Mukhtasar Muslim

Sayyiduna Abu’l-Aswad said that Sayyiduna Abu Musa Ash‘ari (may Allah be pleased with him) summoned the reciters of Basra, and all three hundred reciters who had completed the recitation of the Qur’an came to him. Sayyiduna Abu Musa (may Allah be pleased with him) said to them: “You are the best among the people of Basra and its reciters, so continue to recite the Qur’an and do not become lazy after a long time has passed, lest your hearts become hardened as the hearts of those before you became hardened. And we used to recite a surah which, in length and in stern warnings, was equal to ‘Bara’ah’ (Surah At-Tawbah). Then I was made to forget it, except for this part which I remember: ‘If a man had two valleys full of wealth, he would seek a third, and nothing fills the belly of man except dust.’ And we used to recite another surah, which we considered equal to one of the Musabbihat (the surahs beginning with ‘Glorify’), but I have forgotten it too, except for this verse which I remember: ‘O you who believe! Why do you say what you do not do?’ (If you say such a thing which you do not do yourself,) it will be written against your necks as a testimony, and you will be questioned about it on the Day of Resurrection.”