Abu Wa'il reported that a person named Nabik bin Sinan came to 'Abdullah (b. Mas'ud) and said: Abu 'Abdul 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 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 ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) 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 bin Sinan.

Abu Wa'il reported: A person came to 'Abdullah, who was called Nahik bin Sinan, and the rest of the hadith is the same but for this:" Alqama came to him ('Abdullah bin Mas'ud) and we said to him: Ask him about the manners in which he combined (two surahs) in one rak'ah. So he went to him and asked him and then came to us and said: Twenty are the mufassal surahs in the compilation (of the Qur'an) made by 'Abdullah."

This hadith has been narrated by A'mash with the same chain of transmitters in which ('Abdullah bin Mas'ud) said:" I know the manners in which the Messenger of Allah ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) recited the two surahs in one rak'ah and then twenty surahs in ten rak'ahs."

Abu Wa'il reported: One day we went to 'Abdullah bin Mas'ud after we had observed the dawn prayer and we paid salutation at the door. He permitted us to enter, but we stayed for a while at the door, when the slave-girl came out and said: Why don't you come in? So we went in and (we found 'Abdullah bin Mas'ud) sitting and glorifying Allah (i. e. he was busy in dhikr) and he said: What obstructed you from coming in though you had been granted permission for it? We said: There was nothing (behind it) but we entertained the idea that some inmate of the house might be sleeping. He said: Do you presume any idleness on the part of the family of Ibn Umm 'Abd (the mother of 'Abdullah bin Mas'ud)? He was again busy with the glorification of Allah till he thought that the sun had risen. He said: Girl, see whether (the sun) has arisen. She glanced but it had not risen (by that time). He was again busy with the glorification (of Allah) and he (again) thought that the sun had arisen. She glanced (and confirmed) that, it had risen. Upon this he ('Abdullah bin Mas'ud) said: Praise be to Allah Who did not call us to account for our sins today. Mahdi said: I think that he said, He did not destroy us for our sins. One among the people said: I recited all the mufassal surahs during the night. 'Abdullah said: (You must have recited them) like the (recitation) of poetry. I heard (the Holy Prophet) combining (the sarahs) and I remember the combinations which the Messenger of Allah ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) made In the recitation (of surahs). These were constituted of eighteen mufassal surahs and two surahs (commencing with) Ha-Mim.

Shaqiq reported: A person from Banu Bajila who was called Nabik bin Sinan came to 'Abdullah and said: I recite mufassal surahs in one rak'ah. Upon this 'Abdullah said: (You recite) like the recitation of poetry. I know the manner in which the Messenger of Allah ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) recited two surahs in one rak'ah.

Abu Wa'il reported: A person came to 'Abdullah bin Mas'ud and said: I recited all the mufassal surahs in one rak'ah during the night. 'Abdullah said: You must have recited hastily like the recitation of poetry. 'Abdullah said: I remember well the manner in which the Messenger of Allah ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) used to combine them, and he then mentioned twenty of the mufassal surahs, and (their combinations in) two in every rak'ah.