Silsilat al-Ahadith al-Sahihah

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "You can recite the Qur'an in seven dialects; each dialect is satisfactory and sufficient."

Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates from Sayyiduna Ubayy bin Ka'b (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: After accepting Islam, no doubt ever entered my heart, but one day it happened that I recited a verse and another man recited the same verse in a different manner. I said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) taught me to recite it this way. That man said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) also taught me. We both went to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). I said: O Messenger of Allah! Did you not teach me such-and-such verse in this manner? The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "Yes." The other man said: Did you not teach me in this way? The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "Yes." Jibril and Mika'il came to me. Jibril sat on my right side and Mika'il on my left. Jibril said: Recite the Qur'an in one mode. Mika'il said: Allow more. Then Jibril said: Recite the Qur'an in two modes. Mika'il said: Allow more. (This repetition continued) until permission was granted to recite the Qur'an in seven modes, and Jibril said: Each of these modes is complete and sufficient."

Abu Wa'il says: Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) delivered a sermon, in which he said: When I myself have recited seventy-three or seventy-four surahs from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), then how can you tell me to adopt the recitation of Zaid bin Thabit, when at that time Zaid used to be with the boys and he even had two locks of hair?

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The previous scriptures were revealed from one door in one dialect, and the Noble Qur'an was revealed from seven doors in seven dialects."

Abu Qais, who was the slave of Amr ibn al-As (may Allah be pleased with him), narrates that Sayyiduna Amr ibn al-As (may Allah be pleased with him) heard a man reciting a verse of the Noble Qur’an and asked: “Who taught you this verse?” He replied: “The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) did.” He (Amr) said: “The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) also taught me this verse, but in a different manner.” Both of them went to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), and one of them said: “O Messenger of Allah! Such-and-such verse,” and then he recited it. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “It was revealed in this way (as you have recited).” The other said: “O Messenger of Allah!” and then he recited the same verse (in a different manner) and said: “O Messenger of Allah! Was this verse not revealed in the way I have recited it?” The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “It was revealed in this way as well.” Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) (giving the final decision) said: “Indeed, this Noble Qur’an was revealed upon seven dialects; whichever dialect you recite in, you will be correct. (Just remember that) do not dispute regarding the Noble Qur’an, for such disputing is disbelief.”

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "This Qur'an has been revealed in seven dialects, recite it (in any of them), there is no harm (in any dialect), (however, this much is necessary that) do not conclude the mention of mercy with punishment, nor the mention of punishment with mercy."