Fath al-Rabbani

Alqama says: I went to Syria, entered the mosque of Damascus, performed two units of prayer, and made this supplication: O Allah! Provide me with a righteous companion. Then I went and sat with Sayyiduna Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him). He said: Which people are you from? I said: From the people of Kufa. He said: Did you hear Ibn Umm Abd, that is, Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him), how he recites this Surah: {وَاللَّیْلِ إِذَا یَغْشَی وَالنَّہَارِ إِذَا تَجَلّٰی} I said: He recites it like this: {وَالذَّکَرِ وَالْأُنْثٰی} He said: I also heard it from the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), but these people have made me doubtful; they want me to recite {وَمَا خَلَقَ الذَّکَرَ وَالْأُنْثٰی}, but I will not accept their word. Then he said: Are these three individuals not among you: the owner of the pillow, the confidant, whom no one knows except him, and those who have been protected from Satan. The owner of the pillow is Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him), the confidant is Sayyiduna Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him), and the one who has been protected from Satan is Sayyiduna Ammar (may Allah be pleased with him). (In another narration): Sayyiduna Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) said to Alqama: Do you recite according to the recitation of Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him)? He said: Yes. Sayyiduna Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Recite Surah Al-Lail. He recited it as: {وَاللَّیْلِ إِذَا یَغْشٰی وَالنَّہَارِ اِذَا تَجَلّٰی وَالذَّکَرِ وَالْاُنْثٰی}. He said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) recite it in this way, then he smiled.