A Reciter of the Qur’an
Uqba ibn Amir was of Banu Juhayna, a fine reciter and one of the prolific narrators of the Prophet’s ﷺ words. The Prophet ﷺ bade him recite the two surahs of refuge — al-Falaq and an-Nas — every night, telling him their like had not been revealed before; Uqba said he never left them off thereafter. 1 Hayatus Sahaba · Vol 3 · pp. 329 — Kandhlawi — the Prophet teaches Uqba the Mu'awwidhatayn and tells him to recite them nightly. Such was his standing as a narrator that Abu Ayyub al-Ansari travelled all the way to Egypt to hear from him a single hadith — that whoever conceals a believer’s fault, Allah will conceal his on the Day of Resurrection. 2 Hayatus Sahaba · Vol 3 · pp. 241 — Kandhlawi — Abu Ayyub travels to Egypt to hear from Uqba the hadith on concealing a believer's faults.
Virtues in the Hadith
It was to Uqba that the Prophet ﷺ said:
أَلَمْ تَرَ آيَاتٍ أُنْزِلَتِ اللَّيْلَةَ لَمْ يُرَ مِثْلُهُنَّ قَطُّ
”Have you not seen the verses revealed tonight, the like of which has never been seen?” — al-Falaq and an-Nas.
Sahih Muslim 814a · Book 6 (Travellers’ Prayer), Hadith 319 · narrated by Uqba ibn Amir
He served in Egypt and died there.
Life Timeline
Born of Banu Juhayna
Taught the Mu'awwidhatayn by the Prophet ﷺ
A reciter and narrator; serves in Egypt
Dies in Egypt
References
- Hayatus Sahaba — Kandhlawi — the Prophet ﷺ teaches Uqba the Mu'awwidhatayn to recite every night Vol 3 · pp. 329
- Hayatus Sahaba — Kandhlawi — Abu Ayyub travels to Egypt to ask Uqba a hadith on concealing a believer's faults Vol 3 · pp. 241
- Sahih Muslim — Verses revealed the like of which was never seen — al-Falaq and an-Nas — narrated by Uqba pp. 814a (Book 6, Hadith 319)