"We arrived in Ash-Sham and we went to Abu Ad-Darda. So he said: 'Is there any among you who can recite for me according to the recitation of 'Abdullah?'" He said: "They pointed to me, so I said: 'Yes, [I (can recite)].' He said: 'How did you hear 'Abdullah recite this Ayah: By the night as it envelopes?'" He said: "I said: 'I heard him recite it: "Wal-Laili Idha Yaghsha, Wadh-Dhakari Wal-Untha" Abu Ad-Darda said: 'Me too, By Allah, this is how I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) reciting it. But these people want me to recite it: Wa Ma Khalaqa but I will not follow them.'"
Chapters on Recitation - Jami' at-Tirmidhi
Hadith Reference: Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2939
Narration Context
This narration describes a companion visiting Abu Ad-Darda in Ash-Sham, where he inquires about the authentic recitation of Abdullah ibn Mas'ud concerning Surah al-Lail (Chapter 92).
Scholarly Commentary
The verse in question is from Surah al-Lail (92:1-3). Abu Ad-Darda confirms that the recitation "Wal-Laili Idha Yaghsha" (By the night as it envelopes) and "Wadh-Dhakari Wal-Untha" (And the male and female) is the authentic recitation he heard directly from Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ).
The alternative recitation "Wa Ma Khalaqa" (And what He created) represents one of the seven authentic qira'at (recitations) that developed later. Abu Ad-Darda's refusal to adopt this variant demonstrates the early companions' strict adherence to what they directly heard from the Prophet.
Legal and Theological Significance
This hadith affirms the validity of multiple authentic recitations while highlighting the companions' preference for transmissions they directly received from the Prophet. It illustrates the principle of tawatur (mass transmission) in Quranic recitation and shows how early Muslims preserved the exact wording they learned from the Messenger of Allah.