Sahih Muslim Book - 4, Hadith - 1001

حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الصَّبَّاحِ وَعَمْرٌو النَّاقِدُ جَمِيعًا عَنْ هُشَيْمٍ قَالَ ابْنُ الصَّبَّاحِ حَدَّثَنَا هُشَيْمٌ أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو بِشْرٍ عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ جُبَيْرٍ عَنْ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ فِي قَوْلِهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ { وَلَا تَجْهَرْ بِصَلَاتِكَ وَلَا تُخَافِتْ بِهَا } قَالَ نَزَلَتْ وَرَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مُتَوَارٍ بِمَكَّةَ فَكَانَ إِذَا صَلَّى بِأَصْحَابِهِ رَفَعَ صَوْتَهُ بِالْقُرْآنِ فَإِذَا سَمِعَ ذَلِكَ الْمُشْرِكُونَ سَبُّوا الْقُرْآنَ وَمَنْ أَنْزَلَهُ وَمَنْ جَاءَ بِهِ فَقَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى لِنَبِيِّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ { وَلَا تَجْهَرْ بِصَلَاتِكَ } فَيَسْمَعَ الْمُشْرِكُونَ قِرَاءَتَكَ { وَلَا تُخَافِتْ بِهَا }عَنْ أَصْحَابِكَ أَسْمِعْهُمْ الْقُرْآنَ وَلَا تَجْهَرْ ذَلِكَ الْجَهْرَ { وَابْتَغِ بَيْنَ ذَلِكَ سَبِيلًا } يَقُولُ بَيْنَ الْجَهْرِ وَالْمُخَافَتَةِ.

It was narrated that Ibn 'Abbas said, concerning the saying of Allah the Most High: "... And offer your Salat (prayer) neither aloud nor in a low voice..." This was revealed when the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w) was hiding in Makkah. When he led his Companions in prayer, he raised his voice when reciting Qur'an, but when the idolators heard it, they reviled the Qur'an, and the One Who had revealed it, and the one who had brought it. So Allah said to His Prophet (s.a.w): "... And offer your Salat (prayer) neither aloud..." lest the idolators hear your recitation, "... nor in a low voice...", lest your Companions be unable to hear it; let them hear the Qur'an, but do not recite so loudly, "... but follow a way between...", meaning, neither too loud nor too soft."