"Al-Harith bin Hisham asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ: 'How does the Revelation come to you?' He said: 'Like the ringing of a bell, and when it departs I remember what he (the Angel) said, and this is the hardest on me. And sometimes he (the Angel) comes to me in the form of a man and gives it to me.'"  

سَأَلَ الْحَارِثُ بْنُ هِشَامٍ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ كَيْفَ يَأْتِيكَ الْوَحْىُ قَالَ فِي مِثْلِ صَلْصَلَةِ الْجَرَسِ فَيَفْصِمُ عَنِّي وَقَدْ وَعَيْتُ وَهُوَ أَشَدُّهُ عَلَىَّ وَأَحْيَانًا يَأْتِينِي فِي مِثْلِ صُورَةِ الْفَتَى فَيَنْبِذُهُ إِلَىَّ  

Al-Harith bin Hisham asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ: 'How does the Revelation come to you?' He said: 'Like the ringing of a bell, and this is the hardest on me. When it departs I remember what he said. And sometimes the Angel appears to me in the form of a man and speaks to me, and I remember what he said." Aishah said: "I saw him when the Revelation came to him on a very cold day, and his forhead was dripping with sweat."  

أَنَّ الْحَارِثَ بْنَ هِشَامٍ سَأَلَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ كَيْفَ يَأْتِيكَ الْوَحْىُ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَحْيَانًا يَأْتِينِي فِي مِثْلِ صَلْصَلَةِ الْجَرَسِ وَهُوَ أَشَدُّهُ عَلَىَّ فَيَفْصِمُ عَنِّي وَقَدْ وَعَيْتُ مَا قَالَ وَأَحْيَانًا يَتَمَثَّلُ لِيَ الْمَلَكُ رَجُلاً فَيُكَلِّمُنِي فَأَعِي مَا يَقُولُ قَالَتْ عَائِشَةُ وَلَقَدْ رَأَيْتُهُ يَنْزِلُ عَلَيْهِ فِي الْيَوْمِ الشَّدِيدِ الْبَرْدِ فَيَفْصِمُ عَنْهُ وَإِنَّ جَبِينَهُ لَيَتَفَصَّدُ عَرَقًا  

Concerning the saying of Allah, the Mighty and Sublime: "Move not your tongue concerning to make haste therewith. It is for Us to collect it and to give you the ability to recite it- "The Prophet ﷺ used to suffer a great deal of hardship when the Revelation came to him, and he used to move his lips. Allah said: Move not your tongue concerning to make haste therewith. It is for Us to collect it and to give you the ability to recite it." He said: " (This means) He will gather it in your heart, then you will recite it," And when We have recited it to you, then follow the recitation. He said: "So listen to it and remain silent. So when Jibril came to him, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ listened, and when he left, he would recite it as he had taught him."  

فِي قَوْلِهِ ﷻ { لاَ تُحَرِّكْ بِهِ لِسَانَكَ لِتَعْجَلَ بِهِ * إِنَّ عَلَيْنَا جَمْعَهُ وَقُرْآنَهُ } قَالَ كَانَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ يُعَالِجُ مِنَ التَّنْزِيلِ شِدَّةً وَكَانَ يُحَرِّكُ شَفَتَيْهِ قَالَ اللَّهُ ﷻ { لاَ تُحَرِّكْ بِهِ لِسَانَكَ لِتَعْجَلَ بِهِ * إِنَّ عَلَيْنَا جَمْعَهُ وَقُرْآنَهُ } قَالَ جَمْعَهُ فِي صَدْرِكَ ثُمَّ تَقْرَأَهُ { فَإِذَا قَرَأْنَاهُ فَاتَّبِعْ قُرْآنَهُ } قَالَ فَاسْتَمِعْ لَهُ وَأَنْصِتْ فَكَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِذَا أَتَاهُ جِبْرِيلُ اسْتَمَعَ فَإِذَا انْطَلَقَ قَرَأَهُ كَمَا أَقْرَأَهُ  

Umar bin Al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, said: "I heard Hisham bin Hakim bin Hizam reciting: Surat Al-Furqan, in a way that the Prophet of Allah ﷺ had not taught me. I said: 'Who taught you this Surah?' He said: 'The Messenger of Allah ﷺ.' I said: 'You are lying; the Messenger of Allah ﷺ did not teach you like that. 'I took him by the hand and brought him to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and said: 'O Messenger of Allah, you taught me Surat Al-Furqan, but I heard this man reciting it in a way that you did not teach me.' The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: 'Recite, O Hisham.' So he recited it as he had recited it (before). The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: 'It was revealed like this.' Then he said: 'Recite, O Umar.' So I recited it, and he said: 'It was revealed like this.' Then the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: 'The Quran was revealed to be recited in seven different modes.'"  

سَمِعْتُ هِشَامَ بْنَ حَكِيمِ بْنِ حِزَامٍ يَقْرَأُ سُورَةَ الْفُرْقَانِ فَقَرَأَ فِيهَا حُرُوفًا لَمْ يَكُنْ نَبِيُّ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَقْرَأَنِيهَا قُلْتُ مَنْ أَقْرَأَكَ هَذِهِ السُّورَةَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ قُلْتُ كَذَبْتَ مَا هَكَذَا أَقْرَأَكَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَأَخَذْتُ بِيَدِهِ أَقُودُهُ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّكَ أَقْرَأْتَنِي سُورَةَ الْفُرْقَانِ وَإِنِّي سَمِعْتُ هَذَا يَقْرَأُ فِيهَا حُرُوفًا لَمْ تَكُنْ أَقْرَأْتَنِيهَا فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ اقْرَأْ يَا هِشَامُ فَقَرَأَ كَمَا كَانَ يَقْرَأُ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ هَكَذَا أُنْزِلَتْ ثُمَّ قَالَ اقْرَأْ يَا عُمَرُ فَقَرَأْتُ فَقَالَ هَكَذَا أُنْزِلَتْ ثُمَّ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِنَّ الْقُرْآنَ أُنْزِلَ عَلَى سَبْعَةِ أَحْرُفٍ  

"I heard Umar bin Al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, say: 'I heard Hisham bin Hakim bin Hizam reciting Surat Al-Furqan, in a way that I had not been taught, and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ had taught me. I was about to interrupt him (in his prayer), but I left him alone until he had finished. Then I grabbed him by his garment and brought him to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and said: 'O Messenger of Allah, I heard this man reciting Surat Al-Furqan in a way that you did not teach me.' The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to him: 'Recite.' So he recited it in the way that I had heard him recite. Then the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: 'It was revealed like this.' Then he said to me: 'Recite.' So I recited it and he said: 'It was revealed like this. This Quran has been revealed in seven different modes, so recite as much of the Quran as may be easy for you.'"  

سَمِعْتُ هِشَامَ بْنَ حَكِيمٍ يَقْرَأُ سُورَةَ الْفُرْقَانِ عَلَى غَيْرِ مَا أَقْرَؤُهَا عَلَيْهِ وَكَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَقْرَأَنِيهَا فَكِدْتُ أَنْ أَعْجَلَ عَلَيْهِ ثُمَّ أَمْهَلْتُهُ حَتَّى انْصَرَفَ ثُمَّ لَبَّبْتُهُ بِرِدَائِهِ فَجِئْتُ بِهِ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنِّي سَمِعْتُ هَذَا يَقْرَأُ سُورَةَ الْفُرْقَانِ عَلَى غَيْرِ مَا أَقْرَأْتَنِيهَا فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ اقْرَأْ فَقَرَأَ الْقِرَاءَةَ الَّتِي سَمِعْتُهُ يَقْرَأُ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ هَكَذَا أُنْزِلَتْ ثُمَّ قَالَ لِي اقْرَأْ فَقَرَأْتُ فَقَالَ هَكَذَا أُنْزِلَتْ إِنَّ هَذَا الْقُرْآنَ أُنْزِلَ عَلَى سَبْعَةِ أَحْرُفٍ { فَاقْرَءُوا مَا تَيَسَّرَ مِنْهُ }  

They heard Umar bin Al-Khattab say: "I heard Hisham bin Hakim bin Hizam reciting Surat Al-Furqan during the lifetime of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, so I listened to his recitation and he was reciting it in a way that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ had not taught me. I was about to jump on him while he was praying, but I waited patiently until he said the Salam (at the end of the prayer). When he had said the Salam I grabbed him by his garment and said: 'Who taught you this Surah that I heard you reciting?' He said: 'The Messenger of Allah ﷺ taught me it. I said: 'You are lying, by Allah! The Messenger of Allah ﷺ is the one who taught me this Surah that I heard you reciting.' I took him to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and said: 'O Messenger of Allah, I heard this man reciting Surat Al-Furqan in a way that you did not teach me, but you taught me Surat Al-Furqan.' The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:' Let him go, O Umar. Recite, O Hisham.' So I recited it to him in the way that I had heard him recite. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: 'It was revealed like this.' Then the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: 'Recite, O Umar.' So I recited it in the way that he had taught me. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: 'It was revealed like this.' Then the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: 'This Quran has been revealed to be recited in seven different modes, so recite as much of the Quran as may be easy for you.'"  

سَمِعْتُ هِشَامَ بْنَ حَكِيمٍ يَقْرَأُ سُورَةَ الْفُرْقَانِ فِي حَيَاةِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَاسْتَمَعْتُ لِقِرَاءَتِهِ فَإِذَا هُوَ يَقْرَؤُهَا عَلَى حُرُوفٍ كَثِيرَةٍ لَمْ يُقْرِئْنِيهَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَكِدْتُ أُسَاوِرُهُ فِي الصَّلاَةِ فَتَصَبَّرْتُ حَتَّى سَلَّمَ فَلَمَّا سَلَّمَ لَبَّبْتُهُ بِرِدَائِهِ فَقُلْتُ مَنْ أَقْرَأَكَ هَذِهِ السُّورَةَ الَّتِي سَمِعْتُكَ تَقْرَؤُهَا فَقَالَ أَقْرَأَنِيهَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقُلْتُ كَذَبْتَ فَوَاللَّهِ إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ هُوَ أَقْرَأَنِي هَذِهِ السُّورَةَ الَّتِي سَمِعْتُكَ تَقْرَؤُهَا فَانْطَلَقْتُ بِهِ أَقُودُهُ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنِّي سَمِعْتُ هَذَا يَقْرَأُ سُورَةَ الْفُرْقَانِ عَلَى حُرُوفٍ لَمْ تُقْرِئْنِيهَا وَأَنْتَ أَقْرَأْتَنِي سُورَةَ الْفُرْقَانِ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَرْسِلْهُ يَا عُمَرُ اقْرَأْ يَا هِشَامُ فَقَرَأَ عَلَيْهِ الْقِرَاءَةَ الَّتِي سَمِعْتُهُ يَقْرَؤُهَا قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ هَكَذَا أُنْزِلَتْ ثُمَّ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ اقْرَأْ يَا عُمَرُ فَقَرَأْتُ الْقِرَاءَةَ الَّتِي أَقْرَأَنِي قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ هَكَذَا أُنْزِلَتْ ثُمَّ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِنَّ هَذَا الْقُرْآنَ أُنْزِلَ عَلَى سَبْعَةِ أَحْرُفٍ { فَاقْرَءُوا مَا تَيَسَّرَ مِنْهُ }  

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was by a pond belonging to Banu Ghifar when Jibril, peace be upon him, came to him and said: "Allah commands you to teach your Ummah the Quran with one way of recitation." He said: "I ask my Lord for protection and forgiveness, my Ummah cannot bear that." Then he came to him a second time and said: "Allah commands you to teach your Ummah the Quran with two ways of recitation." He said: ""I ask my Lord for protection and forgiveness, my Ummah cannot bear that." Then he came to him a third time and said: "Allah commands you to teach your Ummah the Quran with three ways of recitation." He said: "I ask my Lord for protection and forgiveness, my Ummah cannot bear that." Then he came to him a fourth time and said: "Allah commands you to teach your Ummah the Quran with seven ways of recitation, and whichever the way they recite it will be correct."  

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ كَانَ عِنْدَ أَضَاةِ بَنِي غِفَارٍ فَأَتَاهُ جِبْرِيلُ عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ فَقَالَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ ﷻ يَأْمُرُكَ أَنْ تُقْرِئَ أُمَّتَكَ الْقُرْآنَ عَلَى حَرْفٍ قَالَ أَسْأَلُ اللَّهَ مُعَافَاتَهُ وَمَغْفِرَتَهُ وَإِنَّ أُمَّتِي لاَ تُطِيقُ ذَلِكَ ثُمَّ أَتَاهُ الثَّانِيَةَ فَقَالَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ ﷻ يَأْمُرُكَ أَنْ تُقْرِئَ أُمَّتَكَ الْقُرْآنَ عَلَى حَرْفَيْنِ قَالَ أَسْأَلُ اللَّهَ مُعَافَاتَهُ وَمَغْفِرَتَهُ وَإِنَّ أُمَّتِي لاَ تُطِيقُ ذَلِكَ ثُمَّ جَاءَهُ الثَّالِثَةَ فَقَالَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ ﷻ يَأْمُرُكَ أَنْ تُقْرِئَ أُمَّتَكَ الْقُرْآنَ عَلَى ثَلاَثَةِ أَحْرُفٍ قَالَ أَسْأَلُ اللَّهَ مُعَافَاتَهُ وَمَغْفِرَتَهُ وَإِنَّ أُمَّتِي لاَ تُطِيقُ ذَلِكَ ثُمَّ جَاءَهُ الرَّابِعَةَ فَقَالَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ ﷻ يَأْمُرُكَ أَنْ تُقْرِئَ أُمَّتَكَ الْقُرْآنَ عَلَى سَبْعَةِ أَحْرُفٍ فَأَيُّمَا حَرْفٍ قَرَءُوا عَلَيْهِ فَقَدْ أَصَابُوا قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ هَذَا الْحَدِيثُ خُولِفَ فِيهِ الْحَكَمُ خَالَفَهُ مَنْصُورُ بْنُ الْمُعْتَمِرِ رَوَاهُ عَنْ مُجَاهِدٍ عَنْ عُبَيْدِ بْنِ عُمَيْرٍ مُرْسَلاً  

"The Messenger of Allah ﷺ taught me a surah, and when I was sitting in the masjid I heard a man reciting it in a way that was different from mine. I said to him: 'Who taught you this surah?' He said: 'The Messenger of Allah ﷺ.' I said: 'Stay with me until we go to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.' So we came to him and I said: 'O Messenger of Allah, this man recites a surah that you taught me differently.' The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: 'Recite, O Ubayy.' So I recited it, and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to me: 'You have done well.' Then he said to the man: 'Recite.' So he recited it and it was different to my recitation. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to him: 'You have done well.' Then the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: 'O Ubayy, the Quran has been revealed with seven different modes of reciation, all of which are good and sound."  

أَقْرَأَنِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ سُورَةً فَبَيْنَا أَنَا فِي الْمَسْجِدِ جَالِسٌ إِذْ سَمِعْتُ رَجُلاً يَقْرَؤُهَا يُخَالِفُ قِرَاءَتِي فَقُلْتُ لَهُ مَنْ عَلَّمَكَ هَذِهِ السُّورَةَ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقُلْتُ لاَ تُفَارِقْنِي حَتَّى نَأْتِيَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَأَتَيْتُهُ فَقُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّ هَذَا خَالَفَ قِرَاءَتِي فِي السُّورَةِ الَّتِي عَلَّمْتَنِي فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ اقْرَأْ يَا أُبَىُّ فَقَرَأْتُهَا فَقَالَ لِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَحْسَنْتَ ثُمَّ قَالَ لِلرَّجُلِ اقْرَأْ فَقَرَأَ فَخَالَفَ قِرَاءَتِي فَقَالَ لَهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَحْسَنْتَ ثُمَّ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَا أُبَىُّ إِنَّهُ أُنْزِلَ الْقُرْآنُ عَلَى سَبْعَةِ أَحْرُفٍ كُلُّهُنَّ شَافٍ كَافٍ قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ مَعْقِلُ بْنُ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ لَيْسَ بِذَلِكَ الْقَوِيِّ  

"I had no confusion in my mind from that time I embraced Islam, except when I recited a verse and another man recited it differently. I said: 'The Messenger of Allah ﷺ taught me this.' And the other man said: 'The Messenger of Allah ﷺ taught me too.' So I went to the Prophet ﷺ and said: 'O Prophet of Allah, did you not teach me such and such a verse?' He said: 'Yes.' The other man said: 'Did you not teach me such and such a verse?' He said: 'Yes. Jibril and Mika'il, peace be upon them, came to me, and Jibril sat on my right and Mika'il on my left. Jibril, peace be upon him, said: "Recite the Quran with one way of recitation.' Mika'il said: 'Teach him more, teach him more- until there were seven modes of recitation, each of which is good and sound.'"  

مَا حَاكَ فِي صَدْرِي مُنْذُ أَسْلَمْتُ إِلاَّ أَنِّي قَرَأْتُ آيَةً وَقَرَأَهَا آخَرُ غَيْرَ قِرَاءَتِي فَقُلْتُ أَقْرَأَنِيهَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَقَالَ الآخَرُ أَقْرَأَنِيهَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَأَتَيْتُ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ فَقُلْتُ يَا نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ أَقْرَأْتَنِي آيَةَ كَذَا وَكَذَا قَالَ نَعَمْ وَقَالَ الآخَرُ أَلَمْ تُقْرِئْنِي آيَةَ كَذَا وَكَذَا قَالَ نَعَمْ إِنَّ جِبْرِيلَ وَمِيكَائِيلَ عَلَيْهِمَا السَّلاَمُ أَتَيَانِي فَقَعَدَ جِبْرِيلُ عَنْ يَمِينِي وَمِيكَائِيلُ عَنْ يَسَارِي فَقَالَ جِبْرِيلُ عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ اقْرَإِ الْقُرْآنَ عَلَى حَرْفٍ قَالَ مِيكَائِيلُ اسْتَزِدْهُ اسْتَزِدْهُ حَتَّى بَلَغَ سَبْعَةَ أَحْرُفٍ فَكُلُّ حَرْفٍ شَافٍ كَافٍ  

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "The one who learns the Quran is like the owner of a hobbled camel. If he pays attention to it, he will keep it, but if he releases it, it will go away."  

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ مَثَلُ صَاحِبِ الْقُرْآنِ كَمَثَلِ صَاحِبِ الإِبِلِ الْمُعَقَّلَةِ إِذَا عَاهَدَ عَلَيْهَا أَمْسَكَهَا وَإِنْ أَطْلَقَهَا ذَهَبَتْ  

The Prophet ﷺ said: "It is not right for any one of you to say: 'I have forgotten such and such a verse.' Rather, he has been caused to forget. Study the Qur'an, for it escapes from the heart of man faster than a camel escapes from its fetter. "  

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ بِئْسَمَا لأَحَدِهِمْ أَنْ يَقُولَ نَسِيتُ آيَةَ كَيْتَ وَكَيْتَ بَلْ هُوَ نُسِّيَ اسْتَذْكِرُوا الْقُرْآنَ فَإِنَّهُ أَسْرَعُ تَفَصِّيًا مِنْ صُدُورِ الرِّجَالِ مِنَ النَّعَمِ مِنْ عُقُلِهِ