ - فَبَدَأَ بِهِ - وَمِنْ أُبَىِّ بْنِ كَعْبٍ وَمِنْ سَالِمٍ مَوْلَى أَبِي حُذَيْفَةَ وَمِنْ مُعَاذِ بْنِ جَبَلٍ ‏"

We were in the company of Abdullah b 'Amr that we made a mention of a hadith from Abdullah b. Mas'ud; thereupon he said: That is a person whose love ever remains (fresh in my heart) after I heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: Learn Qur'an from four persons: Ibn Umm 'Abd, i e. Abdullah b. Mas'ud and he started from his name-then Ubayy b. Ka'b and Mu'adh b Jabal. Zuhri did not make a mention of the words yaquluhu in his narration

حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، وَأَبُو كُرَيْبٍ قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ، عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ، بِإِسْنَادِ جَرِيرٍ وَوَكِيعٍ فِي رِوَايَةِ أَبِي بَكْرٍ عَنْ أَبِي مُعَاوِيَةَ، قَدَّمَ مُعَاذًا قَبْلَ أُبَىٍّ ‏.‏ وَفِي رِوَايَةِ أَبِي كُرَيْبٍ أُبَىٌّ قَبْلَ مُعَاذٍ ‏.‏

Abu Mu'awiya narrated to us from A'mash on the authority of Jarir and Waki', and in a narration of Abu Bakr transmitted on the authority of Abu Mu'awiya the mention of Mu'adh has preceded Ubayy's, and in the narration transmitted on the authority of Abu Kuraib, the name of Ubayy preceded Mu'ddh's.

حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ الْمُثَنَّى، وَابْنُ، بَشَّارٍ قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ أَبِي عَدِيٍّ، ح وَحَدَّثَنِي بِشْرُ بْنُ، خَالِدٍ أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدٌ، - يَعْنِي ابْنَ جَعْفَرٍ - كِلاَهُمَا عَنْ شُعْبَةَ، عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ، بِإِسْنَادِهِمْ وَاخْتَلَفَا عَنْ شُعْبَةَ، فِي تَنْسِيقِ الأَرْبَعَةِ ‏.‏

This tradition has been transmitted on the authority of Shu'ba through A'mash, but there is a difference of order of the four.