At a glance
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Overview
Al-Bukhari transmits the Prophet ﷺ's saying that the Qur'an was revealed in seven ahruf (modes), so that whatever is easy of it may be recited. 1
The report
It was transmitted by Umar, when he heard Hisham ibn Hakim reciting Surat al-Furqan differently from his own recitation. He led him to the Prophet, who had each of them recite, and said to each that it had been revealed in that form. 1
The meaning of the ahruf
Scholars differ widely on what is meant by the seven ahruf. Some counted them as seven aspects: command and prohibition, promise and warning, disputation, narratives, and parables. Others took them to be differences in vowelling, omission, anticipation and postponement, and substitution. Others linked them to the readings of the Arab tribes. The question is among the most delicate in the sciences of the Qur'an. The attribution of each view to its author would need a further source.
The hadith is linked to Umar ibn al-Khattab. 1
Connections
- Based on
- Bukhari 2419 — the seven ahruf
- Related to
- Umar ibn al-Khattab
People and things also explored
Muhammad· Bukhari 2419 — the seven ahruf· Umar ibn al-Khattab· The Prophet's request for a writing in his last illness· Umar's Friday sermon on the stoning verse and on Abu Bakr's pledge· Abdullah ibn Umar ibn al-Khattab· Hafsa bint Umar· Uthman ibn Affan
Sources
- Sahih al-Bukhari , 2419
Cite this page
islam.museum contributors. “The seven ahruf”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/concept/al-ahruf-al-sabaa/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Last updated 2026-10-16.