—due to a cause that required adhering to a single mode—to recite it in a single mode and to abandon reciting in the remaining six modes, while not prohibiting its recitation in all its modes for a reciter according to what was permitted for him to recite in it.

If he says: "And what is the cause that required adhering to a single mode to the exclusion of all the remaining six modes?"

59- It was said: Aḥmad ibn ʿAbda al-Ḍabbī narrated to us, he said: ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz ibn Muḥammad al-Darāwardī narrated to us, from ʿUmāra ibn Ghaziyya, from Ibn Shihāb, from Khārija ibn Zayd ibn Thābit, from his father Zayd, who said: When the Companions of the Messenger of Allah, Peace and blessings of God be upon him, were killed at al-Yamāma, ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb entered upon Abū Bakr, may Allah have mercy on him, and said: "The Companions of the Messenger of Allah, Peace and blessings of God be upon him, at al-Yamāma fell impetuously like moths into the Hellfire, and I fear that they will not attend any battle without doing the same until they are killed—and they are the bearers of the Qur'an—so the Qur'an will be lost and forgotten. If only you would collect it and write it down!" But Abū Bakr recoiled from it and said: "Shall I do something that the Messenger of Allah, Peace and blessings of God be upon him, did not do?!" So they debated back and forth regarding that. Then Abū Bakr sent for Zayd ibn Thābit. Zayd said: So I entered upon him while ʿUmar was sitting solemnly (1). Abū Bakr said: "This man has called me to a matter, but I refused him, and you are the scribe of the Revelation. If you side with him, I will follow both of you, and if you agree with me, I will not do it." Zayd said: Abū Bakr related what ʿUmar had said while ʿUmar remained silent. I recoiled from that and said: "Shall we do something that the Messenger of Allah, Peace and blessings of God be upon him, did not do?!" Until ʿUmar said a word: "What harm is there for both of you if you do that?" Zayd said: So we went to consider it, and we said: "By Allah, there is no harm! There is no harm upon us in doing that!" Zayd said: So Abū Bakr commanded me, and I wrote it on pieces of leather, fragments of shoulder blades, and palm stalks (2).