حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ وَبَهْزٌ وَحَجَّاجٌ قَالُوا حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ عَلْقَمَةَ بْنَ مَرْثَدٍ يُحَدِّثُ عَنْ سَعْدِ بْنِ عُبَيْدَةَ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ السُّلَمِيِّ عَنْ عُثْمَانَ بْنِ عَفَّانَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ عَنْ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَنَّهُ قَالَ إِنَّ خَيْرَكُمْ مَنْ عَلَّمَ الْقُرْآنَ أَوْ تَعَلَّمَهُ قَالَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ وَحَجَّاجٌ فَقَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ فَذَاكَ الَّذِي أَقْعَدَنِي هَذَا الْمَقْعَدَ قَالَ حَجَّاجٌ قَالَ شُعْبَةُ وَلَمْ يَسْمَعْ أَبُو عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ مِنْ عُثْمَانَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ وَلَا مِنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ وَلَكِنْ قَدْ سَمِعَ مِنْ عَلِيٍّ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ أَبِي وَقَالَ بَهْزٌ عَنْ شُعْبَةَ قَالَ عَلْقَمَةُ بْنُ مَرْثَدٍ أَخْبَرَنِي وَقَالَ خَيْرُكُمْ مَنْ تَعَلَّمَ الْقُرْآنَ وَعَلَّمَهُ
مسند امام احمد بن حنبل · Hadith 412
It was narrated from 'Uthman bin 'Affan (RA) that the Prophet (PBUH) said: "The best of you is the one who teaches Qur'an or learns it." Muhammad bin Ja'far and Hajjaj said: Abu 'Abdur-Rahman said: That is what made me sit in this place (i.e., become a teacher). Hajjaj said: Shu'bah said: Abu 'Abdur-Rahman did not hear (it) from 'Uthman (RA) or from 'Abdullah, but he heard it from 'Ali (RA). My father said and Bahz said: (It was narrated from) Shu'bah who said: 'Alqamah bin Marthad told me: "The best of you is the one who learns Qur'an and teaches it."
Translated by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan · Reviewed by Islamic University of Madinah · Published March 2020