The proof of the correctness of what we have said—that the meaning of the Prophet's—peace and blessings of God be upon him—statement, "The Qur'an was revealed according to seven modes," is simply that it was revealed in seven dialects, as we previously mentioned from the established narrations from 'Umar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb, 'Abd Allāh ibn Mas'ūd, Ubayy ibn Ka'b, and all those from whom we previously presented narrations, from the Prophet—peace and blessings of God be upon him—at the beginning of this chapter—is that they disputed regarding the Qur'an, differing from one another in the recitation itself, rather than in the meanings contained therein, and that they referred the judgment to the Prophet—peace and blessings of God be upon him (1)—so he asked each man among them to recite, and then declared all of them correct in their recitations despite their differences, to the extent that some of them doubted because of his declaring all of them correct. Thereupon, he—peace and blessings of God be upon him—said to the one among them who doubted when he declared all of them correct: "Indeed, God commanded me to recite the Qur'an according to seven modes."

It is well known that their dispute in what they disputed about regarding that, had it been a dispute and disagreement over what their recitations indicated of making things lawful or unlawful, promising reward or threatening punishment, and the like, it would have been impossible for him to declare all of them correct and command every reciter among them to adhere to his recitation in that manner as it is. Because if that were allowed to be correct, it would necessitate that God—mighty is His praise—had commanded the performance of a specific thing and made it obligatory in the recitation of the one whose recitation indicated its obligation, and prohibited that very same thing and warned against it in the recitation of the one whose recitation indicated prohibition and warning, and made the performance of that very same thing permissible and unrestricted, allowing whichever of His servants wished to perform it to perform it, and whichever of them wished to leave it to leave it (2), in the recitation of the one whose recitation indicated choice!

And that, from whoever says it if he says it, would be affirming what God—mighty is His praise—negated from His revelation and the judgment of His Book, when He said: {Do they not then reflect upon the Qur'an? If it had been from other than Allah, they would have found within it much contradiction.} [Surah An-Nisā': 82].