Abu Ishaq reported that he heard Abu'l-Ahwas say: 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 ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم )) whereas we were detained and he had been present in the company of Allah's Messenger ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) whereas we had been absent.

Abu Ahwas reported: 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, ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) 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.

It was narrated to me by al-Qasim ibn Zakariyya, who said: 'Ubaydullah (he is Ibn Musa) narrated to us, from Shayban, from al-A'mash, from Malik ibn al-Harith, from Abu al-Ahwas, who said: I came to Abu Musa and found 'Abdullah and Abu Musa.

And it was narrated to us by Abu Kurayb, who said: Muhammad ibn Abi 'Ubaydah narrated to us, my father narrated to us, from al-A'mash, from Zayd ibn Wahb, who said: I was sitting with Hudhayfah and Abu Musa, and he mentioned the hadith, and the hadith of Qutbah is more complete and longer.

'Abdullah (b. Mas'ud) reported that he (said to his companions to conceal their copies of the Qur'an) and further said: 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 ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) more than seventy chapters of the Qur'an and the Companions of Allah's Messenger ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) 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 ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) but I did not hear anyone having rejected that (that is, his recitation) or finding fault with it.

'Abdullah reported: 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.

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

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

This hadith has been reported on the authority of Abu Bakr (RA) bin Abu Shaiba and Abu Kuraib, and both of them said: Abu Mu'awiyahh (RA) narrated to us from A'mash on the authority of Jarir and Waki', and in a narration of Abu Bakr (RA) transmitted on the authority of Abu Mu'awiyahh (RA) 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.

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

Masruq reported: They made a mention of Ibn Mas'ud before 'Abdullah bin 'Amr (RA) , whereupon he said: He is a person whose love is always fresh in my heart after I heard Allah's Messenger ( صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ) as saying: Learn the recitation of the Qur'an from four persons: from Ibn Mas'ud, Salim, the ally of Abu Hudhaifa, Ubayy bin Ka'b, Mu'adh bin Jabal.