Ibrahim narrates: Alqamah went to Syria, he offered prayer there, then he approached a gathering and sat in it. He narrates: A man came and sat beside me. I said: All praise is due to Allah, I hope that Allah Almighty has accepted my supplication. He narrates: That person was Sayyiduna Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him). He asked: How is that? Alqamah replied: I had prayed to Allah Almighty to grant me a righteous companion, so I hope that you are that person. He asked: Who are you? I said: I am from the people of Kufa (the narrator is in doubt, perhaps these are the words:) I am from the people of Iraq and then from the people of Kufa. So Sayyiduna Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Are there not among you those special confidants of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) who knew secrets that no one else knew? He meant Sayyiduna Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him). Then he asked: Do you remember how Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him) used to recite? I replied: Yes. Then he recited (i.e., he recited this Surah)
«وَالَّيْلِ إِذَا يَغْشٰى وَ النَّهَارِ إِذَا تَجَلّٰى»
Alqamah says: So I recited
«الذكر والأنثى»
Then Sayyiduna Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) said: By Him besides whom there is no deity, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) also taught me this Surah with these very words from his own tongue, but these people continuously reject what I say.
Imam Ibn Hibban (may Allah have mercy on him) says: Up to here was the mention of the allies of Quraysh, now after this we will mention the Ansar, among them those who migrated and those who did not migrate (all will be mentioned), if Allah Almighty decrees and wills.