8/22. Chapter:
Sunan Abi Dawud 1478 — The Ummah and the Seven Harfs
Allah Revealed The Qur'an According To Seven Ahruf'
Seven Harfs Hadith: Ease for the Ummah in Qur'an Recitation
Sunan Abi Dawud : 1478
Sunan Abi DawudHadith Number 1478
حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ الْمُثَنَّى، حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، عَنِ الْحَكَمِ، عَنْ مُجَاهِدٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي لَيْلَى، عَنْ أُبَىِّ بْنِ كَعْبٍ، أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم كَانَ عِنْدَ أَضَاةِ بَنِي غِفَارٍ فَأَتَاهُ جِبْرِيلُ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ يَأْمُرُكَ أَنْ تُقْرِئَ أُمَّتَكَ عَلَى حَرْفٍ . قَالَ " أَسْأَلُ اللَّهَ مُعَافَاتَهُ وَمَغْفِرَتَهُ إِنَّ أُمَّتِي لاَ تُطِيقُ ذَلِكَ " . ثُمَّ أَتَاهُ ثَانِيَةً فَذَكَرَ نَحْوَ هَذَا حَتَّى بَلَغَ سَبْعَةَ أَحْرُفٍ قَالَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَأْمُرُكَ أَنْ تُقْرِئَ أُمَّتَكَ عَلَى سَبْعَةِ أَحْرُفٍ فَأَيُّمَا حَرْفٍ قَرَءُوا عَلَيْهِ فَقَدْ أَصَابُوا .
Ubayy bin Ka'b Narrated from:
The Prophet (ﷺ) was present at the pool of Banu Ghifar, Gabriel came to him and said: "Allah has commanded you to make your community read (the Qur'an) in one harf. He (the Prophet) said: 'I beg Allah His pardon and forgiveness; my community has not strength to do so'. He then came for the second time and told him the same thing till he reached up to seven harfs. Finally, he said: 'Allah has commanded you to make your community read (the Qur'an) in seven harfs; in whichever mode they read, that will be correct.
Reference : Sunan Abi Dawud 1478In-book reference : Book 8, Hadith 63English translation : Book 8, Hadith 1473
Summary of Sunan Abi Dawud Hadith 1478
This hadith from Ubayy ibn Ka'b describes the Prophet at the pool of Banu Ghifar when Gabriel came to him. Gabriel said that Allah commanded him to make his community recite the Qur'an in one harf. The Prophet asked Allah for pardon and forgiveness, saying his community did not have the strength for that. The message came again, and the matter continued until it reached seven harfs. Finally, the Prophet was told that his community should recite in seven harfs, and whichever harf they read upon would be correct. The hadith highlights ease for the ummah in Qur'an recitation and shows the Prophet's concern for his community's ability.
What we learn from this hadith
- The Prophet asked for ease for his community.
- The recitation of the Qur'an was allowed in seven harfs in this narration.
- The hadith shows concern for what the community could bear.
- Whichever allowed harf they recited upon was described as correct.
