Abd Allah ibn Mas'ud in the context of "Sana'a manuscript"

The Sanaa palimpsest (also Ṣanʽā’ 1 or DAM 01-27.1) or Sanaa Quran is one of the oldest Quranic manuscripts in existence. Part of a sizable cache of Quranic and non-Quranic fragments discovered in Yemen during a 1972 restoration of the Great Mosque of Sanaa, the manuscript was identified as a palimpsest Quran in 1981 as it is written on parchment and comprises two layers of text.

• The upper text entirely conforms to the standard Uthmanic Quran in text and in the standard order of surahs (chapters).
• The lower text, which was erased and written over by the upper text, but can still be read with the help of ultraviolet light and computer processing, contains many variations from the standard text. The sequence of its chapters corresponds to no known Quranic order.

A partial reconstruction of the lower text was published in 2012, and a reconstruction of the legible portions of both lower and upper texts of the 38 folios in the Sana'a House of Manuscripts was published in 2017 utilising post-processed digital images of the lower text. A radiocarbon analysis has dated the parchment of one of the detached leaves sold at auction, and hence its lower text, to between 578 AD (44 BH) and 669 AD (49 AH) with a 95% accuracy. The earliest leaves have been tested at three laboratories and dated to 388–535 AD. Other folios have similar early dates.

Al-Baqarah verses 285–286 (Quran 2:285–286), also known "treasure from the Throne of Allah", are the final two verses of the second chapter of the Quran. They were verses given directly to the Prophet Muhammad during the Night Journey and Ascension, without the mediation of Angel Gabriel (Jibreel). This is a unique distinction, as most of the Qur’an was revealed through Gabriel.

According to Abd Allah ibn Mas'ud, the Prophet during the Night Journey and Ascension was granted the four bestowings, one of them included these two verses and hence they hold exceptional theological and devotional value. The last two verses and the five daily prayers are among the most essential spiritual endowments granted to the Ummah. Muslims are encouraged to recite these verses regularly, especially before sleeping, as a means of getting huge reward throughout night while sleeping and seeking protection from the devils.