Sahih Muslim Book - 6, Hadith - 1906

وَحَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِى شَيْبَةَ حَدَّثَنَا غُنْدَرٌ عَنْ شُعْبَةَ ح وَحَدَّثَنَاهُ ابْنُ الْمُثَنَّى وَابْنُ بَشَّارٍ قَالَ ابْنُ الْمُثَنَّى حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ عَنِ الْحَكَمِ عَنْ مُجَاهِدٍ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِى لَيْلَى عَنْ أُبَىِّ بْنِ كَعْبٍ أَنَّ النَّبِىَّ -صلى الله عليه وسلم- كَانَ عِنْدَ أَضَاةِ بَنِى غِفَارٍ - قَالَ - فَأَتَاهُ جِبْرِيلُ عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ فَقَالَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَأْمُرُكَ أَنْ تَقْرَأَ أُمَّتُكَ الْقُرْآنَ عَلَى حَرْفٍ. فَقَالَ « أَسْأَلُ اللَّهَ مُعَافَاتَهُ وَمَغْفِرَتَهُ وَإِنَّ أُمَّتِى لاَ تُطِيقُ ذَلِكَ ». ثُمَّ أَتَاهُ الثَّانِيَةَ فَقَالَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَأْمُرُكَ أَنْ تَقْرَأَ أُمَّتُكَ الْقُرْآنَ عَلَى حَرْفَيْنِ فَقَالَ « أَسْأَلُ اللَّهَ مُعَافَاتَهُ وَمَغْفِرَتَهُ وَإِنَّ أُمَّتِى لاَ تُطِيقُ ذَلِكَ ». ثُمَّ جَاءَهُ الثَّالِثَةَ فَقَالَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَأْمُرُكَ أَنْ تَقْرَأَ أُمَّتُكَ الْقُرْآنَ عَلَى ثَلاَثَةِ أَحْرُفٍ. فَقَالَ « أَسْأَلُ اللَّهَ مُعَافَاتَهُ وَمَغْفِرَتَهُ وَإِنَّ أُمَّتِى لاَ تُطِيقُ ذَلِكَ ». ثُمَّ جَاءَهُ الرَّابِعَةَ فَقَالَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَأْمُرُكَ أَنْ تَقْرَأَ أُمَّتُكَ الْقُرْآنَ عَلَى سَبْعَةِ أَحْرُفٍ فَأَيُّمَا حَرْفٍ قَرَءُوا عَلَيْهِ فَقَدْ أَصَابُوا.

It was narrated from Ubayy bin Ka'b that the Prophet (s.a.w) was at the pond of Banu Ghifar and Jibril - peace be upon him - came to him and said: "Allah commands you to teach the Qur'an to your Ummah according to one mode of recitation." He said: "I ask Allah for His pardon and forgiveness, my Ummah is not able for that." Then he came to him a second time and said: "Allah commands you to teach the Qur'an to your Ummah according to two modes of recitation." He said: "I ask Allah for His pardon and forgiveness, my Ummah is not able for that." Then he came to him a third time and said: "Allah commands you to teach the Qur'an to your Ummah according to three modes of recitation." He said: "I ask Allah for His pardon and forgiveness, my Ummah is not able for that." He came to him a fourth time and said: "Allah commands you to teach the Qur'an to your Ummah according to seven modes of recitation, and whichever mode of recitation they recite it in, they will be right."