مسند امام احمد بن حنبل · Hadith 297

It was narrated from al-Miswar bin Makhramah and 'Abdur-Rahman bin 'Abdul-Qari that they heard Umar bin al-Khattab say: I passed by Hisham bin Hakeem bin Hizam when he was reciting Sooratal-Furqan during the life time of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH). I listened to his recitation and he was reciting in a manner different from the way in which the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) had taught me to recite it. I was about to interrupt him whilst he was praying, but I waited until he finished his prayer, and then I tied his garment around his neck. I said to him: Who taught you this soorah that you are reciting? He said: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) taught it to me. I said to him: You are lying by Allah! He taught me this soorah that you recited. I brought him to the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) and said, 'O Messenger of Allah, I heard this man reciting Sooratal-Furqan in a way different to the way you taught it to me, and you taught me Sooratal-Furqan, The Prophet (PBUH) said: Let him go, O 'Umar! Recite it, O Hisham. So he recited it to him as I had heard him recite it. The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "Thus it was revealed." Then he said to me, "Recite it," so I recited it and he said, "Thus it was revealed." Then the Messenger of Allah said: "This Qur'an has been revealed in seven different ways, so recite it in the way that is easiest for you.'"

Translated by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan · Reviewed by Islamic University of Madinah · Published March 2020