Arabic (Original)
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ حَدَّثَنَا عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مُوسَى عَنْ إِسْرَائِيلَ عَنْ أَبِي إِسْحَاقَ عَنْ سُقَيْرٍ الْعَبْدِيِّ عَنْ سُلَيْمَانَ بْنِ صُرَدٍ عَنْ أُبَيِّ بْنِ كَعْبٍ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ رَجُلًا يَقْرَأُ فَقُلْتُ مَنْ أَقْرَأَكَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَقُلْتُ انْطَلِقْ إِلَيْهِ فَأَتَيْتُ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَقُلْتُ اسْتَقْرِئْ هَذَا فَقَالَ اقْرَأْ فَقَرَأَ فَقَالَ أَحْسَنْتَ فَقُلْتُ لَهُ أَوَلَمْ تُقْرِئْنِي كَذَا وَكَذَا قَالَ بَلَى وَأَنْتَ قَدْ أَحْسَنْتَ فَقُلْتُ بِيَدَيَّ قَدْ أَحْسَنْتَ مَرَّتَيْنِ قَالَ فَضَرَبَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بِيَدِهِ فِي صَدْرِي ثُمَّ قَالَ اللَّهُمَّ أَذْهِبْ عَنْ أُبَيٍّ الشَّكَّ فَفِضْتُ عَرَقًا وَامْتَلَأَ جَوْفِي فَرَقًا فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَا أُبَيُّ إِنَّ مَلَكَيْنِ أَتَيَانِي فَقَالَ أَحَدُهُمَا اقْرَأْ عَلَى حَرْفٍ فَقَالَ الْآخَرُ زِدْهُ فَقُلْتُ زِدْنِي قَالَ اقْرَأْ عَلَى حَرْفَيْنِ فَقَالَ الْآخَرُ زِدْهُ فَقُلْتُ زِدْنِي فَقَالَ اقْرَأْ عَلَى ثَلَاثَةٍ فَقَالَ الْآخَرُ زِدْهُ فَقُلْتُ زِدْنِي قَالَ اقْرَأْ عَلَى أَرْبَعَةِ أَحْرُفٍ قَالَ الْآخَرُ زِدْهُ قُلْتُ زِدْنِي قَالَ اقْرَأْ عَلَى خَمْسَةِ أَحْرُفٍ قَالَ الْآخَرُ زِدْهُ قُلْتُ زِدْنِي قَالَ اقْرَأْ عَلَى سِتَّةٍ قَالَ الْآخَرُ زِدْهُ قَالَ اقْرَأْ عَلَى سَبْعَةِ أَحْرُفٍ فَالْقُرْآنُ أُنْزِلَ عَلَى سَبْعَةِ أَحْرُفٍ.
English Translation
Abu Bakr ibn Abi Shayba told us, Ubaydullah ibn Musa told us, from Isra'il, from Abu Ishaq, from Suqayr al-'Abdi, from Sulayman ibn Surad, from Ubayy ibn Ka'b, who said: I heard a man reciting, so I said: "Who taught you to recite?" He said: "The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him." I said: "Go to him." So I went to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and said: "Have this man recite for you." He said: "Recite." So he recited, and he said: "You have done well." I said to him: "Did you not teach me such-and-such?" He said: "Yes, and you too have done well." I said with my own hands: "You have done well twice?" He said: Then the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, struck his hand upon my chest, then said: "O Allah, remove doubt from Ubayy." So I broke out in sweat, and my insides were filled with awe. Then the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "O Ubayy, two angels came to me. One of them said: 'Recite on one letter.' The other said: 'Increase him.' So I said: 'Increase me.' He said: 'Recite on two letters.' The other said: 'Increase him.' So I said: 'Increase me.' He said: 'Recite on three.' The other said: 'Increase him.' So I said: 'Increase me.' He said: 'Recite on four letters.' The other said: 'Increase him.' I said: 'Increase me.' He said: 'Recite on five letters.' The other said: 'Increase him.' I said: 'Increase me.' He said: 'Recite on six.' The other said: 'Increase him.' He said: 'Recite on seven letters.' So the Qur'an was revealed upon seven letters."