أَنَّهُمَا سَمِعَا عُمَرَ بْنَ الْخَطَّابِ، يَقُولُ سَمِعْتُ هِشَامَ بْنَ حَكِيمِ بْنِ حِزَامٍ، يَقْرَأُ سُورَةَ الْفُرْقَانِ فِي حَيَاةِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَاسْتَمَعْتُ لِقِرَاءَتِهِ فَإِذَا هُوَ يَقْرَؤُهَا عَلَى حُرُوفٍ كَثِيرَةٍ لَمْ يُقْرِئْنِيهَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَكِدْتُ أُسَاوِرُهُ فِي الصَّلاَةِ فَانْتَظَرْتُهُ حَتَّى سَلَّمَ فَلَبَبْتُهُ فَقُلْتُ مَنْ أَقْرَأَكَ هَذِهِ السُّورَةَ الَّتِي سَمِعْتُكَ تَقْرَأُ قَالَ أَقْرَأَنِيهَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم. فَقُلْتُ لَهُ كَذَبْتَ فَوَاللَّهِ إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم لَهُوَ أَقْرَأَنِي هَذِهِ السُّورَةَ الَّتِي سَمِعْتُكَ، فَانْطَلَقْتُ بِهِ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَقُودُهُ فَقُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنِّي سَمِعْتُ هَذَا يَقْرَأُ سُورَةَ الْفُرْقَانِ عَلَى حُرُوفٍ لَمْ تُقْرِئْنِيهَا وَإِنَّكَ أَقْرَأْتَنِي سُورَةَ الْفُرْقَانِ. فَقَالَ " يَا هِشَامُ اقْرَأْهَا ". فَقَرَأَهَا الْقِرَاءَةَ الَّتِي سَمِعْتُهُ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " هَكَذَا أُنْزِلَتْ ". ثُمَّ قَالَ " اقْرَأْ يَا عُمَرُ ". فَقَرَأْتُهَا الَّتِي أَقْرَأَنِيهَا، فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " هَكَذَا أُنْزِلَتْ ". ثُمَّ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " إِنَّ الْقُرْآنَ أُنْزِلَ عَلَى سَبْعَةِ أَحْرُفٍ فَاقْرَءُوا مَا تَيَسَّرَ مِنْهُ ".
I heard Hisham bin Hakim bin Hizam reciting Surat-al-Furqan during the lifetime of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ),and I listened to his recitation and noticed that he recited it in several ways which Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) hadnot taught me. So I was on the point of attacking him in the prayer, but I waited till he finished hisprayer, and then I seized him by the collar and said, "Who taught you this Surah which I have heardyou reciting?" He replied, "Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) taught it to me." I said, "You are telling a lie; By Allah!Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) taught me (in a different way) this very Surah which I have heard you reciting." So Itook him, leading him to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! I heard this person recitingSurat-al-Furqan in a way that you did not teach me, and you have taught me Surat-al-Furqan." TheProphet said, "O Hisham, recite!" So he recited in the same way as I heard him recite it before. Onthat Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "It was revealed to be recited in this way." Then Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said,"Recite, O `Umar!" So I recited it as he had taught me. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) then said, "It was revealed tobe recited in this way." Allah" Apostle added, "The Qur'an has been revealed to be recited in severaldifferent ways, so recite of it that which is easier for you."