عَنْ عَلِيٍّ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: كَانَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ يُخَافِتُ بِصَوْتِهِ إِذَا قَرَأَ، وَكَانَ عُمَرُ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ يَجْهَرُ بِقِرَاءَتِهِ، وَكَانَ عَمَّارٌ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ إِذَا قَرَأَ يَأْخُذُ مِنْ هَٰذِهِ السُّورَةِ وَهَٰذِهِ، فَذُكِرَ ذَاكَ لِلنَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَقَالَ لِأَبِي بَكْرٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ: ((لِمَ تُخَافِتُ؟)) قَالَ: إِنِّي لَا أُسْمِعُ مَنْ أُنَاجِي، وَقَالَ لِعُمَرَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ: ((لِمَ تَجْهَرُ بِقِرَاءَتِكَ؟)) قَالَ: أُفْزِعُ الشَّيْطَانَ وَأُوقِظُ الْوَسْنَانَ، وَقَالَ لِعَمَّارٍ: ((لِمَ تَأْخُذُ مِنْ هَٰذِهِ السُّورَةِ وَهَٰذِهِ؟)) قَالَ: أَتَسْمَعُنِي أَخْلِطُ بِهِ مَا لَيْسَ مِنْهُ؟ قَالَ: ((لَا)) قَالَ: فَكُلُّهُ طَيِّبٌ
Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) says: When Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) would recite, he would keep his voice low; Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) would recite in a loud voice, and Sayyiduna Ammar (may Allah be pleased with him), when he would recite, would read some from this surah and some from that surah. When this was reported to the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), he (peace and blessings be upon him) asked Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him): Why do you recite quietly? He said: I am presenting to the One with whom I am whispering. Then he (peace and blessings be upon him) asked Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him): Why do you recite in a loud voice? He said: I frighten the devil and awaken the one who is sleeping lightly. Then he (peace and blessings be upon him) asked Sayyiduna Ammar (may Allah be pleased with him): You recite some from this surah and some from that surah, why do you do so? He said: Have you ever heard me include in this Qur’an any speech that is not from it? He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: No. He said: Then all the speech is good, (so I recite from wherever I wish, as needed).