Arabic (Original)
حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ عَنْ هَمَّامٍ عَنْ عَاصِمٍ عَنْ أَبِي وَائِلٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ رَجُلًا يَقْرَأُ حم الثَّلَاثِينَ يَعْنِي الْأَحْقَافَ فَقَرَأَ حَرْفًا وَقَرَأَ رَجُلٌ آخَرُ حَرْفًا لَمْ يَقْرَأْهُ صَاحِبُهُ وَقَرَأْتُ أَحْرُفًا فَلَمْ يَقْرَأْهَا صَاحِبَيَّ فَانْطَلَقْنَا إِلَى النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَأَخْبَرْنَاهُ فَقَالَ لَا تَخْتَلِفُوا فَإِنَّمَا هَلَكَ مَنْ كَانَ قَبْلَكُمْ بِاخْتِلَافِهِمْ ثُمَّ قَالَ انْظُرُوا أَقْرَأَكُمْ رَجُلًا فَخُذُوا بِقِرَاءَتِهِ.
English Translation
'Abd al-Rahman told us, from Hammam, from 'Asim, from Abu Wa'il, from 'Abdullah, who said: I heard a man reciting Ha-Mim the thirtieth, meaning Al-Ahqaf, and he recited a letter, and another man recited a letter that his companion had not recited, and I recited letters that neither of my two companions had recited. So we went to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and told him. He said: 'Do not differ, for indeed those before you were destroyed by their differing.' Then he said: 'Look at whichever of you is the best reciter, and follow his recitation.'