Arabic (Original)
حَدَّثَنَا عَفَّانُ حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادُ بْنُ سَلَمَةَ أَخْبَرَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ زَيْدٍ عَن عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ أَبِي بَكْرَةَ عَن أَبِي بَكْرَةَ أَنَّ جِبْرِيلَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَام قَالَ يَا مُحَمَّدُ اقْرَأْ الْقُرْآنَ عَلَى حَرْفٍ قَالَ مِيكَائِيلُ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَام اسْتَزِدْهُ فَاسْتَزَادَهُ قَالَ اقْرَأْهُ عَلَى حَرْفَيْنِ قَالَ مِيكَائِيلُ اسْتَزِدْهُ فَاسْتَزَادَهُ حَتَّى بَلَغَ سَبْعَةَ أَحْرُفٍ قَالَ كُلٌّ شَافٍ كَافٍ مَا لَمْ تَخْتِمْ آيَةَ عَذَابٍ بِرَحْمَةٍ أَوْ آيَةَ رَحْمَةٍ بِعَذَابٍ نَحْوَ قَوْلِكَ تَعَالَ وَأَقْبِلْ وَهَلُمَّ وَاذْهَبْ وَأَسْرِعْ وَاعْجَلْ.
English Translation
Affan told us, Hammad ibn Salamah told us, Ali ibn Zayd informed us, from Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi Bakrah, from Abu Bakrah, that Gabriel, peace be upon him, said: "O Muhammad, recite the Qur'an in one mode." Michael, peace be upon him, said: "Ask him for more," so he asked for more. He said: "Recite it in two modes." Michael said: "Ask him for more," so he asked for more, until it reached seven modes. He said: "Each one is sufficient and satisfying, so long as you do not end a verse of punishment with one of mercy, or a verse of mercy with one of punishment - like your saying 'come' and 'approach,' 'come here' and 'go,' 'hurry' and 'make haste.'"