Ibn Masud was mentioned in the presence of Abdullah bin Amr, and he said, "That is a man I will never cease to love after hearing the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say, 'Learn the Quran from four men, Ibn Masud, Salim the freed slave of Abu Huzaifa, Ubayy bin Kaab, and Muaz bin Jabal.'"
ذكروا ابن مسعود عند عبد الله بن عمرو فقال: ذاك رجل لا أزال أحبه بعد ما سمعت رسول الله ﷺ يقول: استقرؤا القرآن من أربعة: من ابن مسعود، وسالم مولى أبي حذيفة، وأبي بن كعب، ومعاذ بن جبل.
Bukhari narrated it in Fadail al-Sahabah (3758), and Muslim in Fadail al-Sahabah (2464-118), both through the route of Shuba, from Amr bin Mura, from Ibrahim, from Masruq, who said, then he mentioned it. This is the wording of Muslim, and Bukhari added at the end, "He said, I do not know whether he began with Ubayy or with Muaz." In another wording, "Recite the Quran from four men," and in another wording, "Take the Quran from four." Then he mentioned them.Muslim narrated it (2464-116,117) through another route, from Amash, from Shaqiq, from Masruq, with the same wording.As for what was narrated from Abdullah bin Masud, that the Prophet ﷺ said, "Take the Quran from four, from Ubayy bin Kaab, Abdullah bin Masud, Muaz bin Jabal, and Salim the freed slave of Abu Huzaifa," this is inverted.Bazzar narrated it (1526), and Hakim (3/225), both through the route of Ibrahim bin Mahdi, who said, Abu Ismail al-Muaddib narrated to us, from Amash, from Ibrahim, from Alqama, from Abdullah, then he mentioned it.Bazzar said, "We have not heard this hadith except from Ibrahim bin Saeed, from Ibrahim bin Mahdi, from Abu Ismail al-Muaddib."Ibrahim bin Mahdi is al-Masissi, whom Abu Hatim and Ibn Qani deemed trustworthy, but Ibn Main said about him, "He brought forth objectionable reports," and Aqeeli said, "He transmitted objectionable reports."Ibn Hajar criticized it in Fath al-Bari (9/47), saying, "It is inverted, for what is preserved regarding this is from Amash, from Abu Waail, from Masruq," as mentioned before, meaning the hadith of Abdullah bin Amr. Perhaps al-Masissi did not correctly memorize the chain.Then the Hafiz mentioned another possibility, saying, "It is possible that Ibrahim received it from two teachers, and Amash received it from two teachers."Note, in the printed edition of Mustadrak, "Abu Saeed al-Muaddib" appears in place of "Abu Ismail al-Muaddib."