عَبْد اللَّهِ بْن أَحْمَد قَالَ قَرَأْتُ عَلَى أَبِي مِنْ هَاهُنَا إِلَى الْبَلَاغِ فَأَقَرَّ بِهِ حَدَّثَنَا مُعَاوِيَةُ بْنُ عَمْرٍو قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا زَائِدَةُ حَدَّثَنَا عَاصِمُ بْنُ أَبِي النَّجُودِ عَنْ زِرٍّ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَتَاهُ بَيْنَ أَبِي بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرَ وَعَبْدُ اللَّهِ يُصَلِّي فَافْتَتَحَ النِّسَاءَ فَسَحَلَهَا فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مَنْ أَحَبَّ أَنْ يَقْرَأَ الْقُرْآنَ غَضًّا كَمَا أُنْزِلَ فَلْيَقْرَأْهُ عَلَى قِرَاءَةِ ابْنِ أُمِّ عَبْدٍ ثُمَّ تَقَدَّمَ يَسْأَلُ فَجَعَلَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ سَلْ تُعْطَهْ سَلْ تُعْطَهْ سَلْ تُعْطَهْ فَقَالَ فِيمَا سَأَلَ اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ إِيمَانًا لَا يَرْتَدُّ وَنَعِيمًا لَا يَنْفَدُ وَمُرَافَقَةَ نَبِيِّكَ مُحَمَّدٍ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فِي أَعْلَى جَنَّةِ الْخُلْدِ قَالَ فَأَتَى عُمَرُ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى عَنْهُ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ لِيُبَشِّرَهُ فَوَجَدَ أَبَا بَكْرٍ رِضْوَانُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ قَدْ سَبَقَهُ فَقَالَ إِنْ فَعَلْتَ لَقَدْ كُنْتَ سَبَّاقًا بِالْخَيْرِ
مسند امام احمد بن حنبل · Hadith 4255
It was narrated from 'Abdullah that the Prophet (PBUH) came to him (walking) between Abu Bakr and 'Umar, when 'Abdullah was praying. He started to recite (Soorat) an-Nisa' and did not stop until he completed it. And the Prophet (PBUH) said: "Whoever would like to recite the Qur'an fresh as it was revealed, let him recite it according to the recitation of Ibn Umm 'Abd. Then he began asking (in du’a) and the Prophet (PBUH) started saying: "Ask, you will be given; ask, you will be given; ask, you will be given." And among the things he asked for, he said: O Allah, i ask You for faith that will never change, blessing that will never expire and to accompany Your Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) in the highest part of the Paradise of eternity. Then 'Umar (RA) came to 'Abdullah to tell him the good news, but he found that Abu Bakr (RA) had beaten him to it so he said: You have beaten me because you are always ahead of us in doing good.
Translated by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan · Reviewed by Islamic University of Madinah · Published March 2020