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.'"
The Book of the Commencement of the Prayer - Sunan an-Nasa'i 938
This narration from 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) establishes the foundational principle of the seven modes (ahruf) of Quranic recitation. The incident demonstrates the Companions' meticulous preservation of revelation and their zeal in protecting the authentic transmission from the Prophet (ﷺ).
Scholarly Commentary on the Incident
'Umar's initial reaction stemmed from his profound reverence for the Quran's preservation. His restraint in waiting until the prayer's completion shows the Companions' respect for prayer's sanctity, even when investigating potential errors in recitation.
The Prophet's (ﷺ) validation of both recitations demonstrates the divine wisdom in permitting variant readings that preserve the same essential meaning. This accommodation facilitated the Quran's dissemination among Arab tribes with different dialects.
Legal and Theological Implications
This hadith establishes the permissibility of the seven authentic modes of recitation transmitted through reliable chains. Scholars differ whether these seven refer to distinct dialects or variations in wording, pronunciation, and grammatical forms.
The final instruction "recite as much of the Quran as may be easy for you" indicates the Shariah's facilitation and removal of hardship in worship, provided one adheres to authentically transmitted recitations.
Classical Scholars' Perspectives
Imam al-Nawawi comments that this hadith proves the validity of different qira'at (recitations) and warns against hastiness in judgment regarding others' worship.
Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani emphasizes that all seven modes are equally valid and divinely revealed, though most current recitations follow the transmission of Hafṣ from 'Asim.