Arabic (Original)
حَدَّثَنَا هَاشِمٌ حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ عَنْ عَبْدِ الْمَلِكِ بْنِ مَيْسَرَةَ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ كُرْدُوسَ بْنَ قَيْسٍ وَكَانَ قَاصَّ الْعَامَّةِ بِالْكُوفَةِ قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي رَجُلٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ بَدْرٍ أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ لَأَنْ أَقْعُدَ فِي مِثْلِ هَذَا الْمَجْلِسِ أَحَبُّ إِلَيَّ مِنْ أَنْ أُعْتِقَ أَرْبَعَ رِقَابٍ قَالَ شُعْبَةُ فَقُلْتُ أَيَّ مَجْلِسٍ تَعْنِي قَالَ كَانَ قَاصًّا.
English Translation
Hashim narrated to us: Shu'bah narrated to us from Abd al-Malik ibn Maysarah, he said: I heard Kurdus ibn Qays - who was the storyteller of the common people in Kufah - say: A man among the people of Badr informed me that he heard the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, say: That I should sit in a gathering like this is dearer to me than that I should free four slaves. Shu'bah said: I said: Which gathering do you mean? He said: It was a gathering for storytelling.