Volume 6, Book 61, Number 514:
Narrated ‘Umar bin Al-Khattab:
I heard Hisham bin Hakim reciting Surat Al-Furqan during the lifetime of Allah’s Apostle and I
listened to his recitation and noticed that he recited in several different ways which Allah’s Apostle
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SAHIH BUKHARI VOLUME 6 > BOOK 61: VIRTUES OF THE QUR’AN
had not taught me. I was about to jump over him during his prayer, but I controlled my temper, and
when he had completed his prayer, I put his upper garment around his neck and seized him by it
and said, “Who taught you this Sura which I heard you reciting?” He replied, “Allah’s Apostle taught
it to me.” I said, “You have told a lie, for Allah’s Apostle has taught it to me in a different way from
yours.” So I dragged him to Allah’s Apostle and said (to Allah’s Apostle),
“I heard this person reciting Surat Al-Furqan in a way which you haven’t taught me!” On that Al –
lah’s Apostle said, “Release him, (O ‘Umar!) Recite, O Hisham!” Then he recited in the same way as I
heard him reciting. Then Allah’s Apostle said, “It was revealed in this way,” and added, “Recite, O
‘Umar!” I recited it as he had taught me. Allah’s Apostle then said, “It was revealed in this way. This
Qur’an has been revealed to be recited in seven different ways, so recite of it whichever (way) is easi –
er for you (or read as much of it as may be easy for you).”