The Concession of the Holy Prophet (sa) Regarding Completing the Recitation of the Holy Qur'an
Similarly, during the Battle of Badr, the Holy Prophet (sa) appointed him as the leader of the Saaqah. Saaqah is a part of the army that follows behind for protection. On one occasion, he said to the Holy Prophet (sa), “O Prophet (sa) of Allah! In how many days should I complete the recitation of the entire Quran?” The Holy Prophet(sa) replied, “In fifteen nights.” Hazrat Qais (ra) said, “I find myself capable of doing more than this.” Upon this, the Holy Prophet (sa) said, “You may complete it in the duration of one Friday to the next.” To this, he said, “I find myself capable of doing even more than this.” Following this, he recited the Holy Quran in this very manner for a long time. He continued with this practise till he grew old and had to cover his eyes with a piece of cloth. He then began to complete the recitation of the entire Quran in fifteen days. At that time, he used to say, “If only I had accepted the concession granted by the Holy Prophet (sa).”
(Usdul Ghaba, Vol. 4, p. 408, Qais bin Abi Sa’sa, Dar-ul-Kutb al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2003) (Taj-ul-Aroos).