Regarding Abul-Ma’aadee Muhammad ibn ‘Ali ibn Abil-‘Ashaa.ir al-Halabee (died 789A.H.), it has been narrated that he memorised Soorah al-An’aam in his youth, after he had read it only once.
Category: Words of Wisdom
Did not make a single mistake
Ishaaq ibn Raahawayh dictated 11,000 hadeeth to us from memory. He then read them (what he had dictated) to us and [found he] had not made a single mistake [in what he had dictated to us].
Memorised the Qur.aan
Abu Waa.il Shaqeeq ibn Salamah (died 82 A.H.) memorised the Qur.aan in 2 months.
Made istikhaarah for three years
Abu Ja’far at-Tabaree رحمه الله said: ‘I made istikhaarah to Allaah for three years and asked him for assistance for that which I had made the intention to compile the tafseer before I began, and so…
A strong memory
I have never memorised anything and thereafter forgotten it.
Relentless weeping
I was unable to listen to the recitation of ath-Thowree due to his relentless weeping.
Standing the night in prayer
Never did I raise my head at night (woke up) except that I saw Moosaa ibn Abi ‘Aa.ishah standing in prayer.
Except the day when my mother passed away
I remained for forty years, and never [once] missed the initial takbeer [upon beginning the congregational prayer], except the day when my mother passed away.
My health has forsaken me
My health has forsaken me, and I have become weak, and my bones are bruised, [yet] today I [still] stand for prayer, but am only able to recite [soorahs] al-Baqarah and Aal-‘Imraan.
That was not a treetrunk
O mother, I do not see that [tree]trunk which used to be on the roof of that family’s house.