The recitation of the Qur‘an by heart

Narrated Sahl bin Sad:

A lady came to Allah's Apostle and said, "O Allah's Apostle! I have come to you to offer myself to you." He raised his eyes and looked at her and then lowered his head. When the lady saw that he did not make any decision, she sat down. On that, a man from his companions got up and said. "O Allah's Apostle! If you are not in need of this woman, then marry her to me." Allah's Apostle ﷺ said, "Do you have anything to offer her?" He replied. "No, by Allah, O Allah's Apostle!" The Prophet ﷺ said to him, "Go to your family and see if you can find something.' The man went and returned, saying, "No, by Allah, O Allah's Apostle! I have not found anything." The Prophet ﷺ said, "Try to find something, even if it is an iron ring.'' He went again and returned, saying, "No, by Allah, O Allah's Apostle, not even an iron ring, but I have this waist sheet of mine." The man had no upper garment, so he intended to give her, half his waist sheet. So Allah's Apostle ﷺ said, ''What would she do with your waist sheet? If you wear it, she will have nothing of it over her body, and if she wears it, you will have nothing over your body." So that man sat for a long period and then got up, and Allah's Apostle saw him going away, so he ordered somebody to call him. When he came, the Prophet asked him, " How much of the Qur'an do you know?" He replied, "I know such Surat and such Surat and such Surat," and went on counting it, The Prophet asked him, "Can you recite it by heart?" he replied, "Yes." The Prophet ﷺ said, "Go, I have married this lady to you for the amount of the Qur'an you know by heart."

حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا يَعْقُوبُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، عَنْ أَبِي حَازِمٍ، عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ سَعْدٍ، أَنَّ امْرَأَةً، جَاءَتْ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقَالَتْ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ جِئْتُ لأَهَبَ لَكَ نَفْسِي فَنَظَرَ إِلَيْهَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَصَعَّدَ النَّظَرَ إِلَيْهَا وَصَوَّبَهُ ثُمَّ طَأْطَأَ رَأْسَهُ، فَلَمَّا رَأَتِ الْمَرْأَةُ أَنَّهُ لَمْ يَقْضِ فِيهَا شَيْئًا جَلَسَتْ، فَقَامَ رَجُلٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِهِ فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ لَكَ بِهَا حَاجَةٌ فَزَوِّجْنِيهَا. فَقَالَ " هَلْ عِنْدَكَ مِنْ شَىْءٍ ". فَقَالَ لاَ وَاللَّهِ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ. قَالَ " اذْهَبْ إِلَى أَهْلِكَ فَانْظُرْ هَلْ تَجِدُ شَيْئًا ". فَذَهَبَ ثُمَّ رَجَعَ فَقَالَ لاَ وَاللَّهِ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ مَا وَجَدْتُ شَيْئًا. قَالَ " انْظُرْ وَلَوْ خَاتَمًا مِنْ حَدِيدٍ ". فَذَهَبَ ثُمَّ رَجَعَ فَقَالَ لاَ وَاللَّهِ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَلاَ خَاتَمًا مِنْ حَدِيدٍ وَلَكِنْ هَذَا إِزَارِي ـ قَالَ سَهْلٌ مَا لَهُ رِدَاءٌ ـ فَلَهَا نِصْفُهُ. فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ " مَا تَصْنَعُ بِإِزَارِكَ إِنْ لَبِسْتَهُ لَمْ يَكُنْ عَلَيْهَا مِنْهُ شَىْءٌ وَإِنْ لَبِسَتْهُ لَمْ يَكُنْ عَلَيْكَ شَىْءٌ ". فَجَلَسَ الرَّجُلُ حَتَّى طَالَ مَجْلِسُهُ ثُمَّ قَامَ فَرَآهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ مُوَلِّيًا فَأَمَرَ بِهِ فَدُعِيَ فَلَمَّا جَاءَ قَالَ " مَاذَا مَعَكَ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ ". قَالَ مَعِي سُورَةُ كَذَا وَسُورَةُ كَذَا وَسُورَةُ كَذَا عَدَّهَا قَالَ " أَتَقْرَؤُهُنَّ عَنْ ظَهْرِ قَلْبِكَ ". قَالَ نَعَمْ. قَالَ " اذْهَبْ فَقَدْ مَلَّكْتُكَهَا بِمَا مَعَكَ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ ".