and he did not alter it for me." Both argued in the presence of the Prophet. The man asked, "٠ Messenger of God, did you not teach me to recite the verse in such and such a manner?" The Prophet said, "Yes." Something occurred in Umars mind and the Prophet perceived it in his face. He struck his chest and said, "Drive away the satan." He repeated this thrice, and then added, "٠ Umar, the Quran is all the same, as long as you do not tum mercy into punishment and punishment into mercy."

AI-Tabari also relates on the authority of Yunus b. Abd al-Ala, whose chain of transmission goes back to Umar b. al-Khagab, an incident similar to the one reported above involving Umar and Hisham b. I:Iakim. Al-Bukhari, Muslim, and al-Tirmidhi also relate the story of Umar and Hisham, but with another chain of transmission, and variations in the wording of the tradition.٨

٦. Al-Tabarirelates on the authority of Muhammad b. al-Muthanna, whose chain of transmission goes back to Ibn Abi Layla, who reported on the authority of Ubayy b. Kab, who said:

He said that the Prophet (peace be upon him and his progeny) was at the watering place of Banil Ghaffar when Gabriel came to him and said, "God has commanded you to teach your community the Quran in one /:tarf." He (the Prophet) said, "Ask God for His forgiveness and mercy and [tell Him] that my community cannot bear this." Then Gabriel came again to him and said, "God has commanded you to teach the Quran to your community in two /:tarfs." The Prophet replied, "Ask God for His forgiveness and mercy and [tell Him] that my community cannot bear this." Then Gabriel came a third time and said, "God commands you to teach the Quran to your community in three
/:tarfs." The Prophet said, "Ask God for His forgiveness and mercy and [tell Him] that
my community cannot bear this." Then Gabriel came the fourth time and said, "God commands you to teach your community to read the Quran in seven harfs." In which‌ ever /:tarfthey read, they would have recited correctly.

This tradition is also related by Muslim in his $a/:tf/:z.٩ AI-Tabar!relates something to this effect from Ibn Kurayb, too, whose chain of transmission goes back to Ibn Abi Layla, who reported from Ubayy b. Kab. He also relates part of the tradition, with slight variations, on the authority of Al:lmad b. Mul:lammad al-Tusi, whose chain of transmission goes back to Ibn Abi Layla, who reported from Ubayy b. Kab. As well, he rel tes
transmission reaches [back to] Ubayy b. Kab.

٧. Al-Tabari also relates on the authority of Abu Kurayb, whose chain of transmis‌
sion goes back to Zarr, who reported from Ubayy b. Kab, who had said:

The Messenger of God met Gabriel at a place called AI)jar al-Mara. He said, "I have been sent to a community of unlettered people (ummiyyun), among whom are youths and servants, old men and women." Gabriel said, "In that case, teach them the Quran in seven /:tarfs." ١٠

٨. AI-Tabari also relates on the authority of Amr b. Uthman al-Uthmani, whose chain of transmission goes back to al-Maqbari, and from him to Abu Hurayra, who said:

The Prophet (peace be upon him and his progeny) said: "Indeed, this Quran has been revealed in seven /:tarfs. Hence, read it [in any one /:tarf] and there is no objection [in