Abu Sa'id al-Khudri told of Usaid b. Hudair saying that one night he recited the Qur'an in his enclosure, when the horse began to jump about. He again recited and (the horse) again jumped. He again recited and it jumped as before. Usaid said:

I was afraid lest it should trample (his son) Yahya. I stood near it (the horse) and saw something like a canopy over my head with what seemed to be lamps in it, rising up in the sky till it disappeared. I went to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) on the next day and said: Messenger of Allah, I recited the Qur'an during the night in my enclosure and my horse began to jump. Upon this the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: You should have kept on reciting, Ibn Hudair. He (Ibn Hudair) said: I recited. It jumped (as before). Upon this the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) again said: You should have kept on reciting, Ibn Hudair. He (Ibn Hudair) said: I recited and it again jumped (as before). The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) again said: You should kave kept on reciting, Ibu Hudair. He (Ibn Hudair) said: (Messenger of Allah) I finished (the recitation) for Yahya was near (the horse) and I was afraid lest it should trample him. I saw something like a canopy with what seemed to be lamps in it rising up in the sky till it disappeared. Upon this the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Those were the angels who listened to you; and if you had continued reciting, the people would have seen them in the morning and they would not have concealed themselves from them.

وَحَدَّثَنِي حَسَنُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ الْحُلْوَانِيُّ، وَحَجَّاجُ بْنُ الشَّاعِرِ، - وَتَقَارَبَا فِي اللَّفْظِ - قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا يَعْقُوبُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي، حَدَّثَنَا يَزِيدُ بْنُ الْهَادِ، أَنَّ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ خَبَّابٍ، حَدَّثَهُ أَنَّ أَبَا سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيَّ حَدَّثَهُ أَنَّ أُسَيْدَ بْنَ حُضَيْرٍ بَيْنَمَا هُوَ لَيْلَةً يَقْرَأُ فِي مِرْبَدِهِ إِذْ جَالَتْ فَرَسُهُ فَقَرَأَ ثُمَّ جَالَتْ أُخْرَى فَقَرَأَ ثُمَّ جَالَتْ أَيْضًا قَالَ أُسَيْدٌ فَخَشِيتُ أَنْ تَطَأَ يَحْيَى فَقُمْتُ إِلَيْهَا فَإِذَا مِثْلُ الظُّلَّةِ فَوْقَ رَأْسِي فِيهَا أَمْثَالُ السُّرُجِ عَرَجَتْ فِي الْجَوِّ حَتَّى مَا أَرَاهَا - قَالَ - فَغَدَوْتُ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ بَيْنَمَا أَنَا الْبَارِحَةَ مِنْ جَوْفِ اللَّيْلِ أَقْرَأُ فِي مِرْبَدِي إِذْ جَالَتْ فَرَسِي ‏.‏ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏"‏ اقْرَإِ ابْنَ حُضَيْرٍ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ فَقَرَأْتُ ثُمَّ جَالَتْ أَيْضًا ‏.‏ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏"‏ اقْرَإِ ابْنَ حُضَيْرٍ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ فَقَرَأْتُ ثُمَّ جَالَتْ أَيْضًا ‏.‏ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏"‏ اقْرَإِ ابْنَ حُضَيْرٍ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ فَانْصَرَفْتُ ‏.‏ وَكَانَ يَحْيَى قَرِيبًا مِنْهَا خَشِيتُ أَنْ تَطَأَهُ فَرَأَيْتُ مِثْلَ الظُّلَّةِ فِيهَا أَمْثَالُ السُّرُجِ عَرَجَتْ فِي الْجَوِّ حَتَّى مَا أَرَاهَا فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏"‏ تِلْكَ الْمَلاَئِكَةُ كَانَتْ تَسْتَمِعُ لَكَ وَلَوْ قَرَأْتَ لأَصْبَحَتْ يَرَاهَا النَّاسُ مَا تَسْتَتِرُ مِنْهُمْ ‏"‏ ‏.‏