A man from the Ansar used to lead the people in prayer at the mosque of Quba. Whenever he began a surah to recite for them in the prayer, he would start with "Say, He is Allah, the One" until he finished it, then he would recite another surah along with it. He did this in every rakah.His companions spoke to him about it and said, "You recite this surah, then you do not seem to consider it sufficient until you recite another surah with it. Either recite it alone, or leave it and recite a different surah."He replied, "I will not leave it. If you wish me to lead you in prayer this way, I will do so. If you dislike it, I will leave you."They considered him the best among them and were unwilling for anyone else to lead them. When the Prophet ﷺ came to them, they informed him of the matter.He said, "So-and-so, what prevents you from doing what your companions ask, and what makes you recite this surah in every rakah?"The man said, "Messenger of Allah, I love it."The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "Your love for it has admitted you to Paradise."
حدثنا محمد بن إسمعيل حدثنا إسمعيل بن أبي أويس حدثنا عبد العزيز بن محمد عن عبيد الله بن عمر عن ثابت البناني
كان رجل من الأنصار يؤمهم في مسجد قباء فكان كلما افتتح سورة يقرأ لهم في الصلاة فقرأ بها افتتح بقل هو الله أحد حتى يفرغ منها ثم يقرأ بسورة أخرى معها وكان يصنع ذلك في كل ركعة فكلمه أصحابه فقالوا إنك تقرأ بهذه السورة ثم لا ترى أنها تجزئك حتى تقرأ بسورة أخرى فإما أن تقرأ بها وإما أن تدعها وتقرأ بسورة أخرى قال ما أنا بتاركها إن أحببتم أن أؤمكم بها فعلت وإن كرهتم تركتكم وكانوا يرونه أفضلهم وكرهوا أن يؤمهم غيره فلما أتاهم النبي ﷺ أخبروه الخبر فقال يا فلان ما يمنعك مما يأمر به أصحابك وما يحملك أن تقرأ هذه السورة في كل ركعة فقال يا رسول الله إني أحبها فقال رسول الله ﷺ إن حبها أدخلك الجنة
[Sahih]. Bukhari narrated it from Ismail bin Abu Uways (Fath al-Bari 2/257), and Ibn Khuzayma narrated it, hadith no. 537, from the hadith of Abdul-Aziz Darawardi through the same route. Bukhari mentioned it without a chain in his Sahih, hadith no. 774m. As for the hadith of Mubarak bin Fadala, Ibn Adi narrated it (6/2322), and it belongs to a sahih hadith.