VIII
THE BOOK OF THE EXCELLENCIES
OF THE QURʾÁN
It is related from ʿOthmán that, 'The Apostle of God said, "The best of you is he who learns the Qurʾán and teaches it."—Al Bukhárí.
It is related from Abú Saʿíduʾl-Khudri that Usaid bin Ḥuḍair said, 'On a certain night when he was reading Súratuʾl Baqara, and his horse was tethered near him, behold! the horse wheeled round. Then he became silent, and it also became steady. Then he read (again), and it wheeled round. Then he became silent, and it ceased wheeling round. He again read, and the horse wheeled round as before. Then he turned away, and his son Yaḥyá was near it, and he feared that it would injure him. And when he moved the child away he raised his head to the heavens, and behold! something like a cloud and in it objects resembling lamps. And when the morning came he informed the Prophet. He replied, "Read, O Ibn Ḥuḍair, read of Ibn Ḥuḍair." He replied, "I feared, O Apostle of God, that it would tread on Yaḥyá who was near it, and I moved near to him, and raised my head to the heavens, and behold! something resembling a cloud, in which were objects like lamps, and I went out in order that I should not see them." He replied, "And dost thou know what that was?" He said, "No." He said, "Those were angels which came near at the sound of thy voice, and if thou hadst continued to read, they would have remained until the morning, and men would have seen them. They would not have remained hidden."'—Muslim, Al Bukhárí.
It is related from Abú Umámah that he said, 'I heard the Prophet say, "Read the Qurʾán, for verily it will come on the day of resurrection as an intercessor for those who read it. Read the two bright chapters: chapter Baqara and chapter Áli ʿImrán, for verily they will come on the day of resurrection as if they were clouds, or two canopies or two flocks of birds in ranks arguing on behalf of those who read them. Read chapter
