حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ الْمُثَنَّی حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ عَنْ الْحَکَمِ عَنْ مُجَاهِدٍ عَنْ ابْنِ أَبِي لَيْلَی عَنْ أُبَيِّ بْنِ کَعْبٍ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّی اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ کَانَ عِنْدَ أَضَاةِ بَنِي غِفَارٍ فَأَتَاهُ جِبْرِيلُ صَلَّی اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَقَالَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ يَأْمُرُکَ أَنْ تُقْرِئَ أُمَّتَکَ عَلَی حَرْفٍ قَالَ أَسْأَلُ اللَّهَ مُعَافَاتَهُ وَمَغْفِرَتَهُ إِنَّ أُمَّتِي لَا تُطِيقُ ذَلِکَ ثُمَّ أَتَاهُ ثَانِيَةً فَذَکَرَ نَحْوَ هَذَا حَتَّی بَلَغَ سَبْعَةَ أَحْرُفٍ قَالَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَأْمُرُکَ أَنْ تُقْرِئَ أُمَّتَکَ عَلَی سَبْعَةِ أَحْرُفٍ فَأَيُّمَا حَرْفٍ قَرَئُوا عَلَيْهِ فَقَدْ أَصَابُوا
سنن ابودوٗد · Hadith 1478
Ubayy bin Kab said: The Prophet ﷺ was present at the pool of Banu Ghifar, Gabriel came to him and said: "Allah has commanded you to make your community read (the Quran) in one harf. He (the Prophet) said: 'I beg Allah His pardon and forgiveness; my community has not strength to do so'. He then came for the second time and told him the same thing till he reached up to seven harfs. Finally, he said: 'Allah has commanded you to make your community read (the Quran) in seven harfs; in whichever mode they read, that will be correct.
Translated by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan · Reviewed by Islamic University of Madinah · Published March 2020