Caution: Translations of Quran and Ḥadīth may lead to possible misapplications and misinterpretations. This site is intended for students of sacred knowledge that are proficient in comprehending classical Arabic and have a strong foundation in Islamic sciences. Also note that religious injunctions rely on several aspects beyond what one may glean through reading individual aḥādīth.
Qurʾān Bukhārī Muslim Nasāʾī Abū Dāwūd Tirmidhī Ibn Mājah Mālik Aḥmad Dārimī Ḥākim Ibn Ḥibbān Ṭabarānī Nasāʾī's Kubrá Bayhaqī al-Luʾluʾ wa-al-Marjān Ibn Rajab's Fifty Riyāḍ al-Ṣāliḥīn Aḥmad's Zuhd Suyūṭī
ahmad:21177 – ʿAbdullāh > Jaʿfar b. Mihrān al-Sabbāk al-Baṣrī > ʿAbd al-Wārith > Muḥammad b. Juḥādah > al-Ḥakam > Mujāhid > ʿAbd al-Raḥman b. Abū Laylá > Ubay b. Kaʿb

[Machine] That Gabriel came to the Prophet ﷺ while he was in the appearance of the tribe of Ghifar, and he said, "Indeed, Allah commands you to recite the Qur'an to your nation on one dialect (harf) only." The Prophet said, "I ask Allah for His forgiveness and His pardon." He mentioned the narration until he said, "Indeed, Allah commands you to recite the Qur'an to your nation on seven dialects (ahuruf). So whoever recites a dialect (harf) from them, then it is as he said."  

أحمد:٢١١٧٧ – حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللهِ حَدَّثَنَا جَعْفَرُ بْنُ مِهْرَانَ السَّبَّاكُ الْبَصْرِيُّ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْوَارِثِ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ جُحَادَةَ عَنْ الْحَكَمِ عَنْ مُجَاهِدٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ أَبِي لَيْلَى عَنْ أُبَيِّ بْنِ كَعْبٍ

أَنَّ جِبْرِيلَ أَتَى النَّبِيَّ ﷺ وَهُوَ بِأَضَاءَةِ بَنِي غِفَارٍ فَقَالَ إِنَّ اللهَ يَأْمُرُكَ أَنْ تُقْرِئَ أُمَّتَكَ الْقُرْآنَ عَلَى حَرْفٍ وَاحِدٍ فَقَالَ أَسْأَلُ اللهَ مُعَافَاتَهُ وَمَغْفِرَتَهُ فَذَكَرَ الْحَدِيثَ إِلَى أَنْ قَالَ إِنَّ اللهَ يَأْمُرُكَ أَنْ تُقْرِئَ أُمَّتَكَ الْقُرْآنَ عَلَى سَبْعَةِ أَحْرُفٍ فَمَنْ قَرَأَ حَرْفًا مِنْهَا فَهُوَ كَمَا قَالَ  

See similar narrations below:

Collected by Abū Dāwūd, Ṭabarānī
abudawud:1478 – Ibn al-Muthanná > Muḥammad b. Jaʿfar > Shuʿbah > al-Ḥakam > Mujāhid > Ibn Abū Laylá > Ubay b. Kaʿb

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.  

أبو داود:١٤٧٨ – حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ الْمُثَنَّى حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ عَنِ الْحَكَمِ عَنْ مُجَاهِدٍ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي لَيْلَى عَنْ أُبَىِّ بْنِ كَعْبٍ

أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ كَانَ عِنْدَ أَضَاةِ بَنِي غِفَارٍ فَأَتَاهُ جِبْرِيلُ ﷺ فَقَالَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ ﷻ 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  

tabarani:535 – ʿAbdullāh b. Aḥmad b. Ḥanbal > Jaʿfar b. Mihrān al-Sabbāk > ʿAbd al-Wārith b. Saʿīd > Muḥammad b. Juḥādah > al-Ḥakam > Mujāhid > ʿAbd al-Raḥman b. Abū Laylá > Ubay b. Kaʿb

[Machine] That Gabriel, ﷺ , came to the Prophet ﷺ while he was with the leaders of Banī Ghifar, and he said: "O Muhammad, indeed Allah commands you to teach your nation the Qur'an letter by letter." Then he said: "On two letters." Until he reached seven letters. So whoever recites a letter from them, it is as he said.  

الطبراني:٥٣٥ – حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ حَنْبَلٍ ثنا جَعْفَرُ بْنُ مِهْرَانَ السَّبَّاكُ ثنا عَبْدُ الْوَارِثِ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ جُحَادَةَ عَنِ الْحَكَمِ عَنْ مُجَاهِدٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ أَبِي لَيْلَى عَنْ أُبَيِّ بْنِ كَعْبٍ

أَنَّ جِبْرِيلَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ أَتَى النَّبِيَّ ﷺ وَهُوَ بِأَضَاةِ بَنِي غِفَارٍ فَقَالَ يَا مُحَمَّدُ إِنَّ اللهَ ﷻ يَأْمُرُكَ أَنْ تُقْرِئَ أُمَّتَكَ الْقُرْآنَ عَلَى حَرْفٍ وَاحِدٍ ثُمَّ قَالَ عَلَى حَرْفَيْنِ حَتَّى انْتَهَى إِلَى سَبْعَةِ أَحْرُفٍ فَمَنْ قَرَأَ حَرْفًا مِنْهَا فَهُوَ كَمَا قَالَ