Mukhtasar Muslim

‘Sayyiduna Abu Wa’il (may Allah be pleased with him) says: One day, after offering the Fajr prayer, we went early in the morning to the house of Abdullah bin Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with them). We stood at the door and greeted with salam, and we were granted permission. Abu Wa’il says: We stood at the door for a little while, then a girl came out and said, “Why do you not enter inside?” So we entered and saw that Abdullah bin Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with them) was sitting and reciting tasbih. He said, “When you were given permission, what prevented you from entering?” We said, “Nothing, we just thought that perhaps some of your family members might be asleep.” Abdullah bin Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with them) said, “Did you think the family of Ibn Umm ‘Abd to be heedless?” Then he became engaged in tasbih again until he thought that the sun had risen. He said to the girl, “Look, has the sun risen?” Abu Wa’il says: She looked and said, “No, the sun has not yet risen.” He again became engaged in tasbih until he thought that the sun had risen. He again said to the girl, “Look, has the sun risen?” She looked and said, “Yes, the sun has risen.” He said, “All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds, who has forgiven us in this day of ours.” Mahdi says: I think Abdullah bin Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with them) said, “And did not destroy us because of our sins.” Then a man from among the people said, “I have recited all the Mufassal surahs this night.” Abdullah bin Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with them) said, “You recited like poetry is recited.” We have indeed heard the pairs, and I remember those pairs which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to recite. They are eighteen surahs from the Mufassal and two surahs from Al-Ha-Meem. (By pairs, it is meant those surahs which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to recite two at a time in one rak’ah.)