Arabic (Original)
حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْوَاحِدِ بْنُ وَاصِلٍ الْحَدَّادُّ حَدَّثَنَا مِسْعَرٌ أَبُو الْحَارِثِ الْجَرْمِيُّ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ عَمْرَو بْنَ سَلِمَةَ الْجَرْمِيَّ يُحَدِّثُ أَنَّ أَبَاهُ وَنَفَرًا مِنْ قَوْمِهِ وَفَدُوا إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ حِينَ ظَهَرَ أَمْرُهُ وَتَعَلَّمَ النَّاسُ فَقَضَوْا حَوَائِجَهُمْ ثُمَّ سَأَلُوهُ مَنْ يُصَلِّي لَنَا أَوْ يُصَلِّي بِنَا فَقَالَ يُصَلِّي لَكُمْ أَوْ بِكُمْ أَكْثَرُكُمْ جَمْعًا لِلْقُرْآنِ أَوْ أَخْذًا لِلْقُرْآنِ فَقَدِمُوا عَلَى قَوْمِهِمْ فَسَأَلُوا فِي الْحَيِّ فَلَمْ يَجِدُوا أَحَدًا جَمَعَ أَكْثَرَ مِمَّا جَمَعْتُ فَقَدَّمُونِي بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ فَصَلَّيْتُ بِهِمْ وَأَنَا غُلَامٌ عَلَيَّ شَمْلَةٌ لِي قَالَ فَمَا شَهِدْتُ مَجْمَعًا مِنْ جَرْمٍ إِلَّا كُنْتُ إِمَامَهُمْ إِلَى يَوْمِي هَذَا.
English Translation
Amr ibn Salamah al-Jarmi narrated that his father and a group of his people went as a delegation to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) when his matter became known and the people learned. They fulfilled their needs, then asked him: 'Who should lead us in prayer?' He said: 'The one who leads you in prayer should be the one who has gathered the most Quran among you.' They returned to their people and looked, and the one who had gathered the most Quran was this boy, so they put him forward to lead them.