حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو كَامِلٍ حَدَّثَنَا زُهَيْرٌ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو هَمَّامٍ عَنْ عُثْمَانَ بْنِ حَسَّانَ عَنْ فُلْفُلَةَ الْجُعْفِيِّ قَالَ فَزِعْتُ فِيمَنْ فَزِعَ إِلَى عَبْدِ اللَّهِ فِي الْمَصَاحِفِ فَدَخَلْنَا عَلَيْهِ فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ مِنْ الْقَوْمِ إِنَّا لَمْ نَأْتِكَ زَائِرِينَ وَلَكِنْ جِئْنَاكَ حِينَ رَاعَنَا هَذَا الْخَبَرُ فَقَالَ إِنَّ الْقُرْآنَ نَزَلَ عَلَى نَبِيِّكُمْ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مِنْ سَبْعَةِ أَبْوَابٍ عَلَى سَبْعَةِ أَحْرُفٍ أَوْ قَالَ حُرُوفٍ وَإِنَّ الْكِتَابَ قَبْلَهُ كَانَ يَنْزِلُ مِنْ بَابٍ وَاحِدٍ عَلَى حَرْفٍ وَاحِدٍ
مسند امام احمد بن حنبل · Hadith 4252
It was narrated that Fulfulah al-Ju'fi said: I was among those who panicked and rushed to 'Abdullah concerning the Mushafs. We entered upon him and a man among the people said: We have not come to visit you; rather we came when we got alarmed about this news. He said: The Qur'an was revealed to your Prophet (PBUH) from seven gates with seven modes of recitation, and the Book before him was revealed from one gate and with one mode of recitation.
Translated by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan · Reviewed by Islamic University of Madinah · Published March 2020