Jami' at-Tirmidhi
Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2944
حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مَنِيعٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا الْحَسَنُ بْنُ مُوسَى، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا شَيْبَانُ، عَنْ عَاصِمٍ، عَنْ زِرِّ بْنِ حُبَيْشٍ، عَنْ أُبَىِّ بْنِ كَعْبٍ، قَالَ لَقِيَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم جِبْرِيلَ فَقَالَ " يَا جِبْرِيلُ إِنِّي بُعِثْتُ إِلَى أُمَّةٍ أُمِّيِّينَ مِنْهُمُ الْعَجُوزُ وَالشَّيْخُ الْكَبِيرُ وَالْغُلاَمُ وَالْجَارِيَةُ وَالرَّجُلُ الَّذِي لَمْ يَقْرَأْ كِتَابًا قَطُّ " . قَالَ يَا مُحَمَّدُ إِنَّ الْقُرْآنَ أُنْزِلَ عَلَى سَبْعَةِ أَحْرُفٍ . وَفِي الْبَابِ عَنْ عُمَرَ وَحُذَيْفَةَ بْنِ الْيَمَانِ وَأُمِّ أَيُّوبَ وَهِيَ امْرَأَةُ أَبِي أَيُّوبَ الأَنْصَارِيِّ وَسَمُرَةَ وَابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ وَأَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ وَأَبِي جُهَيْمِ بْنِ الْحَارِثِ بْنِ الصِّمَّةِ وَعَمْرِو بْنِ الْعَاصِ وَأَبِي بَكْرَةَ . قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ وَقَدْ رُوِيَ مِنْ غَيْرِ وَجْهٍ عَنْ أُبَىِّ بْنِ كَعْبٍ .
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Ubayy ibn Ka‘b reported that the Messenger of Allah met Jibril and said, ‘Jibril, I have been sent to an unlettered people, among whom are elderly women, old men, boys, girls, and men who have never read a book.’ Jibril replied, ‘Muhammad, the Qur’an was revealed in seven ahruf.’ Reports from ‘Umar, Hudhayfah ibn al-Yaman, Umm Ayyub (the wife of Abu Ayyub al-Ansari), Samurah, Ibn ‘Abbas, Abu Hurayrah, Abu Juhaim ibn al-Harith ibn al-Simmah, ‘Amr ibn al-‘As, and Abu Bakrah are also cited on this topic. Abu ‘Isa graded this hadith hasan sahih; it has been transmitted through multiple routes from Ubayy ibn Ka‘b.
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The Arabic describes a community with varying ages and literacy, including people who had never read a book. Jibril’s reply is that the Qur’an was revealed in seven ahruf (modes/forms). The list of related Companion reports includes Umm Ayyub, identified as Abu Ayyub al-Ansari’s wife.