Narrated Abu Hurairah:
"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) sent an expedition force [comprised] of many, and he asked each what he could recite, so each one of them mentioned what he could recite - meaning what he had memorized of the Qur'an. He came to one of the youngest men among them and said: 'What have you memorized O so-and-so?' He said: 'I memorized this and that and Surat Al-Baqarah.' He said: 'You memorized Surat Al-Baqarah?' He said: "Yes.' He said: "Then go, for you are their commander.' A man among their chief said: 'By Allah [O Messenger of Allah]! Nothing prevented me from learning Surat Al-Baqarah except fearing that I would not be able to stand with (in voluntary night prayer).' The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: 'Learn the Qur'an to recite it, for indeed the parable of the Qur'an for the one who recites it and stands with it (in prayer) is that of a bag full of musk whose scent fills the air all around. And the parable of the one who learns it then sleeps while it is in his memory is that of a bag containing musk that is tied shut.'"
حَدَّثَنَا الْحَسَنُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ الْخَلاَّلُ الْحُلْوَانِيُّ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو أُسَامَةَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْحَمِيدِ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ، عَنْ سَعِيدٍ الْمَقْبُرِيِّ، عَنْ عَطَاءٍ، مَوْلَى أَبِي أَحْمَدَ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ بَعَثَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم بَعْثًا وَهُمْ ذُو عَدَدٍ فَاسْتَقْرَأَهُمْ فَاسْتَقْرَأَ كُلَّ رَجُلٍ مِنْهُمْ مَا مَعَهُ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ فَأَتَى عَلَى رَجُلٍ مِنْهُمْ مِنْ أَحْدَثِهِمْ سِنًّا فَقَالَ " مَا مَعَكَ يَا فُلاَنُ " . قَالَ مَعِي كَذَا وَكَذَا وَسُورَةُ الْبَقَرَةِ . قَالَ " أَمَعَكَ سُورَةُ الْبَقَرَةِ " . فَقَالَ نَعَمْ . قَالَ " فَاذْهَبْ فَأَنْتَ أَمِيرُهُمْ " . فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ مِنْ أَشْرَافِهِمْ وَاللَّهِ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ مَا مَنَعَنِي أَنْ أَتَعَلَّمَ سُورَةَ الْبَقَرَةِ إِلاَّ خَشْيَةَ أَلاَّ أَقُومَ بِهَا . فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " تَعَلَّمُوا الْقُرْآنَ فَاقْرَءُوهُ وَأَقْرِئُوهُ فَإِنَّ مَثَلَ الْقُرْآنِ لِمَنْ تَعَلَّمَهُ فَقَرَأَهُ وَقَامَ بِهِ كَمَثَلِ جِرَابٍ مَحْشُوٍّ مِسْكًا يَفُوحُ بِرِيحِهِ كُلُّ مَكَانٍ وَمَثَلُ مَنْ تَعَلَّمَهُ فَيَرْقُدُ وَهُوَ فِي جَوْفِهِ كَمَثَلِ جِرَابٍ وُكِئَ عَلَى مِسْكٍ " . قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ . وَقَدْ رَوَاهُ اللَّيْثُ بْنُ سَعْدٍ عَنْ سَعِيدٍ الْمَقْبُرِيِّ، عَنْ عَطَاءٍ، مَوْلَى أَبِي أَحْمَدَ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم مُرْسَلاً وَلَمْ يَذْكُرْ فِيهِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ . حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ عَنِ اللَّيْثِ فَذَكَرَهُ .