Ubayy reported, "I was in the mosque when a man entered and began to pray. He recited in a way that I found objectionable. Then another man came in and recited differently from the first. When we had finished the prayer, we all went together to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.I said, 'This man recited in a way I found objectionable, and another came in and recited differently from him.'The Messenger of Allah ﷺ ordered the two men to recite, and the Prophet ﷺ approved of both their recitations. At that, a feeling of denial came over me stronger than anything I had felt even in the days of ignorance.When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ saw what had overtaken me, he struck my chest, and I broke out in a sweat, as though I were gazing upon Allah in fear.He said to me, 'Ubayy, word was sent to me to recite the Quran upon one mode. I requested in reply that it be made easy for my community. The message came back a second time, recite it upon two modes. Again I requested that it be made easy for my community. The message came back a third time, recite it upon seven modes, and for every reply you sent back you may ask of Me a request.'I said, 'O Allah, forgive my community. O Allah, forgive my community.' And I deferred the third request until the Day when all of creation, even Ibrahim ﷺ, will be in need of my intercession."
كنت في المسجد، فدخل رجل يصلي. فقرأ قراءة أنكرتها عليه ثم دخل آخر فقرأ قراءة سوى قراءة صاحبه. فلما قضينا الصلاة دخلنا جميعا على رسول الله ﷺ. فقلت: إن هذا قرأ قراءة أنكرتها عليه ودخل آخر فقرأ سوى قراءة صاحبه، فأمرهما رسول الله ﷺ فقرآ، فحسن النبي ﷺ شأنهما فسقط في نفسي من التكذيب ولا إذ كنت في الجاهلية. فلما رأى رسول الله ﷺ ما قد غشيني ضرب في صدري ففضت عرقا، وكأنما أنظر إلى الله عز وجل فرقا فقال لي: يا أبي، أرسل إلي: أن اقرأ القرآن على حرف. فرددت إليه أن هون على أمتي. فرد إلي الثانية: اقرأه على حرفين. فرددت إليه: أن هون على أمتي. فرد إلي الثالثة: اقرأه على سبعة أحرف، فلك بكل ردة رددتها مسألة تسألنيها. فقلت: اللهم اغفر لأمتي. اللهم اغفر لأمتي. وأخرت الثالثة ليوم يرغب إلي الخلق كلهم حتى إبراهيم ﷺ.
Muslim narrated it in the Book of the Prayer of Travelers (820), from Muhammad bin Abdullah bin Numayr, who said, our father narrated to us, who said, Ismail bin Abu Khalid narrated to us, from Abdullah bin Isa bin Abdul-Rahman bin Abu Layla, from his grandfather, from Ubayy bin Kaab, and he mentioned the hadith.His saying, "and I saved back the third," refers to the intercession, as is made explicit in the other narrations by his saying, "and I kept the third hidden as intercession for my nation on the Day of Resurrection."