Mishkat al-Masabih #2086
The Excellent Qualities of the Qur'an
The Arabic includes the chain of narration (sanad) and the collector's commentary; the English translation shows the Prophet's words only.
وَعَن عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو قَالَ: أَتَى رَجُلٌ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَقَالَ أَقْرِئْنِي يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ فَقَالَ: " اقْرَأْ ثَلَاثًا مِنْ ذَوَاتِ (ألر)
فَقَالَ: كَبُرَتْ سِنِّي وَاشْتَدَّ قَلْبِي وَغَلُظَ لِسَانِي قَالَ: " فَاقْرَأْ ثَلَاثًا مِنْ ذَوَاتِ (حم)
فَقَالَ مِثْلَ مَقَالَتِهِ. قَالَ الرَّجُلُ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَقْرِئْنِي سُورَةً جَامِعَةً فَأَقْرَأَهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ (إِذَا زُلْزِلَتْ الأَرْض)
حَتَّى فَرَغَ مِنْهَا فَقَالَ الرَّجُلُ: وَالَّذِي بَعَثَكَ بِالْحَقِّ لَا أَزِيد عَلَيْهَا أبدا ثمَّ أدبر الرَّجُلُ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ
أَفْلَحَ الرُّوَيْجِلُ " مَرَّتَيْنِ. رَوَاهُ أَحْمَدُ وَأَبُو دَاوُدَ
‘Abdallāh b. ‘Amr told of a man coming to the Prophet and asking him to teach him to recite. On being told to recite three of the sūras with A. L. R (Qur’ān, 10, 11, 12, 14, and 15) he replied, “I am old, my heart has difficulty in remembering, and my tongue is sluggish.” When told that in that case he should recite three with Hā’ Mīm (Qur’ān, 40 to 46) he gave the same reply and then asked God’s messenger to teach him to recite a comprehensive sūra. He taught him to recite “When is shaken” (Qur’ān, 99) up to the end, and the man said, “I swear by Him who has sent you with the truth that I shall never recite more than that.” Then when the man turned away God's messenger said twice, “The little man has come into a state of felicity.”
Ahmad and Abū Dāwūd transmitted it.
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About Mishkat al-Masabih
This hadith is #2086 from Mishkat al-Masabih, in the Book of The Excellent Qualities of the Qur'an.