Was the Quran Revealed according to Seven Harfs?
SYNOPSIS Presentation of the traditions about the revelation of the Quran according to seven /:tarfs; a refutation of these traditions; the lack of any reference to a rational meaning of the revelation of the Quran in seven /:tarfs; the ten interpretations men‌ tioned for the seven /:tarfs; explanation of the incorrectness of these interpretations.

It has been narrated in the traditions of the Sunnis that the Quran was revealed in seven /:taifs.١ It is appropriate to present these traditions first and then undertake the investigation [of them].

١. Al-Tabari relates a tradition on the authority of Yunus and AbU Kurayb, whore‌ ported from a chain of transmission that goes back to Ibn Shihab, whose chain of transmission had gone back to Ibn Abbas, who had said that the Prophet (peace be upon him and his progeny) said: "Gabriel recited to me the Quran in one/:tarf. I asked him to repeat it, and continued to ask him for more until he ultimately recited it in seven /:taifs."٢
Muslim relates this tradition on the authority of I:Iurmalah, who related it from
Ibn Wahb, who had related it from YUnus.٣ Al-Bukhari relates it through another chain oftransmission,٤ and also relates its content from Ibn al-Barqi, whose chain of transmission goes back to Ibn Abbas.

٢. Al-Tabari also relates on the authority of Abu Kurayb, whose chain of transmis‌ sion goes back to Abd al-Ral}.man b. Abi Layla, who had reported from his grandfa‌ ther, who had reported from Ubayy b. Kab, who had said:

I was in the mosque when a man came in to pray. He recited the Quran with a reading which I disapproved of him using. Then another man entered and recited in a way dif‌ ferent from that of his fellow worshiper. So we all went to the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his progeny). I said: "٠ Messenger of God, this person recited in a reading which I disapprove of him using. Then came this fellow and recited with a reading that was different from that of his fellow worshiper." The Prophet commanded both of them to recite, and approved both readings. This threw in my heart a doubt the