Hadith 22
Prayer (Kitab Al-Salat): Detailed Injunctions about Witr
Ubayy b. Ka'b reported:
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: "Ubayy, I was asked to recite the Qur'an and I was asked: 'In one mode or two modes?' The angel that accompanied me said: 'Say, in two modes', I said: 'In two modes', I was asked again: 'In two or three modes'. The matter reached up to seven modes. He then said: 'Each mode is sufficiently health-giving, whether you utter 'all-hearing and all-knowing' or instead 'all-powerful and all-wise'. This is valid until you finish the verse indicating punishment on mercy and finish the verse indicating mercy on punishment."
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الْوَلِيدِ الطَّيَالِسِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا هَمَّامُ بْنُ يَحْيَى، عَنْ قَتَادَةَ، عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ يَعْمُرَ، عَنْ سُلَيْمَانَ بْنِ صُرَدٍ الْخُزَاعِيِّ، عَنْ أُبَىِّ بْنِ كَعْبٍ، قَالَ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم
يَا أُبَىُّ إِنِّي أُقْرِئْتُ الْقُرْآنَ فَقِيلَ لِي عَلَى حَرْفٍ أَوْ حَرْفَيْنِ فَقَالَ الْمَلَكُ الَّذِي مَعِي قُلْ عَلَى حَرْفَيْنِ . قُلْتُ عَلَى حَرْفَيْنِ . فَقِيلَ لِي عَلَى حَرْفَيْنِ أَوْ ثَلاَثَةٍ . فَقَالَ الْمَلَكُ الَّذِي مَعِي قُلْ عَلَى ثَلاَثَةٍ . قُلْتُ عَلَى ثَلاَثَةٍ . حَتَّى بَلَغَ سَبْعَةَ أَحْرُفٍ ثُمَّ قَالَ لَيْسَ مِنْهَا إِلاَّ شَافٍ كَافٍ إِنْ قُلْتَ سَمِيعًا عَلِيمًا عَزِيزًا حَكِيمًا مَا لَمْ تَخْتِمْ آيَةَ عَذَابٍ بِرَحْمَةٍ أَوْ آيَةَ رَحْمَةٍ بِعَذَابٍ
Hadith gradings, numbering and translations can differ between editions. For legal rulings or detailed interpretation, consult qualified scholarship and the referenced edition.