The 7 Qir’aat
Hazrat Ubayy (ra) bin Kaab narrates, “Once, I was in the mosque when a man entered and began offering Salat. He recited the Quran in such a manner which seemed very unusual to me. Then another man entered the mosque and started reciting [the Holy Quran] with a different qir‘ah [reading]. When we had all offered our Salat, we went to the Holy Prophet (sa).
“I informed the Holy Prophet (sa) that this person has recited the Holy Qur’an in such a qir‘ah [reading] which seems strange to me. Then another person came who recited it in a different reading to the first person. So the Holy Prophet (sa) asked both of them to recite their qir‘aat of the Holy Quran, to which they recited. The Holy Prophet (sa) then declared both their qir‘aat to be correct and told them both they had recited correctly.”
Upon the reversal of his own opinion, Hazrat Ubayy (ra) says, “When I had formed an opinion that such and such person recited incorrectly and the Holy Prophet (sa) corrected my view declaring both readings to be correct, I became extremely embarrassed in a manner I had not even experienced in the era of ignorance when I knew little. The embarrassment I felt at that point was like none other I had felt in my entire life.
“When the Holy Prophet (sa) saw me overcome in this state and the embarrassment was plain to see on my face, he placed his hand on my chest. I was covered in sweat as if I was beholding God Almighty in this state of fear. Then the Holy Prophet (sa) said to me, ‘O Ubayy, I was instructed that I should recite the Holy Quran in one qir‘ah. I replied by requesting ease for my people. I was then instructed that I should recite it, i.e. the Holy Quran in two qir‘aat, to which I again replied asking ease for my people. On the third try, he instructed that I should recite it in seven qir‘aat. Thus, in response to each one of my requests I was told by the angel that I have been given the right to seek whatever I wish from God,’ i.e. the angel Gabriel said, ‘For each response [to your request], Allah the Almighty has granted you the right to seek from Him whatever you desire of Him.’ ‘I then said (i.e. the Holy Prophet (sa) states), “O Allah, forgive my people, O Allah, forgive my people. And I deferred the third prayer for the day in which all of creation will turn to me [for intercession], including Prophet Abraham (as).”’”
(Sahih Muslim, Kitab Salat al-Musafirin wa Qasriha, Bab Bayan anna al-Quran…, Translation of Nur Foundation, Vol. 3, pp. 308-309)