حَدَّثَنَا الْعَبَّاسُ بْنُ عُثْمَانَ الدِّمَشْقِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا الْوَلِيدُ بْنُ مُسْلِمٍ، حَدَّثَنَا حَنْظَلَةُ بْنُ أَبِي سُفْيَانَ، أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ عَبْدَ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنَ سَابِطٍ الْجُمَحِيَّ، يُحَدِّثُ عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، زَوْجِ النَّبِيِّ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ قَالَتْ أَبْطَأْتُ عَلَى عَهْدِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ لَيْلَةً بَعْدَ الْعِشَاءِ ثُمَّ جِئْتُ فَقَالَ ‏"‏ أَيْنَ كُنْتِ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قُلْتُ كُنْتُ أَسْتَمِعُ قِرَاءَةَ رَجُلٍ مِنْ أَصْحَابِكَ لَمْ أَسْمَعْ مِثْلَ قِرَاءَتِهِ وَصَوْتِهِ مِنْ أَحَدٍ ‏.‏ قَالَتْ فَقَامَ وَقُمْتُ مَعَهُ حَتَّى اسْتَمَعَ لَهُ ثُمَّ الْتَفَتَ إِلَىَّ فَقَالَ ‏"‏ هَذَا سَالِمٌ، مَوْلَى أَبِي حُذَيْفَةَ. الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي جَعَلَ فِي أُمَّتِي مِثْلَ هَذَا ‏"‏ ‏.‏

“One night at the time of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) I was late returning from the ‘Isha’, then I came and he said: ‘Where were you?’ I said: ‘I was listening to the recitation of a man among your Companions, for I have never heard a recitation or a voice like his from anyone.’ He got up and I got up with him, to go and listen to him. Then he turned to me and said: ‘This is Salim, the freed slave of Abu Hudhaifah. Praise is to Allah Who has created such men among my Ummah.’”