Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that we had a disagreement regarding a surah of the Qur'an; someone said it has thirty-five verses and someone else opined that it has thirty-six verses. So we went to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and found Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) whispering to him. We said: We have disagreed regarding the recitation. Upon hearing this, the blessed face of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) turned red. Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is commanding you to recite this Book as you have been taught.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ubayy ibn Ka'b (may Allah be pleased with him), he says: I was in the mosque when a man entered and recited (the Qur'an) in a way that I rejected. Then another man entered and he recited contrary to the first person's recitation. We stood up and went to the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). I said: O Messenger of Allah! This man recited in a way that I do not know, then this other one entered and he recited contrary to him, and I do not know his recitation either. The Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to both of them: Recite. When they recited, he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Both of you have recited correctly. Sayyiduna Ubayy (may Allah be pleased with him) says: When the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) declared both of them correct, this was very hard on me. When the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) saw that this was weighing heavily upon me, he struck his hand on my chest, and I sweated so much that I became drenched, and it felt to me as if I were seeing Allah Almighty out of fear. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: O Ubayy! My Lord, the Exalted, sent a message to me to recite the Noble Qur'an in one mode of recitation. I requested: Make it easy for my Ummah. So Allah, the Exalted, sent a message to recite in two modes. I again requested: Make it easy for my Ummah. So Allah, the Exalted, sent a message to recite the Qur'an in seven modes of recitation. And as many times as you requested, you may ask from Me. I said: O Allah! Forgive my Ummah, O Allah! Forgive my Ummah. The third supplication I have postponed for the Day when the creation will come to me, until even Ibrahim (peace be upon him).

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Amr bin Aas (may Allah be pleased with them both) that he heard a man reciting a verse of the Noble Qur’an. He asked him: Who taught you this verse? He replied: The Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did. He said: But the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) taught it to me in a different way. So both of them went to the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and one of them said: O Messenger of Allah! This verse is like this, then he recited it. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: It was revealed in this way. The other said: O Messenger of Allah! Was this verse not revealed in this way? The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: It was also revealed in this way. Then the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: This Noble Qur’an has been revealed upon seven modes of recitation; whichever of them you recite by, it is correct. Do not dispute in this Qur’an, for disputing in it is disbelief or a sign of disbelief.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Juhaim (may Allah be pleased with him) that two men disagreed about a verse of the Noble Qur’an, then a similar narration was mentioned.

(Second chain) The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: The Noble Qur’an was revealed in seven modes of recitation, therefore, instead of ‘Aleeman Hakeeman’ it can be recited as ‘Ghafooran Raheeman’.