It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) that a man said: "O Messenger of Allah! Which deed is the most excellent?" He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Al-hall al-murtahil (the one who alights and sets off again)." He asked: "O Messenger of Allah! What is meant by al-hall al-murtahil?" He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The one who keeps (reciting) the Qur'an from its beginning to its end, and then from its end to its beginning."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) that a man said: "O Messenger of Allah! Which deed is the most excellent?" He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Al-hall al-murtahil (the one who alights and sets off again)." He asked: "O Messenger of Allah! What is al-hall al-murtahil?" He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The companion of the Qur'an who recites from its beginning until he reaches its end, and from its end until he reaches its beginning; whenever he alights at a stage, he sets off again." Salih al-Murri is alone in narrating this report, and he is one of the ascetics of Basrah, but the two Shaykhs (Bukhari and Muslim) did not record it.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that a man stood up before the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: "O Messenger of Allah! Which deed is the most excellent, or which is most beloved to Allah?" He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Al-hall al-murtahil (the one who alights and sets off again): the one who begins the Qur'an and completes it. The companion of the Qur'an recites from its beginning to its end, and from its end to its beginning; whenever he alights (at a stage), he sets off (again)."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Sa'd bin Abi Waqqas (may Allah be pleased with him) that (Ubaydullah says): I came to him and he asked me who I was. I told him my lineage, and he said: "You are remarkable merchants. I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say: 'He is not of us who does not recite the Qur'an in a melodious voice.'" Sufyan says: Its meaning is that he becomes free of need (of the world) through the Qur'an.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Sa'd bin Abi Waqqas (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say: "He is not of us who does not recite the Qur'an in a melodious voice." This hadith has a sahih (authentic) chain of narration, but the two Shaykhs (Bukhari and Muslim) did not record it with this chain.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Sa'd bin Abi Waqqas (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "He is not of us who does not recite the Qur'an in a melodious voice." Amr bin Dinar, Ibn Jurayj and Sa'id bin Hassan agree in this report that it is narrated from Ubaydullah bin Abi Nahik; however, al-Layth bin Sa'd differed from them and narrated it from Abdullah bin Abi Nahik.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Sa'd bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "He is not of us who does not recite the Qur'an in a melodious voice." This report of al-Layth does not refute the other reports narrated from Ubaydullah bin Abi Nahik, because the two of them are brothers and Tabi'un; and the proof of the soundness of both reports is the narration of Amr bin al-Harith, who is one of the reliable huffaz narrating from Ibn Abi Mulaykah.

It is narrated from Ibn Abi Mulaykah that he reported from people who went to Sayyiduna Sa'd bin Abi Waqqas (may Allah be pleased with him) and asked him about the Qur'an, and Sayyiduna Sa'd (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say: "He is not of us who does not recite the Qur'an in a melodious voice." This report is evidence that Ibn Abi Mulaykah did not hear it from only one narrator; rather, he heard it from several students of Sayyiduna Sa'd.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "He is not of us who does not recite the Qur'an in a melodious voice."

It is narrated from Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "He is not of us who does not recite the Qur'an in a melodious voice."