Mishkat al-Masabih
Mishkat al-Masabih 1332
وَعَنْ أَبِي أُمَامَةَ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «مَا أَذِنَ اللَّهُ لَعَبْدٍ فِي شَيْءٍ أَفْضَلَ مِنَ الرَّكْعَتَيْنِ يُصَلِّيهِمَا وَإِنَّ الْبِرَّ لَيُذَرُّ عَلَى رَأْسِ الْعَبْدِ مَا دَامَ فِي صَلَاتِهِ وَمَا تَقَرَّبَ الْعِبَادُ إِلَى اللَّهِ بِمِثْلِ مَا خَرَجَ مِنْهُ» يَعْنِي الْقُرْآنَ. رَوَاهُ أَحْمد وَالتِّرْمِذِيّ
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Abu Umama reported that the Messenger of God said: God has not permitted a servant anything better than the two units he prays. Goodness is poured over a servant's head as long as he is praying, and servants do not draw near to God with anything like that which has come from Him. He meant the Qur’an. Ahmad and al-Tirmidhi transmitted it.
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
مَا أَذِنَ اللَّهُ لَعَبْدٍ فِي شَيْءٍ
The verb أذن can mean to permit or to listen, and the inherited English witness takes it in the sense of listening.
Should the phrase be read as divine permission or as God listening to a servant?