عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ سَلَامٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ تَذَاكَرْنَا بَيْنَنَا فَقُلْنَا أَيُّكُمْ يَأْتِي رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَيَسْأَلُهُ أَيُّ الْأَعْمَالِ أَحَبُّ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَهِبْنَا أَنْ يَقُومَ مِنَّا أَحَدٌ فَأَرْسَلَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِلَيْنَا رَجُلًا رَجُلًا حَتَّى جَمَعَنَا فَجَعَلَ بَعْضُنَا يُشِيرُ إِلَى بَعْضٍ فَقَرَأَ عَلَيْنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ سَبَّحَ لِلَّهِ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ إِلَى قَوْلِهِ كَبُرَ مَقْتًا عِنْدَ اللَّهِ [سورة الصف: ١-٣] قَالَ فَتَلَاهَا مِنْ أَوَّلِهَا إِلَى آخِرِهَا قَالَ فَتَلَاهَا عَلَيْنَا ابْنُ سَلَامٍ مِنْ أَوَّلِهَا إِلَى آخِرِهَا قَالَ فَتَلَاهَا عَلَيْنَا عَطَاءُ بْنُ يَسَارٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ مِنْ أَوَّلِهَا إِلَى آخِرِهَا قَالَ يَحْيَى فَتَلَاهَا عَلَيْنَا هِلَالٌ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ مِنْ أَوَّلِهَا إِلَى آخِرِهَا قَالَ الْأَوْزَاعِيُّ فَتَلَاهَا عَلَيْنَا يَحْيَى رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ مِنْ أَوَّلِهَا إِلَى آخِرِهَا
Narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Salam (may Allah be pleased with him) that one day we discussed among ourselves and said: Who among us will go to the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and ask him which deed is most beloved to Allah Almighty? But none of us was willing to go due to the awe of the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Meanwhile, the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) sent a man to us, who gathered each one of us together. Now each of us began to point to the other in astonishment (as to how the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) came to know of our conversation). In any case, then the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) recited these verses to us: {سَبَّحَ لِلَّہِ مَا فِی السَّمٰوَاتِ وَمَا فِی الْأَ رْضِ … کَبُرَ مَقْتًا عِنْدَ اللّٰہِ} The Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) recited these verses from beginning to end, then Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Salam (may Allah be pleased with him) recited them from beginning to end, then Ata bin Yasar recited them likewise. Yahya says: Then Hilal recited these verses from beginning to end. Awza'i says: Yahya recited these verses from beginning to end to us.