Ubayy bin Kab
Why he matters
A leading companion from the Ansar, designated as one of the four primary teachers of the Quran by the Prophet. He was historically known as the 'Chief of the Reciters' (Sayyid al-Qurra).
Sahih al-Bukhari 3808
سَمِعْتُ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ: خُذُوا الْقُرْآنَ مِنْ أَرْبَعَةٍ مِنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مَسْعُودٍ ـ فَبَدَأَ بِهِ ـ وَسَالِمٍ مَوْلَى أَبِي حُذَيْفَةَ، وَمُعَاذِ بْنِ جَبَلٍ، وَأُبَىِّ بْنِ كَعْبٍ.
I heard the Prophet (ﷺ) saying, 'Take (learn) the Qur'an from four: 'Abdullah bin Mas'ud, Salim, Mu'adh bin Jabal and Ubayy bin Ka'b.'
Sahih al-Bukhari 3809
عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ قَالَ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم لأُبَىٍّ: إِنَّ اللَّهَ أَمَرَنِي أَنْ أَقْرَأَ عَلَيْكَ {لَمْ يَكُنِ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا}. قَالَ: وَسَمَّانِي؟ قَالَ: نَعَمْ. فَبَكَى.
Narrated Anas bin Malik: The Prophet (ﷺ) said to Ubayy, 'Allah has ordered me to recite to you: Those who disbelieve (Surah 98).' Ubayy said, 'Did He mention my name?' The Prophet (ﷺ) said, 'Yes.' On hearing this, Ubayy wept.
18. Al-Kahf
Standard Uthmanic Text
فَٱنطَلَقَا حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَآ أَتَيَآ أَهۡلَ قَرۡيَةٍ ٱسۡتَطۡعَمَآ أَهۡلَهَا فَأَبَوۡاْ أَن يُضَيِّفُوهُمَا فَوَجَدَا فِيهَا جِدَارٗا يُرِيدُ أَن يَنقَضَّ فَأَقَامَهُۥۖ قَالَ لَوۡ شِئۡتَ لَتَّخَذۡتَ عَلَيۡهِ أَجۡرٗا
So they both set out (and continued on) until, when they came to the people of a town, they asked its people for food, but they refused to offer them hospitality. They both found in it a wall on the verge of collapse, and he set it up. He said, ‘If you had wished, you could indeed have taken a reward for that.’
Ubayy bin Kab Variant
لَتَخِذْتَ عَلَيْهِ أَجْرًا
used to recite this
وَحَدَّثَنَا عَمْرٌو النَّاقِدُ، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ بْنُ عُيَيْنَةَ، عَنْ عَمْرٍو، عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ جُبَيْرٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، عَنْ أُبَىِّ بْنِ كَعْبٍ، أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَرَأَ { لَتَخِذْتَ عَلَيْهِ أَجْرًا} .
Ibn 'Abbas has reported this hadith on the authority of Ubayy b. ka'b that Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) used to recite this[omitted from the english translation: {latakhidhta 'alayhi ajran} (you could have surely taken a wage for it).]
102. At-Takathur
Standard Uthmanic Text
أَلۡهَىٰكُمُ ٱلتَّكَاثُرُ
Rivalry diverts you,
Ubayy bin Kab Variant
لَوْ أَنَّ ابْنَ آدَمَ أُعْطِيَ وَادِيًا مَلأً مِنْ ذَهَبٍ أَحَبَّ إِلَيْهِ ثَانِيًا، وَلَوْ أُعْطِيَ ثَانِيًا أَحَبَّ إِلَيْهِ ثَالِثًا، وَلاَ يَسُدُّ جَوْفَ ابْنِ آدَمَ إِلاَّ التُّرَابُ، وَيَتُوبُ اللَّهُ عَلَى مَنْ تَابَ
If the son of Adam were given a valley full of gold, he would love to have a second one; and if he were given the second one, he would love to have a third, for nothing fills the belly of Adam's son except dust. And Allah forgives he who repents to Him.
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو نُعَيْمٍ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ سُلَيْمَانَ بْنِ الْغَسِيلِ، عَنْ عَبَّاسِ بْنِ سَهْلِ بْنِ سَعْدٍ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ ابْنَ الزُّبَيْرِ، عَلَى الْمِنْبَرِ بِمَكَّةَ فِي خُطْبَتِهِ يَقُولُ يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم كَانَ يَقُولُ " لَوْ أَنَّ ابْنَ آدَمَ أُعْطِيَ وَادِيًا مَلأً مِنْ ذَهَبٍ أَحَبَّ إِلَيْهِ ثَانِيًا، وَلَوْ أُعْطِيَ ثَانِيًا أَحَبَّ إِلَيْهِ ثَالِثًا، وَلاَ يَسُدُّ جَوْفَ ابْنِ آدَمَ إِلاَّ التُّرَابُ، وَيَتُوبُ اللَّهُ عَلَى مَنْ تَابَ ".
Narrated Sahl bin Sa`d:I heard Ibn Az-Zubair who was on the pulpit at Mecca, delivering a sermon, saying, "O men! The Prophet used to say, "If the son of Adam were given a valley full of gold, he would love to have a second one; and if he were given the second one, he would love to have a third, for nothing fills the belly of Adam's son except dust. And Allah forgives he who repents to Him." Ubai said, "We considered this as a saying from the Qur'an till the Sura (beginning with) 'The mutual rivalry for piling up of worldly things diverts you..' (102.1) was revealed"
Standard Uthmanic Text
أَلۡهَىٰكُمُ ٱلتَّكَاثُرُ
Rivalry diverts you,
Ubayy bin Kab Variant
لَوْ أَنَّ لاِبْنِ آدَمَ وَادِيًا مِنْ ذَهَبٍ أَحَبَّ أَنْ يَكُونَ لَهُ وَادِيَانِ، وَلَنْ يَمْلأَ فَاهُ إِلاَّ التُّرَابُ، وَيَتُوبُ اللَّهُ عَلَى مَنْ تَابَ
If Adam's son had a valley full of gold, he would like to have two valleys, for nothing fills his mouth except dust. And Allah forgives him who repents to Him
وَقَالَ لَنَا أَبُو الْوَلِيدِ حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادُ بْنُ سَلَمَةَ، عَنْ ثَابِتٍ، عَنْ أَنَسٍ، عَنْ أُبَىٍّ، قَالَ كُنَّا نَرَى هَذَا مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ حَتَّى نَزَلَتْ {أَلْهَاكُمُ التَّكَاثُرُ}
Ubayy said (referring to the hadith above), "We considered this as a saying from the Qur'an till the Surah (beginning with):"The mutual rivalry (for piling up of worldly things) diverts you' (102:1) was revealed"