like of which I did not feel since accepting the faith. When the Prophet saw what had overcome me, he struck my breast, and I began to perspire as if I were contemplating God in great fear. Then he said to me, "٠ Ubayy, it was conveyed to me to recite the Quran in one f:zarf." I replied, requesting him [the angel] to make things easier for my community. He came to me a second time and told me to recite the Quran in onef:zarf.٥
Again, I requested him to make things easier for my community. He returned a third
time and told me to recite it in seven f:zarfs and [added that] "for each repetition [of Gods command] you may ask something of Me." Thus, I said, "٠ my God, forgive my community! ٠ my God, forgive my community." And I delayed the third request for the day when all creatures, including Abraham (peace be upon him), would ask for my intercession.

This tradition is also reported by Muslim, with only a slight variation.٦ AI-Tabari also relates it, with very little difference, on the authority of AbU Kurayb, through another chain of transmission. He also relates a variant on the authority of YUnus b.
Abd al-Ala and MuJ:!ammad b. Abd al-Ala al- anani,
chain of transmission going back to Ubayy.

٣. Tabari relates on the authority of AbU Kurayb, who reported from a chain of trans‌
mission going back to Sulayman b. urad, who had said:

I went to the mosque and heard a man reciting. I asked him, "Who taught you this reci‌ tation?" He said, "The Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his progeny)." I took him to the Prophet and said, "Ask this man to recite." The man recited and the Prophet said, "Well done!" I said, "But you taught me to read like this and like that"-[giving him examples]. The Prophet said, "Well done to you as well!" I said, "You have ap‌ proved oth
take away doubt from Ubayy!" I began to perspire and was filled with great fear. Then he said: "The two angels came to me. One of them said, Recite the Quran in onef:zarf. The other said, Increase it for him, and I said, Increase it for me. [At that] he said,
Recite it in two f:zarfs. This went on until the number reached seven. Thus, he said,
Recite it in seven f:zarfs."

٤. AI-Tabari relates on the authority of AbU Kurayb, whose chain of transmission goes back to Abd al-RaJ:!man b. Abi Bakra, who reported from his father, who had said:

The Prophet (peace be upon him and his progeny) said: "Gabriel said, Recite the Quran in one f:zarf. Michael said, Ask him to increase. Gabriel said, [Recite] in two f:zarfs. [This went on] the number reached six or seven /:larfs"-this doubt [about the number] is on the part of Abu Kurayb. "Then he (Gabriel) said: All these [/:larfs] are clear and sufficient as long as no verse about punishment ends in mercy, nor a verse about mercy in punishment. It is as if one were to say alumma
"Come!"j.?

٥. AI-Tabari relates on the authority of AJ:!mad b. Man Ur,
sion goes back to AbdAllah b. Abi Ta!J:!a, who reported from his father. who had reported from his grandfather, who had said:

A man recited [the Quran] to Umar b. al-Khattab, and Umar altered his reading for him. The man said, "I recited it to the Prophet (peace be upon him and his progeny),