178 - Chapter: What has been reported regarding how long it is recommended to complete the recitation of the Qur'an

1345 - Abu Bakr ibn Abi Shaybah narrated to us, from Abu Khalid al-Ahmar, from Abdullah ibn Abd al-Rahman ibn Ya'la al-Ta'ifi, from Uthman ibn Abdullah ibn Aws, from his grandfather Aws ibn Hudhayfah, who said: We came to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, among the delegation of Thaqif. The allies (al-Ahlaf) were hosted by al-Mughirah ibn Shu'bah, and the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, lodged the Banu Malik in a tent of his. He would come to us every night after the evening prayer ('isha') and speak with us while standing on his feet, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. Most of what he told us about was what he had endured from his people, the Quraysh, and he would say: "They are not equal; we were weak and humiliated, but when we went out to Medina, the turns of war alternated between us and them—sometimes we prevailed over them, and sometimes they prevailed over us." One night, he was late beyond the time he usually came to us, so I said: "O Messenger of Allah, you have been late in coming to us tonight." He said: "A portion of the Qur'an that I recite regularly came upon me, and I disliked going out until I had completed it."

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Haddath Zir—and my strongest assumption is that it was Suwayd—narrated from Abu al-Darda' or Abu Dharr, and my strongest assumption is that it was from Abu al-Darda', that he said… and he mentioned it. We say: The doubt between Zir and Suwayd is not harmful, for both are trustworthy. Likewise, the doubt between Abu Dharr and Abu al-Darda' is not harmful, for both are Companions.

Ibn Hibban also recorded it (2588) via the path of Miskin ibn Bukayr, from Shu'bah, from Abadah, from Suwayd, from Abu Dharr or Abu al-Darda', as a marfu' narration. Miskin ibn Bukayr is truthful but makes errors.

It has a supporting witness from the hadith of A'ishah recorded by Abu Dawud (1314), though its chain contains an unidentified man. See the discussion on it in the commentary on "Musnad Ahmad" (24341).

Its general meaning is also supported by the hadith of Ibn Abbas recorded by al-Bukhari (6491) and Muslim (131), with the wording: "Whoever intends a good deed but does not do it, Allah writes it down with Him as a complete good deed…"