Arabic (Original)
Ḥadīth | Ṭabarānī (الطبراني) tabarani:8296 حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ دَاوُدَ الْمَكِّيُّ ثنا عَمَّارُ بْنُ مَطَرٍ ثنا لَيْثُ بْنُ سَعْدٍ عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ عَنْ سَلَمَةَ بْنِ عُمَرَ بْنِ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ قَالَ لِعَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ مَسْعُودٍ إِنَّ الْكُتُبَ كَانَتْ تَنْزِلُ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ مِنْ بَابٍ وَاحِدٍ وَإِنَّ الْقُرْآنَ أُنْزِلَ مِنْ سَبْعَةِ أَبْوَابٍ عَلَى سَبْعَةِ أَحْرُفٍ حَلَالٌ وَحَرَامٌ وَمُحْكَمٌ وَمُتَشَابِهٌ وَضَرْبُ أَمْثَالٍ وَآمِرٌ وَزَاجِرٌ فَحِلَّ حَلَالَهُ وَحَرِّمْ حَرَامَهُ وَاعْمَلْ بِمُحْكَمِهِ وَقِفْ عِنْدَ مُتَشَابِهِهِ وَاعْتَبِرْ أَمْثَالَهُ فَإِنَّ كُلًّا مِنْ عِنْدِ اللهِ وَمَا يَتَذَكَّرُ إِلَّا أُولُو الْأَلْبَابِ
English Translation
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said to Abdullah ibn Mas'ud: 'The previous scriptures used to descend from heaven through one gate, but the Quran was sent down from seven gates upon seven modes: the lawful, the unlawful, the definitive, the ambiguous, parables, commands, and prohibitions. So make lawful what it declares lawful, prohibit what it declares prohibited, act upon what is definitive, stop at what is ambiguous, and take lessons from its parables, for all of it is from Allah. And none take heed except people of understanding.'