Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah

Hazrat Amr bin Salamah narrates that we used to live near a watering place. Because of this, caravans would stop by us, and among them were some caravans returning from the presence of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him. I would go to them and listen to their conversations, until I had memorized a large portion of the Holy Qur'an. People were waiting for the conquest of Makkah to accept Islam. When Makkah was conquered, people began to come to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, one by one and say, "O Messenger of Allah! We are representatives from such-and-such tribe and have come to inform you of their acceptance of Islam." My father also went to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, to inform him of his tribe's acceptance of Islam. When he was about to return, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said to him, "Appoint as your leader in prayer the one among you who knows the most Qur'an." They considered this, and at that time I was in a large room by the water. They did not find anyone who recited the Qur'an better than me, so they appointed me to lead the prayer. I was a young boy, and I used to lead them in prayer.