Someone objected, “By Allah, ʿAlqamah is not the most proficient among us in recitation.”

He answered, “Indeed he is—by Allah—and, if you wish, I can tell you what has been said about your people and his.”

Al-Aʿmash related from Ibrāhīm: “ʿAlqamah would finish a complete reading of the Qur’an in five nights, al-Aswad in six, and ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Yazīd in seven.”

Jarīr ibn ʿAbd al-Ḥamīd narrated from Qābūs ibn Abī Ẓabyān: “I said to my father, ‘Why do you go to ʿAlqamah and leave the Companions of the Prophet ﷺ?’ He replied, ‘I met some of the Prophet’s Companions who used to ask ʿAlqamah questions and seek his legal opinions.’”

Shurayk narrated from Abū Isḥāq, from ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Yazīd, who said: “It was said to Ibn Masʿūd, ‘ʿAlqamah is not the best reciter among us.’ Ibn Masʿūd replied, ‘Indeed—by Allah—he is the most proficient of you all.’”

Ishāq ibn Ṭāriq informed us; Abū al-Makārim al-Taymī informed us; al-Ḥaddād informed us; Abū Nuʿaym reported to us; Muḥammad ibn Aḥmad ibn al-Ḥasan related to us; Muḥammad ibn ʿUthmān related to us; Ibn Numayr related to us; Ḥafṣ ibn Ghiyāth, on the authority of al-Aʿmash, from al-Musayyab ibn Rāfiʿ, said:

“It was said to ʿAlqamah, ‘If only you would sit and teach the people the Qur’an and relate hadith to them.’ He replied, ‘I dislike that my heel be trampled (1) and that people should point and say, “This is ʿAlqamah.”’

“So he stayed in his house, feeding his sheep and cutting fodder (2) for them. He also kept a stick with which he would separate them whenever they butted one another.

Ibn ʿUyaynah narrated from ʿUmar ibn Saʿd, who said: ‘Al-Rabīʿ ibn Khuthaym (3) used to visit ʿAlqamah and would say, “I visit no one but you,” or, “There is no one I visit as I visit you.”’