Fath al-Rabbani

Sayyiduna Bara bin Azib (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that a man recited Surah Al-Kahf. In the house where he was reciting, his mount was also tied. The mount began to get restless. He saw that a cloud was overshadowing him. When this was mentioned to the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), he said: "O so-and-so! If you had continued reciting, it was tranquility (sakinah) which was descending for the Qur'an."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Sa'id Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) that one night Sayyiduna Usaid bin Hudair (may Allah be pleased with him) was reciting the Holy Qur'an in his enclosure, when suddenly his horse began to startle. (He became silent), then when he started reciting again, it startled again, so whenever he began to recite, it would startle. Sayyiduna Usaid says, I feared that it might trample my son Yahya, so I stood up to pick up my son. I saw that above me there was a canopy like a cloud, in which lamps were shining, which kept ascending into the sky until it disappeared from my sight. When morning came, I presented myself before the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and said: O Messenger of Allah! I was reciting the Holy Qur'an in my enclosure at the end of last night, when suddenly my horse began to startle, then I narrated the whole incident. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: Ibn Hudair! You should have continued reciting. I said: Yes, I recited, but the horse startled again. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) again said: O Ibn Hudair! You should have continued reciting. I said: When I recited, the horse startled again. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) again said: O Ibn Hudair! You should have continued reciting. He said: Yes, I recited, but my son Yahya was lying nearby, and I feared that the horse might trample him. Then I saw something like a canopy, in which lamps were glittering and it was rising in the sky. Then the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: Those were angels, listening to your recitation. If you had continued reciting until morning, people would have seen them and they would not have been hidden from them.