Hadith 3803

(حديث مرفوع) حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ ، عَنْ هَمَّامٍ ، عَنْ عَاصِمٍ ، عَنْ أَبِي وَائِلٍ ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ، قَالَ : سَمِعْتُ رَجُلًا يَقْرَأُ حم الثَّلَاثِينَ يَعْنِي الْأَحْقَافَ فَقَرَأَ حَرْفًا ، وَقَرَأَ رَجُلٌ آخَرُ حَرْفًا ، لَمْ يَقْرَأْهُ صَاحِبُهُ ، وَقَرَأْتُ أَحْرُفًا ، فَلَمْ يَقْرَأْهَا صَاحِبَيَّ ، فَانْطَلَقْنَا إِلَى النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ، فَأَخْبَرْنَاهُ ، فَقَالَ : " لَا تَخْتَلِفُوا ، فَإِنَّمَا هَلَكَ مَنْ كَانَ قَبْلَكُمْ بِاخْتِلَافِهِمْ " ، ثُمَّ قَالَ : " انْظُرُوا أَقْرَأَكُمْ رَجُلًا ، فَخُذُوا بِقِرَاءَتِهِ " .
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) that I heard a man reciting Surah Al-Ahqaf, and he was reciting it in a different manner. Another man was reciting it in another way, which was different from his companion, and I was reciting it in a third way, which neither of them were reciting. We went to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and informed him about this. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Do not differ, for those before you were destroyed because of their differences." Then he said: "See who among you is the greatest reciter, and adopt his recitation."
Hadith Reference مسند احمد / مسند المكثرين من الصحابة / 3803
Hadith Grading حکم دارالسلام: صحيح، إسناده حسن، خ: 2410.