It was narrated that ‘Aishah the wife of the Prophet (ﷺ) said:

“One night at the time of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) I was late returning from the ‘Isha’, then I came and he said: ‘Where were you?’ I said: ‘I was listening to the recitation of a man among your Companions, for I have never heard a recitation or a voice like his from anyone.’ He got up and I got up with him, to go and listen to him. Then he turned to me and said: ‘This is Salim, the freed slave of Abu Hudhaifah. Praise is to Allah Who has created such men among my Ummah.’”

حَدَّثَنَا الْعَبَّاسُ بْنُ عُثْمَانَ الدِّمَشْقِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا الْوَلِيدُ بْنُ مُسْلِمٍ، حَدَّثَنَا حَنْظَلَةُ بْنُ أَبِي سُفْيَانَ، أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ عَبْدَ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنَ سَابِطٍ الْجُمَحِيَّ، يُحَدِّثُ عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، زَوْجِ النَّبِيِّ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ قَالَتْ أَبْطَأْتُ عَلَى عَهْدِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ لَيْلَةً بَعْدَ الْعِشَاءِ ثُمَّ جِئْتُ فَقَالَ ‏"‏ أَيْنَ كُنْتِ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قُلْتُ كُنْتُ أَسْتَمِعُ قِرَاءَةَ رَجُلٍ مِنْ أَصْحَابِكَ لَمْ أَسْمَعْ مِثْلَ قِرَاءَتِهِ وَصَوْتِهِ مِنْ أَحَدٍ ‏.‏ قَالَتْ فَقَامَ وَقُمْتُ مَعَهُ حَتَّى اسْتَمَعَ لَهُ ثُمَّ الْتَفَتَ إِلَىَّ فَقَالَ ‏"‏ هَذَا سَالِمٌ، مَوْلَى أَبِي حُذَيْفَةَ. الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي جَعَلَ فِي أُمَّتِي مِثْلَ هَذَا ‏"‏ ‏.‏